the Church in the purest and most Primitive Times we have in obedience to His Majesties Commission made Inquiry but cannot find any Records of known Credit concerning any entire Forms of Liturgies within the first 300 years which are confessed to be as the most Primitive so the purest Ages of the Church nor any Imposition of Liturgies upon any National Church for some hundred years after we find indeed Liturgical Forms fathered upon St. Basil St. Chrysostome and St. Ambrose but we have not seen any Copies of them but such as give us sufficient evidence to conclude them either wholly spurious or so interpolated that we cannot make a Judgement what in them hath any Primitive Authority Having thus in general expressed our desire we come to particulars which we find numerous and of a various nature some we grant are of an inferiour consideration verbal rather than material which were they not in she Publick Liturgy of so Famous a Church we should not have mentioned others dubions and disputable as not having a clear foundation in Scripture for their warrant but some there be that seem to be corrupt and to carry in them a repugnancy to the rule of the Gospel and therefore have administred just matter of exception and offence to many truly religious and peaceable not of a private station only but Learned Judicious Divines aswel of other Reformed Churches as of the Church of England ever since the Reformation We know much hath been spoken and written by way of Apology in answer to many things that have been obiected but yet the doubts and scuples of tender consciences still continue or rather are increased We do therefore humbly conceive it therefore a Work worthy of those Wonders of Salvation which God hath wrought for his Majesty now on the Throne and for the whole Kingdome and exceedingly becoming the Ministers of the Gospel of Peace with all holy moderation and tenderness to endeavour the removal of every thing out of the Worship of God which may justly offend or grieve the spirits of sober and godly people the things themselves that we desire to be removed not being of the foundation of Religion nor the Essentials of Publick Worship nor the removal of them any way tending to the prejudice of the Church or State therefore their continuance and rigorous Imposition can no ways be able to countervail the laying aside of so many pious and able Ministers and the unconceivable grief that will arise to multitudes of His Majesties most Loyal and peaceable Subjects who upon all accasions are ready to serve him with their Prayers Estates and Lives For the preventing of which evils we humbly desire that these particulars following may be taken into serious and tender consideration Concerning Morning and Evening Prayer 1. Rub. That Morning and Evening Prayer shall be used in the accustomed place of the Church Chancel or Chappel except it shall be otherwise determined by the Ordinary of the Place and the Chancel shall remain as in times past We desire that the words of the first Rub. may be expressed as in the Book established by Authority of Parliament 5 6 Edwardi 6. thus The Morning and Evening Prayer shall be used in such place of the Church Chappel or Chancel and the Minister shall so turn himself as the people may best hear and if there be any controversies therein the matter shall be referred to the Ordinary 2. Rub. And here it is to be noted that the Minister at the time of the Cimmunion and at other times in his ministration shall use such Ornaments in the Church as were in use by Authority of Parliament in the second year of the Reign of Edward the Sixth according to the Act of Parliament c. For as much as the Rubrick seemeth to bring back the Cope Albe and other vestments forbidden in the Common Prayer Book 5. 6. of Edw. 6. And for the reasons alledged against Ceremonies under our 18. general Exception we desire it may be wholly left out The Lords Prayer after the Absolution ends thus Deliver us from evill We desire that these Words For thine is the Kingdome the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen may be always added unto the Lords Prayer and that this Prayer may not be enjoyned to be so often used in the Morning and Evening Service And at the end of every Psalm throughout the year and likewise in the end of the Benedictus Benedicite magnificat c. Nunc Dimittis shall be repeated Glory be to the Father c. By this Rubrick and other places in the Common Prayer Book the Gloria Patri is appointed to be said six times ordinarily in every Morning and Evening Services frequently eight times in a Morning sometimes ten which we think carries with it at least an appearance of that vain repetition which Christ forbids for the avoiding of which appearance of evil we desire it may be used but once in the Morning and once in the Evening Rubr. In such places where they do sing there shall the Lessons be sung in a plain Tune and likewise the Epistle and Gospel Or this Canticle Benedicite omnia opera Except The Lessons and the Epistles and Gospels being for the most part neither Psalms nor Hymns we know no warrant why they should be sung in any place and conceive that the distinct reading of them with an audible voyce tends more to the edification of the Church We desire that some Psalm or Scripture Hymn may be appointed instead of that Apocryphal In the Letany From fornication and other deadly sins Except In regard that the wages of sin is death we desire that this clause may be thus altered From fornication and all other beynous or grievous sins From battle and murther and from sudden death Except Because this expression of sudden death hath been so often excepted against we desire if it be thought fit it may be thus read From battle and murther and from dying suddainly and unprepared That it may please thee to preserve all that travel by land and by water all women labouring with child all sick persons and young Children and to shew thy pity upon all prisoners and captives We desire that the term All may be advised upon as seeming liable to just exceptions and that it may be considered whether it may not better be put indefinitely those that travel c. rather then universally The Collect of Christmas day Almighty God which best given us thy only begotten son to take our nature upon him and this day to be born of a pure Virgin c The Rubrick Then shall follow the collect of the Nativity which shall be said continually unto New-years-day The Collect for VVhitsunday God which upon this day c. We desire that in both collects the words this day may be left out it being according to vulgar acceptation a contradiction Rubrick The same Collect to be read on Monday and Tuesday
THE GRAND DEBATE BETWEEN The most Reverend the BISHOPS AND The PRESBYTERIAN Divines Appointed by His Sacred MAJESTY AS COMMISSIONERS FOR The Review and Alteration OF THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER c. BEING An Exact Account of their whole Proceedings The most perfect Copy London Printed 1661. A Copy of His Majesties Commission CHARLES the second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To our Trusty and wel-beloved the most Reverend Father in God Accepted Arch-bishop of York The right reverend Fathers in God Gilbert Bishop of London John Bishop of Durham John Bishop of Rochester Humphrey Bishop of Sarum George Bishop of Worcester Robert Bishop of Lincoln Benjamin Bishop of Peterborough Brian Bishop of Chester Richard Bishop of Carlile John Bishop of Exeter Edward Bishop of Norwich to our trusty and wel-beloved the Reverend Anthony Tuckney D. D. John Conant D. D. William Spurstow D. D. John Wallis D. D. Thomas Manton D. D. Edmund Calamy B. D. Richard Baxter Clerke Arthur Juckson Tho. Case Samuel Clarke Matthew Newcomen Clerkes and to our trusty and wel-beloved Dr. Earle Dean of Westminster Peter Heylin D. D. Joh. Hacket D. D. Joh. Berwick D. D. Peter Gunning D. D. John Pearson D. D. Tho. Pierce D. D. Anthony Sparrow Herbert Thorndike D. D. Thomas Horton D. D. Thomas Jacomb D. D. William Bate John Rawlinson William Cooper Clerkes D. John Light foot D. John Collings D. Benjamin Woodbridg and VVilliam Drake Clerke Greeting Whereas by our Declaration of the 25 of October last concerning Ecclesiasticall affaires we did amongst other things express our esteem of the Liturgy of the Church of England contained in the Book of Common prayer and yet since we find exceptions made against several things therein we did by our said Declaration declare we would appoint an equal number of learned Divines of both perswasions to review the same we therefore in accomplishment of our said wil and intent and of our continued and constant care and study for the peace and unity of the Churches within our dominions for removal of all exceptions and differences and the occasions of such differences and exceptions from among our good subjects for or concerning the said Book of Common prayer or any thing therein contained doe by these our Letters patents require authorize constitute and appoint you the said c. to advise upon and review the said Book of Common prayer comparing the same with the most ancient Liturgies which have been used in the Church in the primitive and purest times And to that end to assemble and meet together from time to time and at such time within the space of foure Calendar moneths now next ensuing in the Masters lodging in the Savoy in the Strand in the County of Middlesex or in such other place or places as to you shall be thought fit and convenient to take into your serious and grave considerations the several directions and rules forms of prayer and things in the said Book of Common prayer contained and to advise consult upon and about the same and the several objections and exceptions which shall now be raised against the same and if occasion be to make such reasonable and necessary alterations corrections and amendments therein as by and between you the said Arch-bishop Bishops Doctors and Persons hereby required and authorized to meet and advise as aforesaid shall be agreed upon to be needfull and expedient for the giving satisfaction to tender consciences and the restoring and continuance of peace and unity in the Churches under our protection and Government but avoyding as much as may be all unnecessary abreviations of the Forms and Liturgy wherewith the people are altogether acquainted and have so long received in the Church of England And our will and pleasure is that when you the said Arch-bishop Bishops Doctours and persons authorized and appointed by these our Letters patents to meet advise and consult upon and about the premises as aforesaid shall have drawn your consultations to any resolution and determination which you shall agree upon as needfull or expedient to be done for the altering diminishing or inlarging the said Book of Common prayer or any part thereof that then forthwith you certifie and present to us in writing under your severall hands the matters and things whereupon you shall so determine for our approbation and to the end the same or so much thereof as shall be approved by us may be established and for as much as the said Archbishop Bishops have severall great Charges to attend which we would not dispense with or that the same should be neglected upon any great occasion whatsoever and some of them being of great age and infirmities may not be able constantly to attend the execution of the service and authority hereby given and required by us in the meeting and consultation aforesaid We will therefore and hereby require you the said Dr. Earles c. to supply the place and places of such of the Arch-bishop and Bishops other then the said Edward Bishop of Norwich as shall by age sickness infirmity or other occasion be hindred from attending the said meeting or consultation that is to say that one of you the said Dr. Earles c. shall from time to time supply the place of each one of them the said Arch-bishop and Bishops other then the said Edward Bishop of Norwich which shall happen to be hindred or to be absent from the said meetings or consultations and shall and may advise consult and determine and also certifie and execute all and singular the powers and authorities before mentioned in and about the premises as fully and absolutely as such Arch-bishop and Bishops which shal so happen to be absent should or might doe by vertue of these our Letters patents or any thing herein contained in case he or they were personally present And whereas in regard of the distance of some the infirmity of others the multitude of constant imployment and other incidental impediments some of you the said Edward Bishop of Norwich c. may be hindred from the constant attendance in the execution of the service aforesaid We therefore wil and doe hereby require and authorize you the said Thomas Horton c. to supply the place or places of such the Commissioners last before mentioned as shal by the means aforesaid or any other occasion be hindred from the said meeting and consultations that one of you the said Thomas Horton c. shal from time to time supply the places of each one of the said Commissioners last mentioned which shal happen to be hindered or absent from the said meeting and consultations and shal and may advise consult and determine and also certifie and execute all and singular the powers and authorities before mentioned in and about the premises as fully and absolutely as such of the said last mentioned Commissioners which shall so happen to be absent should
was personally present amongst them nor that which was used in the purest and primitive times of the Church may be left free as it was 1 2 Ea. 6. As touching Kneeling c. they may be used or left as every mans devotion serveth without blame And note That every Parishioner shall communicate at the least three times in the year of which Easter shall be one and after shall receive the Sacraments and other Rites according to the Orders in this book appointed Forasmuch as all Parishioners are not duely qualified for the Lords Supper and those habitually prepared are not at all times actually disposed but may be hindred by the providence of God and some by the distempers of their own spirits We desire this Rubrick may be wholly omitted or they altered Every Minister shall be bound to administer the Sacrament of the Lords Supper at the least thrice a year provided there be a due number of Communicants manifesting their desires to receive And we desire that the following Rubrick in the Common-Prayer-Book in 5 6 Ed. 6. established by Law as much as any other part of the Common-Prayer-Book may be restored for the Vindication of our Church in the matter of kneeling at the Sacrament although the gesture be left in different Although no order can be so perfectly devised but it may be of some either for their ignorance and infirmity or else of malice and obstinacy misconstrued and depraved and interpreted in a wrong part And yet because that brotherly Charity willeth that so much as conveniently may be offences should be taken away Therefore we willing to do the same whereas it is ordered in the Book of common-Common-Prayer in the administration of the Lords Supper that the communicants kneeling should receive the Holy Communion which thing being well meant for the signification of the humble and grateful acknowledgment of the benefit of Christ given to the worthy Receivers and to avoid the prophanation and disorder which about the Holy Communion might else ensue lest yet the same kneeling might be thought or taken otherwise We do declare that it is not meant thereby that any Adoration is done or ought to be done either unto the Sacramental Bread or Wine there bodily received or unto any real and essential presence there being of Christs natural flesh and blood forasmuch as concerning the Sacramental Bread and Wine they remain still in their very natural substance and therefore may not be adored for that were Idolatry to be aborred of all faithful Christians And as concerning the natural body and blood of our Saviour Christ they are in Heaven and not here for it is against the truth of Christs natural body to be in more places than in one at one time Of Publick Baptism THere being divers learned pious and peaceable Ministers who do not only judg it unlawful to baptize children whose Parents both of them are Atheists Infidels Hereticks or unbaptized but also such whose parents are excommunicate persons Fornieators or otherwise notorious and scandalous sinners We desire they may not be inforced to Baptize the children of such until they have made open profession of their repentance before Baptism Parents shall give notice over night or else in the morning VVe desire that more timely notice may be given And then the Godfathers and the Godmothers and the people with their Children Here is no mention of the Parents in whose right the child is baptized and who are fittest both to dedicate it to God and to undertake to God and the Church for it We do not know that any persons except the parents or some other appointed by them have any power to consent for the children or to enter anto Covenant We desire it may be left free to parents whether they will have Sureties to undertake for their children in Baptism Ready at the Font. VVe desire it may be so placed as all the Congregation may best see and hear the whole administration In the first Prayer By the Baptism of thy well beloved Son c. didst sanctifie the flood Jordan and all other waters to the mystical washing away of sin It being doubtful whether either the flood Jordan or any other waters were sanctified to a Sacramental use by Christs being baptized and not necessary to be altered VVe desire this may be otherwise expressed The third Exhoreation Do promise by you that are their Sureties The Questions Dost thou forsake c. Dost thou believe c. VVilt thou be baptized c. VVe know not by what right the Sureties do promise and answer in the name of the Infant It seemeth to us also to countenance the Anabaptistical opinion of the necessity of an actual profession of faith and repentance in order to Baptism Thâ—s such a profession may be required of the parents in their own name and now solemnly renewed when they present their children to Baptism we willingly grant But the asking of one for another is a practice whose warrant we doubt And we desire that the two first Interrogatories may be put to the Parents to be answered in their own names and the last propounded to the Parents or Pro-parents thus Will you have this child baptized into this Faith In the second Prayer before Baptism May receive remission of sins by spiritual regeneration This expression seeming incovenient we desire it may be changed into this May be regenerated and receive remission of sins In the Prayer after Baptism That it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant by thy holy Spirit We cannot in Faith say that every Child that is baptized is regenerated by Gods Holy Spirit at least it is a disputable point and therefore we desire that it may be otherwise expressed After Baptism Then shall the Priest make a Cross Concerning the Cross in Baptism we refer to our eighteenth General Of Private Baptism VVE desire that Baptism may not be administred in a private place at any time unless by a lawful Minister and in the presence of a competent number That where it is evident that any child hath been so baptized no part of the administration may be reiterated in publick under any limitation and therefore we see no need of any Lyturgy in that case Of the Catechism Quest 1 VVHat is your name Quest 2. Who gave you that name Answ My Godfathers and my Godmothers in my Baptism Qust 3. What did your Godfathers and Godmothers do for you in Baptism We desire that these three first Questions may be altered considering that the for greater number of persons baptized within these twenty years last past had no Godfathers nor Godmothers at their Baptism The like to be done in the seventh Question Answ 2. In my Baptism wherein I was made a Child of God a member of Christ and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven VVe conceive it might more safely be expressed thus Wherein I was visibly admitted into the
number of the members of Christ the Children of God and the Heirs rather than the Inheritors of the Kingdom of heaven Of the Rehearsal of the ten Commandements VVe desire that the Commandements may be inserted according to the new Translation of the Bible 10. Answ My duty towards God is to believe in him c. In this Answer there seems particular respect to be had to the several Commandements of the first Table as in the following Answer to those of the second and therefore we desire it may be advised upon whether to the last words of this Answer may not be added particularly On the Lords day otherwise there being nothing in all this answer that refers to the fourth Commandement Qu. 14. How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained Answ Two only as generally necessary to salvation That these words may be omitted and answer thus given Two only Baptism and the Lords Supper Qu. 19. What is required of persons to be baptized Answ Repentance whereby they forsake sin and Faith whereby they stedfastly believe the promise of God Qu. 20. Why then are Infants baptized when by reason of their tender age they cannot perform them Answ Yes they doe perform them by their Sureties who promise and vow them both in their names We desire that the entring of Infants into Gods Covenant may be more warily expressed and that the words may not seem to found their Baptism upon a real actual faith and repentance of their own And we desire that a promise may not be taken for the performance of such faith and repentance especially that it be not asserted that they perform these by the promise of their Sureties it being to the seed of Believers that the covenant of God is made and not that we can find to all that have such believing Sureties who are neither Parents nor Pro-parents of their children In the generall Wee observe that the Doctrine of the Sacraments was added upon the conference at Hampton Court is much more fully and particularly delivered then the other parts of the Catechism in short Answers fitted to the memories of children and thereupon wee offer it to be confidered 1. Whether there should not be a more distinct and full explieation of the Creed the Commandements and the Lords Prayer 2. Whether it were not convtnient to adde what seemes to be wanting somewhat particularly concerning the nature of Faith of Repentance of the two Covenants Justification Sanctification Adoption and Regeneration Of Confirmation The last Rubrick before the Catechism AND that no man should think that any detriment shall come to Children by deferring of their Confirmation he shall know for truth that it is certain by Gods Word that Children by being baptized have all things necessary for their Salvation and be undoubtedly saved Although wee charitably suppose the meaning of these words was only to exclude the necessity of any other Sacraments to baptized Infants yet these words are dangerous as to the misleading of the vulgar and therefore we desire they may be expunged After the Catechism SO soon as the Children can say in their mother tongue the Articles of the Faith the Lords Prayer and the ten Commandements and can answer to such other questions of the short Catechsm c Then shall they be brought to the Bishop and the Bishop shall confirm them We conceive that it is not a sufficient qualification for confirmation that Children be able memoriter to repeat the Articles of the faith commonly called the Apostles Creed the Lords Prayer and the ten Commandements and to answer to some questions of the short Catechism for it s often found that Children are able to doe all this at four or five years old 2. It crosses what is said in the third reason of the first Rubrick before confirmation concerning the usage of the Church in times past ordaining that Confirmation should be administred to them that are of perfect age that they being instructed in Christian Religion should openly professe their own faith and promise to be obedient to the will of God Thirdly VVe desire that none may be confirmed but according to his Majesties Declaration Viz. That Confirmatioin be rightly and solemnly performed by the information and with the consent of the Minister of the place Rubrick After the Catechism THen shall they be brought to the Bishop by one that shall he his God-father or God-mother This seems to bring in a second sort of God-fathers and God-mothers beside those made use of at Baptism and we see no need either of the one or other The Prayer before Imposition of hands Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate these thy servants by water and the holy Ghost and hast given them the forgivenesse of all their sins This supposeth all the Children who are brought to be confirmed have the Spirit of Christ and the forgivenesse of all their fins whereas a great number of Children of that age having committed many sins since their Baptism doe shew no evidence of serious repentance or of any speciall saving grace And therefore this confirmation if administred to such would be a perillous and gross abuse Rub. Before the Imposition of hands THe Bishop shall lay his hand upon each child severally This seems to put a higher value upon Confirmation than upon Baptism or the Lords Supper for according to the Rules and Orders of the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book every Deacon may Baptize and every Minister may Consecrate and administer the Lords Supper but the Bishop only may confirm The Prayer after Imposition of hands VVE make our humble supplication to thee for these children upon whom after the Example of thy holy Apostles we have laid our hands to certifie them by this signe of thy favour and gracious goodness towards them We desire that the practice of the Apostles may not be alledged as a ground of the Imposition of hands for the confirmation of children both because the Apostles did never use it in that ease as also because the Articles of the Church of England declare it to be a corrupt imitation of the Apostles practice Art 25. VVe desire that Imposition of hands may not be made as here it is a signe to certifie children of Gods grace and favour towards them because this serms to speak it a Sacrament and is contrary to that fore mentioned 25. Art which sayes that Confirmation hath no visible signe appointed by God The Rub. after Confirmation NOne shall be admitted to the holy Communion until such time as he can say the Catechism and be confirmed VVe desire that Confirmation may not be made so necessary to the holy Communion as that none should be admitted to it unless they be confirmed Of the Form of solemnization of Matrimony THe man shall give the woman a Ring c. shall surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made whereof the Ring given and received is a token and pledge
scandalous sinner may come to make this thanksgiving THus have we in all humble pursuance of his Majesties most gracious endeavours for the publick weal of this Church drawn up our thoughts and desires in this weighty affair which we most humbly offer to his Majesties Commissioners for their serious and grave confideration wherein we have not the least thoughts of depraving or reproaching the Book of common-Common-Prayer but a sincere desire to contribute our endeavours towards leading the distempers and as far as may be reconciling the minds of Brethren And in as much as his Majesty hath in his gracious Declaration ond Commission mentioned new Forms to be made and suited to the several parts of worship we have made a considerable progresse therein and shall by Gods assistance offer them to the reverend Commissioners with all convenient speed And if the Lord shall graciously please to give his blessing to these our endeavours we doubt not but that the peace of this Church will be shortly setled The hearts of Ministers and People comforted and composed and the great mercy of Unity and Stability to the immortal honour of our most dear Soveraign bestowed upon us and our posterity after us August 30. 1661. FINIS To the most Reverend ARCHBISHOP AND BISHOPS And the Reverend their Assistants Commissioned by his Majesty to treat about the Alteration of the Book of Common Prayer Most Reverend Father and Reverend Brethren WHen we received your Papers and were told that they conteined not onely an answer to our Exceptition against the present Liturgy But also severall Concessions wherein you seem willing to joyn with us in the Alteration and Reformation of it Our expectations were so far raised as that we promised our selves to find our Concessions so considerable as would have greatly conduced to the healing of our much to be lamented Divivisions the setling of the Nation in Peace and the satisfaction of tender Consciences according to his Majesties most gracious Declaration and his Royal Commission in pursuance thereof but having taken a survey of them we find our selves exceedingly disappointed and that they will fall far short of attaining those happy Ends for which this meeting was first designed as may appear both by the paucity of the Concessions and the inconsiderablenesse of them they being for the most part Verbal and Literal rather then Real and Substantial for in them you all allow not the laying aside of the reading of the Apocrypha for Lessons though it shut out some bundreds of Chapters of Holy Scripture and sometimes the Scripture it self is made to give way to the Apochryphal Chapters you plead against the addition of the Doxology unto the Lord's prayer you give no liberty to omit the too frequent repetition of Gloria Patria nor of the Lord's Prayer in the same publick Service nor do you yield the Psalmes be read in the new Translation nor the word Priest to be changed for Minister or Presbyter though both have been yielded unto in the Scottish Liturgy you grant not the omission of the Responsals no not in the Let any it self though the Petitions be so framed as the people make the prayer and not the Minister nor to read the Communion service in the Desk when there is no Communion but in the late Form instead thereof it is enjoyned to be done at the Table through there be no Rubrick in the Common Prayer book requiring it you plead for the bolinesse of Lent contrary to the statute you indulge not the omission of any one Ceremony you will force men to kneel at the Sacrament and yet not put in that excellent Rubr. in the v. and vj. of Edw. 6. which would much conduce to the satisfaction of many that scruple it And whereas divers Reverend Bishops and Doctours in a paper in Print before these unhappy Wars began yielded to the laying aside of the Crosse and the making many material alterations you after xx years sad calamities and divisions seem unwilling to grant what they of their own accord then offered you seem not to grant that the clause of the fourth commandement in the Common Prayer book the Lord blessed the seventh day should be altered according to the Hebr. Exod. 20. the Lord blessed the Sabbath day you will not change the word Sunday into the Lord 's day nor adde any thing to make a difference between Holidaies that are of Humane Institution and the Lord's day that is questionlesse of Apostolicall practise you will not alter Deadly Sin in the Letany into Heynous Sin though it hints to us that some sins are in their own nature Venial nor that Answer in the Catech. of two Sacraments onely generally necessary to salvation although it intimates that there are New Testament Sacraments though Two onely necessary to salvation you speak of singing David 's Psalmes allowed by Authority by way of contempt calling them Hopkins Psalmes and though singing of Psalmes be an Ordinance of God yet you call it one of our principal parts of VVorship as if it were disclaimed by you And are so far from countenancing the use of conceived prayer in the publick VVorship of God though we never intended thereby the excluding of set Forms as that you seem to dislike the use of it even in the Pulpit and heartily desire a total restaint of it in the Church you will not allow the omission of the Benedicite nor a Psalm to be read instead of it nor so much as abate the reading of the chapters out of the Old Testament and the Acts for the Epistles But rather then you will gratifie us therein you have found out a new device that the Minister shall say for the Epistle you will not so much as leave out in the Collect for Christmas day these words this day though at least it must be a great uncertainty and cannot be true stylo veteri novo In publick Baptism you are so far from giving a liberty to the parent to answer for his own child which seems most reasonable as that you force him to the use of sureties and cause them to answer in the name of the Infant that he doth believe and repent and forsake the devil and all his worke which doth much favour the Anabaptistical opinion for the necessity of an actual profession of Faith and Repentance in order to Baptism you will not leave the Minister in the visitation of the sick to use his judgment of discretion in absolving the sick person or in giving the Sacrament to him but enjoyn both of them though the person to his own judgment seem never so unfit neither do you allow the Minister to pronounce the absolution in a Declarative and conditional way but absolutely and conditionately And even in one of our concessions in which we suppose you intend to accommodate with us you rather widen then heal the breach for in your last Rubr. before the Catech you would have the words thus altered That Children being
we desire no other rule to decide the Controversie by As to your Citation 1 Socrat. there tells us of the alternate singing of the Aruians in the reproach of the Orthodox and that Chrysostome not a Synod compiled Hymnes to be sung in opposition to them in the streets which came in the end to a Tumult and Bloodshed And hereupon he tells us of the original of alternate singing viz. a pretended vision of Ignatius that heard Angels sing in that order And what is all this to alternate reading and praying or to a Divine Institution when here is no mention of reading or praying but of singing Hymnes And that not upon pretence of Apostolical Tradition but a vision of uncertain credit Theodor. also speaketh only of singing Psalmes alternately and not a word of reading or praying so And he fetcheth that way of singing also as Socrat. doth but from the Church at Antioch and not from any pretended doctrine or practise of the Apostles And neither of them speaks a word of the necessitie of it or of forcing any to it so that all these your Citations speaking not a word so much as of the very Subjects in question are marvellously impertinent The words their Worship seem to intimate that singing Psalms is part of our Worship and not of yours we hope you disown it not for our parts we are not ashamed of it your distinction between Hopkin's and David's Psalms as if the Meetre allowed by Authority to be sung in Churches made them to be no more David's Psalms seemeth to us a very hard saying If it be because it is a Translation then the Prose should be none of David's Psalms neither nor any Translation be the Scripture If it be because it is in Meetre then the exactest Translation in Meetre should be none of the Scripture If because it 's done imperfectly then the old Translation of the Bible used by the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-book should not be Scripture As to your reason for the supposed priority 1. Scripture examples telling us that the People had more part in the Psalms than in the Prayers or Readings satisfie us that God and his Church then saw a disparity of Reason 2. Common observation tells us that there is more Order and less hindrance of Edification in the Peoples singing than in their Reading and Praying together vocally It is desired that nothing should be in the Liturgy which so much us seems to countenance the observation of Lent as a religious Fast and this as an expedient to Peace which is in effect to desire that this our Church may be contentious for Peace sake and to divide from the Church Catholick that we may live at unity among our selves For Saint Paul reckons them amongst the lovers of Contention who shall oppose themselves against the Custome of the Churches of God that the religious observation of Lent was a Custome of the Churches of God appeares by the Testimonies following Chrysost Ser. 11. in Heb. 10. Cyrill Catec myst 5. St. August Ep. 119. ut 40. dies ante Pascha observetur Ecclesiae consuetudo roboravit and St. Hierom ad Marcell saies it was secundum traditionem Apostolorum This Demand then tends not to Peace but Dissention The fasting Forty daies may be in imitation of our Saviour for all that is here said to the contrary for though we cannot arrive to his perfection abstaining wholly from meat so long yet we may fast forty daies together either Cornelius his Fast till three of the Clock afternoon or Saint Peter 's fast till noon or at least Daniel 's fast abstaining from Meats and Drinks of delight and thus far imitate our Lord. Reply If we had said that the Church is contentious if it adore God in kneeling on the Lords daies or use not the White Garment Milk and Honey after baptism which had more pretence of Apostolical tradition and were generally used more anciently than Lent would you not have thought we wronged the Church if the purer times of the Church have one Custome and later times a contrary which must we follow or must we necessarily be contentious for not following both or rather may we not by the example of the Church that changeth them be allowed to take such things to be matters of Liberty and not necessity If we must needs conform to the Custome of other Churches in such things or be contentious it is either because God hath so commanded or because he hath given those Churches Authority to command it If the former then what Churches or what Ages must we conforme to If all must concurr to be our patterne it will be hard for us to be acquainted with them so far as to know of such Concurrences And in our Case we know that many do it not If it must be the most we would know where God commandeth us to imitate the greater number though the worse or hath secured us that they shall not be the worst or why we are not tied rather to imitate the purer Ages than the more corrupt If it be said that the Church hath Authority to command us we desire to know what Church that is and where to be found and heard that may command England and all the Churches of his Majesty's Dominions If it be said to be a General Council 1. No General Council can pretend to more Authority than that of Nice whose 20th Canon back'd with Tradition and common pratice now bindes not us and was laid by without any Repeal by following Councils 2. We know of no such things as General Councils at least that have bound us to the religious observation of Lent The Bishops of one Empire could not make a General Council 3. Nor do we know of any such power that they have ever the universal Church there being no visible head of it or Governours to make universal Laws but Christ as Rogers on the 20. Article fore-cited shews our 21. Article saith that General Councils may not be gathered together without the Commandment and Will of Princes and doubtless all the Heathen and Mahomitans and all the contending Christian Princes will never agree together nor never did to let all their Christian Subjects concurre to hold a General Council It saith also and when they be gathered together forasmuch as they be an Assembly of men whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of God they may erre and sometimes have erred even in things pertaining unto God therefore things ordained by them as necessary to Salvation have neither strength nor authority unlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of the Holy Scriptures And if they may erre in things pertaining unto God and ordained by them as necessary to Salvation much more in lesser things And are we contentious if we erre not with them Our 39. Article determineth this Controversie saying It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all places one or utterly like for at all times they have
vary his request Gen. 18. But that 's not our case The Psalms and Prayers of David Solomon Hezekiah Asa Ezra Nehemiah Daniel and the other Prophets of Christ himself Joh. 17. are usually one continued speech and not like yours as we said before Why the repeated mention of the Name and Attributes of God should not be more pleasing to any godly person we cannot imagine or what burden it should seem when David magnified one Attribute of Gods mercy 26. times together Psal 36. Nor can we conceive why the Name and merits of Jesus with which all our Prayers should end should not be as sweet to us as to former Saints and Martyrs with which here they complain our Prayers do so frequently end since the Attributes of God are the ground of our hope of obtaining all our Petitions such Prefaces of Prayers as are taken from them though they have no special respect to the Petitions following are not to be termed unsuitable or said to have fallen rather casually than orderly Repl. As we took it to be no Controversy between us whether the mention of Gods Name is deservedly sweet to all his Servants So we thought it was none that this reverend Name is reverently to be used and not too lightly and therefore not with a causelesse frequency tossed in mens mouthes even in prayer itself and that tautologies and vain repetitions are not the better but the worse because Gods Name is made the matter of them It is not you that have expressed your offence as well as we against those weak Ministers that repeat too frequently the Name and Attributes of God in their extemporate Prayers And is it ill in them and is the same and much more well in the Common Prayer O have not the Faith or worship of our glorious God in respect of persons Let not that be called ridiculous idle impertinent or worse in one which is accounted commendable in others Do you think it were not a faulty crossing of the mind and method of Jesus Christ if you should make 6. Prayers of it he 6. Petitions of the Lords Prayer and set the Preface and Conclusion unto each as Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name for thine is the Kingdome c. and so over all the rest Yet we know that the same words may be oft repeated as David doth Gods enduring mercy without such tautological vanity when it is not from emptinesse or neglect of order or affectation But in Psalms or Hymns where affections are to be elevated by such figurative elegancies and strains as are best beseeming Poetry or Rapture we are not against such repetitions But if we may according to the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-book begin and end and begin and seem to withdraw again and make a Prayer of every Petition or two and begin and end every such petition with Gods name and Christs merits as making up half the form or near nothing is an affected empty tossing of Gods name in Prayer if this be not We are perswaded if you should hear a man in a known extemporate prayer do thus it would seem strange and harsh even to your selves There are besides a preparative Exhortation several preparatory prayers 1. Despise not O Lord humble and contrite hearts Which is one of the sentences in the Preface And this That those things may please him which we do at this present at the end of the Absolution And again immediately after the Lords Prayer before the Psalmody O Lord open thou our Lips c. Repl. Despise not O Lord humble and contrite hearts is not prayer for assistance and acceptance in that Worship suited to the duty of a people addressing themselves to God But it is recited as a Scripture invitation to repentance and that those things may please him which we do at this present are no words of Prayer but part of an exhortation to the people and O Lord open thou our lips comes after the Exhortation Confession Absolution and Lords Prayer and ergo is not in the place of such an Address as we are speaking of What will not seem to justify what we have a mind to justify and to condemn that which we have a mind to condemn This which they call a defect others think they have reason to account the perfection of the Liturgy the Offices of which being intended for common and general services would cease to be such by descending to particulars as in confession of Sin while it is general all persons may and must joyn in it since in many things we offend all But if there be a particular enumeration of sins it cannot be so general a confession because it may happen that some or other may by Gods Grace have been preserved from some of those sins enumerated and therefore should by confessing themselves guilty tell God a Lye which needs a new Confession Repl. If general words be its perfection it s very culpable in tediousnesse and vain repetitions For what need you more than Lord be merciful to us sinners There 's together a general confession of Sin and a general Prayer for mercy which comprehend all the particulars of the peoples Sins and wants We gave you our reason which you answer not Confession is the exercise of Repentance and also the helper of it And it is noe true repentance which is not particular but only general If you say that you repent that you have sinned and know not where or do not repent of any particular sin you do not indeed repent for Sin is not existent but in the Individuals And if you ask for grace and know nor what grace or desire no particular graces indeed you desire not grace at all We know there is time and use for general Confessions and Requests But still as implying particulars as having gone before or following or at least it must be supposed that the people understand the particulars included and have inward confessions and desires of them Which cannot here be supposed when they are not all mentioned not can the people generally be supposed to have such quick and comprehensive minds nor is there leisure to exercise such particular repentance or desire while a general is named And we beseech you let Scripture be Judge whether the Confessions and Prayers of the Servants of God have not been particular As to your objection or reason we answer 1. There are general Prayers with the particular or without them 2 There are particular Confessions and Prayers proper to some few Christians and there are others common to all It is these that we expect and not the former 3. The Churches Prayers must be suited to the body of the Assembly though perhaps some one or few may be in a state not fit for such expressions What a lamentable Liturgy will you have if you have nothing in it but what every one in the Congregation may say as true of and suitable to themselves Then you must leave out all
the observation of Lent as a Religious Fast the Example of Christ's fasting forty dayes and nights being no more imitable nor intended for the imitation of Christians than any other of his miraculous works were or than Moses his forty dayes Fast was for the Jewes and the Act of Parliament 5 Eliz. forbidding abstinence from flesh to be observed upon any other than a politick Consideration and punishing all those who by Preaching Teaching Writing or open Speech shall notifie that the forbearing of flesh is of any necessity for the saving of the soul or that it is the service of God otherwise than as other politick Laws are VI. That the Religious observation of Saints dayes appointed to be kept as holy dayes and the Vigils thereof without any foundations as we conceive in Scripture may be omitted that if any be retained they may be called Festival and not Holy dayes nor made equal with the Lords day nor have any peculiar Service appointed for them nor that the People be upon such days enforced wholly to abstain from work and that the names of all others not inserted in the Callendar which are not in the first and second Books of Edward the Sixth may be left out VII That the gift of Prayer being one special qualification for the Work of the Ministery bestowed by Christ in order to the edification of his Church and to be exercised for the profit and benefit thereof according to its various and emergent necessities It is desired that there may be no such Imposition of the Liturgy as that the exercise of that gift be thereby totally excluded in any part of publick worship and further that considering the great age of some Ministers and the infirmities of others and the variety of several services oft time occurring upon the same day whereby it may be inexpedient to require every Minister at all times to read the whole it may be left to the discretion of the Minister to omit it as occasion shall require which liberty we find to be allowed even in the first Common Prayer Book of Edward the Sixth VIII That in regard of the many defects which have been observed in that Version of the Scriptures which is used throughout the Liturgy many fold instances whereof may be produced as in the Epistle for the first Sunday after Epiphany taken out of Rom. 12. 1. Be you changed in your shape And the Epistle for the Sunday next before Easter taken out of Phil. 2. 5. Found in his apparel as a man As also the Epistle for the first Sunday in Lent taken out of the fourth of the Galatians Mount Sinai is Agar in Arabia and bordereth upon the City which is now called Jerusalem The Epistle for Saint Matthews day being taken out of the second Epistle of the Corinthians and the fourth We go not out of kind The Gospel for the second Sunday after Epiphany taken out of the second of John When men be drunk The Gospel for the third Sunday in Lent taken out of the eleventh of Luke One house doth fall upon another The Gospel for the Annunciation taken out of the first of Luke This is the sixth month which is called Barren and many other places we therefore desire instead thereof the Translation allowed of by Authority may alone be used IX That in as much as the Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation to furnish us thoroughly unto all good works and contain in them all things necessary either in Doctrine to be believed or in Duty to be practised whereas divers Chapters of the Apocryphal Books appointed to be read are charged to be in both respects of dubious and uncertain credit It is therefore desired that nothing be read in the Church for Lessons but the Holy Scriptures in the Old and New Testament X. That the Minister be not required to rehearse any part of the Liturgy at the Communion Table save onely those parts which properly belong to the Lords Supper and that at such time onely when the Holy Supper is administrated XI That the word Minister and not Priest or Curate is used in the absolution and in divers other places It may thoroughout the whole Book be used instead of those two words and that instead of the word Sunday the word Lords day may be every where used XII Because singing of Psalms is a considerable part of Publick Worship we desire that the Version set forth and allowed to be sung in Churches may be amended or that we may have leave to make use of a purer Version XIII That all obsolete words in the Common Prayer and such whose use is changed from their first significancy as read who smote thee used in the Gospels for the Monday and Wednesday before Easter Then opened be their witts used in the Gospel for Easter Tuesday c. may be altered into other words generally received and better understood XIV That no portions of the Old Testament or the Acts of the Apostles be called Epistles or read as such XV. That whereas throughout the severall offices the Phrase is such as presumes all persons within the Communion of the Church to be regenerated converted and in an actuall state of grace which had Ecclesiasticall Discipline been truly and vigorously executed in the exclusion of scandalous and obstinate sinners might be better supposed But that there having been and still being a confessed want of that as in the Liturgy is acknowledged it cannot rationally be admitted in the utmost latitude of Charity we desire that this may be reformed XVI That whereas orderly connexion of Prayers and of particular Petitions and expressions together with a competent length of the formes used are tending much to edification and to gain the reverence of people to them There appears to us too great neglect of this Order and of other Just Laws of method particularly 1. The Collects are generally short many of them consisting but of one or two Sentences of petition and those generally usherd in with a repeated mention of the Name and Attributes of God and presently concluding with the Name and Merits of Christ whence are caused many unnecessary intercessions and abruptions which when many Petitions are to be offered at the same time are neither agreeable to scripturall example nor suted to the gravity and seriousness of that Holy Duty 2. The Prefaces of many Collects have not any clear and speciall respect to the following Petitions and particular petitions are put together which have not any due order or evident connexion one with another nor suitable with the occasions upon which they are used but seem to have fallen in rather casually than from any orderly codtinuance It is desired that instead of these various Collects there may be one Methodicall and entire form of Prayer composed out of many of them XVII That whereas the Puplick Liturgy of a Church should in reason comprehend the summe of all such sins as are ordinarily in Prayer by
can be imagined justly to binder us from a ready complyance to this method of Service appointed by them and so live in unity Reply Prayer and Humility are indeed the necessarie means of Peace But if you will let us pray for peace in no words but what are in the Common-Prayer-book their brevitie and unaptness and the customariness that will take off the edge of fervour with humane nature will not give leave or help sufficient to our souls to work towards God upon this Subject with that enlargedness copiousness and freedom as is necessary to due fervour A brief transient touch and away is not enough to warm the heart arigne and cold Prayers are like to have a cold return and therefore even for Peace sake let us pray more copiously and heartily than the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-book will help us to do And whether this be that cause or whether it be that the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-book hath never a Prayer for it self we find that its Prayers prevail not to reconcile many sober serious persons to it that live in faithfull fervent Prayer 2. And for Humility we humbly conceive it would most effectually heal us and by causing the Pastors of the Church to know that they are not to rule the flocks as Lords but as ensamples not by constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. and it would cause them not to think so highly of themselves and so meanly of their Brethren as to judge no words fit to be used to God in the publick Worship but what they prescribe and put into our mouths and that other men are generally unable to speak sensibly or suitably unless they tell us what to say or that all others are unfit to be trusted with the expressing of their own desires Humilitie would perswade the Pastors of the Church at least to undertake no more than the Apostles did and no more to obtrude or impose their own words upon all others in the publick Worship If they found any unfit to be trusted with the expression of their mindes in publick Prayer they would do what they could to get meeter men in their places and till then they would restrain and help such as need it and not upon that pretence as much restrain all the ablest Ministers as if the whole Church were to be nominated measured or used according to the quality of the most unworthy And it is also true that humility in private persons and inferiors would do much to our peace by keeping them in due submission and obedience and keeping them from all contentions and divisions which proceed from self-conceitedness and pride But yet 1. The humblest surest Subjects may stumble upon the scruple whether Bishops differ not from Presbyters only in degree and not in order or office it being a Controversie and no resolved point of faith even amongst the Papists whose faith is too extensive and favour too Ecclesiastical ambition too great and consequently they may doubt whether men in the same order do by divine appointment owe obedience unto those that gradually go before them 2. And they may scruple whether such making themselves the Governours of their Brethren make not themselves indeed of a different order or office and so incroach not on the authority of Christ who only maketh Officers purely Ecclesiastical and whether it be no disloyalty to Christ to own such Officers 3. And among those Divines that are for a threefold Episcopacy besides that of Presbyters who are Episcopi Gregis viz. General unfixed Bishops like the Evangelists or Apostles in their measure and the fixed Bishops of Parochial Churches that have Presbyters to assist them to whom they do preside and also the Presidents of larger Synods yet is it a matter of very great doubt whether a fixed Diocesan being the Pastor of many hundred Churches having none under him that hath the power of Jurisdiction or Ordination be indeed a Governour of Christs appointment or approbation and whether Christ will give us any more thanks for owning them as such than the King will give us for owning an Usurper Humility alone will not seem to subject these men to such a Government 4. And though their coercive Magistratical power be easily submitted to as being from the King how unfit Subjects soever Church men are of such a power yet he that knoweth his Superiours best doth honour God more and supposeth God more infallible than man and will feel himself most indispensibly bound by Gods commands and bound not to obey man against the Lord. And whereas there is much sayd against the peoples taking on them to judge of the lawfulness of things commanded them by Superiors we add 5. That humble men may believe that their Superiors are fallible that it is no impossibility to command things that God forbids that in such Cases if we have sufficient means to discern the sinfulness of such Commands we must make use of them and must obey God rather than men that when the Apostles acted according to such a Resolution Acts 4. 19. and Daniel and the three Witnesses Dan. 6. and 3. they all exercised a judgement of Discerning upon the matter of their Superiors commands that not to do so at all is to make Subjects Bruits and so no Subjects because not rational free Agents or to make all Governors to be gods And lastly That it will not save us from Hell nor justifie us at Judgement for sinning against God to say that Superiors commanded us nor will it prove all the Martyrs to be sinners and condemned because they judged of their Superiors commands and disobeyed them All which we say to shew the insufficiency of the Remedy hereby you propounded the humility of Inferiors unless you will also add your help without obedience there is no order or lasting concord to be expected And by abasing the eternal God so far as to set him and his Laws below a Creature under pretence of obedience to the Creature no good can be expected because no peace with Heaven without which peace with men is but a Confederacy hastning each party to Destruction And therefore absolute obedience must be given only to God the absolute Sovereign In all this we suppose that we are all agreed And therefore 6. and lastly We must say that the way to make us think the Bishops to be so wise and careful Guides and Fathers to us is not for them to seem wiser than the Apostles and make those things of standing necessity to the Churches unity which the Apostles never made so nor to forbid all to preach the Gospel or to hold Communion with the Church that dare not conform to things unnecessary Love and tenderness are not used to express themselves by hurting and destroying men for nothing And to silence and reject from Church Communion for a Ceremony and in the mean time to perswade men that they love them is but to stab or famish all the sick persons in the Hospital or Family whose stomachs cannot take
tempore expressions which any man of natural parts having a voluable tongue and audacity may attain to without any special gift Repl. All inward Graces of the spirit are not properly called the spirit of Prayer nor is the spirit of Prayer that gift of Prayer which we speak of Nor did we call it by the name of a special gift nor did we deny that ordinary men of natural parts and voluable tongues may attain it But yet we humbly conceive that as there is a gift of Preaching so also of Prayer which God bestows in the use of means diversified much according to mens natural parts their diligence as other acquired abilities are but also much depending on that grace that is indeed special which maketh men love and relish the holy subjects of such spiritual studies and the holy exercise of those Graces that are the soul of Prayer and consequently making men follow on such exercises with delight and diligence and therefore with success And also God is free in giving or denying his blessing to mans endeavours If you think there be no Gift of Preaching you will too dishonourably level the Ministry If Reading be all the Gift of Prayer or Preaching there needs no great understanding or learning to it Nor should Cobblers and Tinkers be so unfit men for Ministers as they are thought Nor would the reason be very apparent why a Woman might not speak by Preaching or praying in the Church But if there be any such Gift as is pretended it is to be subject to the Prophets and to the Order of the Church Repl. The Text speaks as Dr. Hammond well shews of a subjection to that Prophet himself who was the Speaker Inspiration excluded not the prudent exercise of Reason But it is a strange ordering that totally excludeth the thing ordered The Gift of Preaching as distinct from reading is to be orderly and with due subjection exercised But not to be on that pretence extinguished and cast out of the Church And indeed if you should command it you are not to be obeyed whatever we suffer And why then should the Gift of Prayer distinct from reading be cast out The mischiefs that come by Idle Impertinent Ridiculous sometimes Seditious Impious and Blasphemous expressions under pretence of the Gift to the dishonour of God and scorn of Religion being far greater than the pretended good of exercising the Gift It is fit that they who desire such liberty in publike devotions should first give the Church security that no private opinions should be put into their Prayers as is desired in the first Proposal and that nothing contrary to the Faith should be uttered before God or offered up to him in the Church Repl. The mischiefs which you pretend are Inconveniencies attending humane Imperfection which you would cure with a mischief Your Argument from the abuse against the use is a palpable Fallacy which cast out Phisicians in some Countries and rooted up Vines in others and condemneth the reading of the Scriptures in a known Tongue among the Papists If the Apostles that complained then so much of Divisions and preaching false Doctrines and in envy and strife c. had thought the way of Cure had been in sending Ministers about the world with a Prayer-book and Sermon-book and to have tied them only to read either one or both of these no doubt but they would have been so regardful of the Church as to have composed such a Prayer-book or sermon-Sermon-book themselves and not lest us to the uncertainties of an Authority not infallible nor to the Divisions that follow the Impositions of a questionable power or that which unquestionably is not Universal and therefore can procure no universal Concord If one man among you draw up a form of Prayer it is his single conception And why a man as learned and able may not be trusted to conceive a Prayer for the use of a single Congregation without the dangers mentioned by you as one man to conceive a Prayer for all the Churches in a Diocess or a Nation we know not These words That the mischief is greater than the pretended good seem to expresse an unjust Accusation of ordinary conceived prayer and a great undervaluing of the benefits If you would intimate that the Crimes expressed by you are ordinarily found in Ministers prayers we that hear so much more frequently than you must profess we have not found it so allowing men their different measures of Exactness as you have even in writing Nay to the praise of God we must say that multitudes of private men can ordinarily pray without any such Imperfection as should nauseate a sober person and with such seriousness and aptness of Expression as is greatly to the benefit and comfort of ourselves when we joyn with them And if such general Accusations may serve in a matter of publick and common fact there is no way for the Justification of the Innocent And that it is no such common guilt will seem more probable to them that consider that such conceived Prayers both prepared and extemperate have been ordinarily used in the Pulpits in England and Scotland before our dayes till now and there hath been power enough in the Bishops and others before the Wars to punish those that speak Ridiculously Seditiously Impiously or Blasphemously And yet so few are the Instances even when jealousie was most busy of Ministers punished or once accused of any such fault in Prayer as that we find it not easy to remember any considerable number of them There being great numbers punished for not reading the Book for playing on the Lords dayes or for preaching too oft and such like for one that was ever questioned for such kind of praying And the former shewed that it was not for want of will to be severe that they spared them as to the latter And if it be but few that are guilty of any intolerable faults of that nature in their Prayers we hope you will not go on to believe that the mischiefs that come by the failings of those few are far greater than the benefit of conceived prayer by all others We presume not to make our Experiences the measure of yours or of other mens You may tell us what doth most good or hurt to your selves and those that have so communicated their Experiences to you But we also may speak our own and theirs that have discovered them to us And we must seriously profess that we have found far more benefit to our selves and to our Congregations as far as our Conference and Converse with them and our observation of the effects alloweth us to discern by conceived Prayers than by the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-book We find that the benefit of conceived Prayer is to keep the mind in serious Employment and to awaken the affections and to make us fervent and importunate And the Inconvenience is that some weak men are apt as in Preaching and Conference so in Prayer to shew their
weaknesse by some unapt Expressions or disorder Which is an evil no way to be compared with the fore-mentioned good considering that it is but in the weak and that if that weaknesse be so great as to require it forms may be imposed on those few without imposing them on all for their sakes as we force not all to use Spectacles or Crutches because some are purblind or lame and considering that God heareth not Prayers for the Rhetorick and handsome Cadencies and neatnesse of Expression but will bear more with some Incuriosity of words which yet we plead not for than with an hypocritical formal heartlesse lip-service For he knoweth the meaning of the Spirit even in the groans which are not uttered in words And for the Common-Prayer our Observation telleth us that though some can use it judiciously seriously and we doubt not profitably yet as to the most of the vulgar it occasioneth a relaxing of their attention and intention and a lazie taking up with a Corps or Image of devotion even the service of the lips while the heart is little sensible of what is said And had we not known it we should have thought it incredible how utterly ignorant abundance are of the sence of the words which they hear and repeat themselves from day to day even about Christ himself and the Essentials of Christianity It is wonderful to us to observe that rational Creatures can so commonly seperate the words from all the sense and life so great a help or hinderance even to the understanding is the awakening or not awakening of the Affections about the things of God And we have already shewed you many unfit Expressions in the Common-Prayer-book especially in the Epistles and Gospels through the faultinesse of your Translations as Eph. 3. 15. Father of all that is called Father in Heaven and Earth And that Christ was found in his Apparel as a man That Mount Sinai is Agar in Arabia and bordereth upon the City now called Jerusalem Gal. 4. 25. This is the Sixth Month which is called Barren Luke 1. And when men be drunk John 2. with many such like which are parts of your publick worship And would you have us hence conclude that the mischiefs of such Expressions are worse than all the benefits of that worship And yet there is this difference in the Cases that weak rash Ministers were but here and there one But the Common-Prayer is the service of every Church and every day had we heard any in extemporary Prayer use such unmeet Expressions we should have thought him worthy of sharp reprehension yea though he had been of the younger or weaker sort Divers other unfit Expressions are mentioned in the Exceptions of the late Arch-Bishop of York and Primate of Ireland and others before spoken of And there is much in the prejudice or diseased Curiosity of some hearers to make words seem Idle Impertinent or Ridiculous which are not so and which perhaps they understand not some thought so of the inserting in the late prayer-Prayer-book the private opinion of the Souls departed praying for us and our praying for the benefit of their prayers As for the security which you call for though as is shewed you have given us none at all against such errors in your forms yet we have before shewed you that you have as much as among imperfect men can be expected The same that you have that Physitians shall not murther men and that Lawyers and Judges shall not undoe men and that your Pilate shall not cast away the ship you have the power in your hands of taking or refusing as they please or displease you and of judging them by a known Law for their proved miscarriages according to the quality of them and what would you have more To prevent which mischief the former Ages know no better way than to forbid any Prayers in publick but such as were prescribed by publick Authority Con. Carthag Can. 106. Milen Can. 12. Repl. To what you allege out of two Councils we answer 1. The Acts of more venerable Councils are not now at all observed as Nice 1. Can. ult c. nor many of these same which you cite 2. The Scripture and the constant practice of the more antient Church allowed what they forbid 3. Even these Canons shew that then the Churches thought not our Liturgy to be necessary to their Concord Nor indeed had then any such form imposed on all or many Churches to that end For the Can. of Counc Carth. we suppose you meant Council 3. Can. 23. mentioneth Prayers even at the Alter and alloweth any man to describe and use his own Prayers so he do but first cum instructionibus fratribus eas conferre Take advice about them with the abler Brethren If there had been a stated form before imposed on the Churches what room could there be for this course And even this much seems but a Caution made newly upon some late abuse of Prayer The same we may say de Concil Male Can. 12. If they were but a prudentioribus tractata vel comprobata in Synodo new Prayers might by any man at any time be brought in which sheweth they had no such stated publick Liturgy as is now pleaded for And even this seemeth occasioned by Pelagianisme which by this Caution they would keep out We hope your omission of our 8th desire for the use of the new Translation intimateth your grant that it shall be so But we marvel then that we find among your Concessions the alteration of no part but the Epistles and Gospels As they would have no Saints dayes observed by the Church so no Apocriphal Chapter read in the Church but upon such a reason as would exclude all Sermons as well as Apocripha viz. because the holy Scriptures contain in them all things necessary either in Doctrine to be believed or in duty to be practised if so why so many unnecessary Sermons why any more but reading of Scriptures If notwithstanding their sufficiency Sermons be necessary there is no reason why these Apocriphal Chapters should not be as useful most of them containing excellent discourses and rules of mortality it is heartily to be wished that Sermons were as good if their fear be that by this meanâ— those Books may come to be of equal esteem with the Canon they may be secured against that by the Title which the Church hath put upon them calling them Apocriphal and it is the Church's testimony which teacheth us this difference and to leave them out were to cross the practice of the Church in former Ages Repl. We hoped when our desires were delivered in writing they would have been better observed and understood We asked not that no Apocriphal Chapter may be read in the Church but that none may be read as Lessons for so the Chapters of holy Scripture there read are called in the Book and to read them in the same place under the same title without any sufficient
is ancient So there wants not a Bign Bellarm. c. to tell us of S. James his Liturgy that mentions the Confessours the Deiparam the Anchorets c. which made Bellarm. himself say de Liturgia Jacobi sic sentio Eam aut non esse ejus aut multa à posterioribus eidem addita sunt And must we prove the Antiquity of Liturgies by this or try ours by it There wants not a Sainctetius a Bellarm. a Valentia a Peresius to predicate the Liturgy of S. Basil as bearing witnesse to transubstantiation for the sacrifice of the Masse for praying to Saints c. When yet the exceeding disagreement of Copies the difference of some forms from Basils ordinary forms the prayers for the most pious and faithful Emperours shew it unlikely to have been Basils many predicate Chrysostomes Masse or Liturgie as making for praying to the dead and for them the propitiatory Sacrifice of the Masse c. when in one edition Chrysostom is prayed to in it saith Cook in another Nicolaus and Alexius that lived 1080 is mentioned in another doctrines are contained as de Contaminata Maria c. clean contrary to Chrysostoms doctrine must we now conclude that all is ancient that is Orthodox when one Copy is scarce like another or can we try our Liturgies by such as this The shreds cited by you prove a Liturgie indeed such as we have used while the Common Prayer-book was not used where the Psalms the words of Baptism and the words of Consecration commemoration and delivery of the Lords Supper and many other were used in a constant form when other parts were used as the Minister found most meet so Sursum Corda was but a warning before or in the midst of devotion such as our Let us pray and will no more prove that the substance of prayer was not left to the Minister's present or prepared Conceptions than Ite missa est will prove it The Gloria patri Bellarm. himself saith according to the common opinion was formed in the council of Nice which was in the 4th Century And even then such a particular testimony against the Arrians might well stand with a body of unimposed prayers and rather shewes that in other things they were left at liberty If the Benedicite the Hymnes or other passages here mentioned will prove such a Liturgy as pleaseth you we pray you bear with our way of worship which hath more of Hymnes and other forms then these come to That these Liturgies had no original from generall Councils addes nothing with us to their Authority but sheweth that they had an arbitrary original and all set together shews that then they had many Liturgies in one Prince's Dominion and those alterable and not forced and that they took not one Liturgy to be any necessary means to the Churches unity or peace but bore with those that used various at discretion We well remember that Tertull tells the Heathens that Christians shewed by their conceived Hymnes that they were sober at their religious feasts it being their custome ut quisque de scripturis sanctis vel de proprio ingenio potest provocetur in medium Deo canere Apol. cap. 39. Note here 1. that though there be more need of forms for singing then for praying yet even in this the Christians in publick had then a liberty of doing it de proprio ingenio and by their own wit or parts 2. That those that did not de proprio ingenio did it de scripturis sanctis and that there is no mention of any other Liturgy from which they fetch so much as their Hymnes And the same Tertul. Apol. cap. 30. describing the Christians publick prayers saith sine monitore quia de pectore oramus we pray without a Monitor or promptor because we do it from the heart or from our own breast And before him Just Mart. Ap. 2. p. 77. saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if all these words seem not plain enough to some it is no wonder when they rest not in the greater plainness of the holy Scriptures where prayer is so frequently mentioned as much of the imployment of believers and so many directions encouragements and exhortations given about it and yet no Liturgy or stinted forms except the Lords prayer is prescribed to them or once made mention of no man directed here to use such no man exhorted to get him a Prayer-book or to read or learn it or to beware that he adde or diminish not whereas the holy Scriptures that were then given to the Church men are exhorted to read and study and meditate in and discourse of and make it their continual delight and it 's a wonder that David that mentions it so oft in the 119. Psalm doth never mention the Liturgy or common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book if they had any And that Solomon when he dedicated the house of Prayer without a prayer-Prayer-book would onely begge of God to hear what Prayers or what Supplication soever shall be made of any man or of all the people of Israel when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief and shall spread forth his hands in that house 2 Chron. 6. 29. and that he giveth no hint of any Liturgie or form so much as in those common Calamities and talkes of no other book then the knowledge of their own sores and their own griefs And in the Case of Psalmes or singing unto God where it is certain that they had a Liturgy or form as we have they are carefully collected preserved and delivered to us as a choise part of the holy Scripture And would it not have been so with the prayers or would they have been altogether unmentioned if they also had been there prescribed to and used by the Church as the Psalmes were Would Christ and his Apostles even where they were purposely giving rules for prayer and correcting its abuse as Matth. 6. 1 Cor. 14. c. have never mentioned any forms but the Lord's Prayer if they had appointed such or desired such to be imposed and observed These things are incredible to us when we most impartially consider them For our own parts as we think it uncharitable to forbid the use of Spectacles to them that have weak eyes or of Crutches to them that have weak Limbs and as uncharitable to undo all that will not use them whether they need them or not so we can think no better of them that will suffer none to use such forms that need them or that will suffer none to pray but in the words of other mens prescribing though they are at least as able as the prescribers And to conclude we humbly crave that ancient customes may not be used against themselves and us and that you will not innovate under the shelter of the name of Antiquity Let those things be freely used among us that were so used in the purest primitive times Let unity and peace be laid on nothing on which they laid them not let