Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
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A63653
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An apology for authorized and set forms of litvrgie against the pretence of the spirit 1. for ex tempore prayer : 2. formes of private composition.
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Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.
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1649
(1649)
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Wing T289; ESTC R7631
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60,949
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100
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AN APOLOGY FOR AUTHORIZED and SET FORMS OF LITVRGIE AGAINST THE PRETENCE OF THE SPIRIT 1. For ex tempore Prayer AND 2. Formes of Private composition Hierocl in Pythag. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} LONDON Printed for R. Royston in Ivie-lane 1649 To His most Sacred Majesty IT is now two yeares since part of these ensuing Papers like the publike issue of the people imperfect and undressed were exposed without a Parent to protest them or any hand to nourish them But since your Most Sacred Majesty was pleased graciously to looke upon them they are growne into a Tract and have an ambition like the Gourd of Jonas to dwell in the eye of the Sunne from whence they received life and increment And although because some violence hath been done to the profession of the doctrine of this Treatise it may seem to be verbum in tempore non suo and like the offering Cypresse to a Conquerour or Palmes to a broken Army yet I hope I shall the lesse need an Apology because it is certaine he does really disserve no just and Noble interest that serves that of the Spirit and Religion And because the sufferings of a KING and a Confessour are the great demonstration to all the world that Truth is as Deare to your MAJESTY as the Iewells of your Diademe and that your Conscience is tender as a pricked eye I shall pretend this onely to alleviate the inconvenience of an unseasonable addresse that I present your MAJESTY with a humble persecuted truth of the same constitution with that condition whereby you are become most Deare to God as having upon you the characterisme of the Sonnes of God bearing in your Sacred Person the markes of the Lord Jesus who is your Elder Brother the King of Sufferings and the Prince of the Catholique Church But I consider that Kings and their Great Councels and Rulers Ecclesiasticall have a speciall obligation for the defence of Liturgies because they having the greatest Offices have the greatest needs of auxiliaries from Heaven which are best procured by the publike Spirit the Spirit of Government and Supplication And since the first the best and most Solemne Liturgies and Set formes of Prayer were made by the best and greatest Princes by Moses by David and the Sonne of David Your MAJESTY may be pleased to observe such a proportion of circumstances in my laying this Apology for Liturgy at Your feet that possibly I may the easier obtaine a pardon for my great boldnesse which if I shall hope for in all other contingencies I shall represent my selfe a person indifferent whether I live or die so I may by either serve God and Gods Church and Gods Vicegerent in the capacity of Great Sir Your Majesties most humble and most obedient Subject and Servant TAYLOR An APOLOGY for LITURGY I Have read over this Booke which the Assembly sect. of Divines is pleased to call The Directory for Prayer I confesse I came to it with much expectation and was in some measure confident I should have found it an exact and unblameable modell of Devotion free from all those Objections which men of their owne perswasion had obtruded against the Publike Liturgy of the Church of England or at least it should have been composed with so much artifice and finenesse that it might have been to all the world an argument of their learning and excellency of spirit if not of the goodnesse and integrity of their Religion and purposes I shall give no other character of the whole but that the publike disrelish which I find amongst Persons of great piety of all qualities not onely of great but even of ordinary understandings is to me some argument that it lies so open to the objections even of common spirits that the Compilers of it did intend more to prevaile by the successe of their Armies then the strength of reason and the proper grounds of perswasion which yet most wise and good Men beleeve to be the more Christian way of the two But because the judgment I made of it from an argument so extrinsecall to the nature of the thing could not reasonably enable me to satisfie those many Persons who in their behalf desired me to consider it I resolv'd to looke upon it nearer and to take its account from something that was ingredient to its Constitution that I might be able both to exhort and convince the Gainsayers who refuse to hold fast {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that faithfull word which they had been taught by their Mother the Church of England I shall decline to speake of the efficient cause of this sect. 2 Directory and not quarrell at it that it was composed against the Lawes both of England and all Christendome If the thing were good and pious and did not directly or accidentally invade the rights of a just Superiour I would learne to submit to the imposition and never quarrell at the incompetency of his authority that ingaged me to doe pious and holy things And it may be when I am a little more used to it I shall not wonder at a Synod in which not one Bishop sits in the capacity of a Bishop though I am most certaine this is the first example in England since it was first Christned But for the present it seems something hard to digest it because I know so well that all Assemblies of the Church have admitted Priests to consultation and dispute but never to authority and decision till the Pope enlarging the phylacteries of the Archimandrites and Abbots did sometime by way of priviledge and dispensation give to some of them decisive voices in publick Councels but this was one of the things in which he did innovate and invade against the publike resolutions of Christendome though he durst not doe it often and yet when he did it it was in very small and inconsiderable numbers I said I would not meddle with the Efficient and sect. 3 I cannot meddle with the Finall cause nor guesse at any other ends and purposes of theirs then at what they publikely professe which is the abolition and destruction of the Booke of Common Prayer which great change because they are pleased to call Reformation I am content in charity to believe they thinke it so and that they have Zelum Dei but whether secundum scientiam according to knowledge or no must be judg'd by them who consider the matter and the forme But because the matter is of so great variety and sect. 4 minute Consideration every part whereof would require as much scrutiny as I purpose to bestow upon the whole I have for the present chosen to consider onely the forme of it concerning which I shall give my judgment without any sharpnesse or bitternesse of spirit for I am resolved not to be angry with any men of another perswasion as knowing that I differ just as much from them as they doe from me The Directory takes away that Forme of Prayer