the Fifth in the Practice of their Corban Certainly if this place has any respect to Prayer it more forceably concludes against their extemporary Prayers which they constantly use in their Meetings whilst in the mean time they reject that excellent Form which Christ himself has Commanded Luke 11.2 When ye Pray say Our Father c. So that with more reason any one may think they themselves are the modern Scribes and Pharisees that are here Condemned by our Saviour of whom he says ver 9. Full well ye reject the Commandment of God even that concerning the Lords Prayer that you may keep your own Tradition even that of extemporary Prayer which is a meer Invention of Men and no where commanded in the Holy Scriptures But in our Common Prayer Book we retain that Divine Prayer and all our other Prayers are Composed according to it 't is after that manner we Pray in all the rest Mat. 6.9 so that in the use of the Common Prayer we keep the Commandment of Christ and they in despising thereof reject it and then these Words which they urge against us turn upon themselves and so does that of Deut. 12.30 31 32. Take heed to thy self that thou be not snared by following them after that they be destroyed from before thee and that thou enquire not after their Gods saying how did those Nations serve their Gods Even so will I do likewise thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God for every abomination unto the Lord which he hateth have they done unto their Gods for even their Sons and their Daughters have they burnt in the Fire unto their Gods what thing soever I command you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it For first are we such heathen People as these seven Nations were Do we Worship the Host of Heaven Sun Moon and Stars as they 〈◊〉 Do we Sacrifice our Children to Idols as they did If this were true they might have some pretence for urging these Texts of â—â—â—…ture and from them also might 〈…〉 that they are bound to cut 〈…〉 Branch as by the Covenant they are Sâ—orâ— to do even as the Israelites were oblig'd to destroy the seven Idolatrous Nations But if none of these things can be laid to our Charge who Worship the God of Heaven and his Son Jesus Christ and abhor Idolatry with what Face dare they produce such Scriptures against us as concern none but Idolaters In the next place How do we add to the Word of God or diminish from it by the use of the Common Prayer Book Do we thereby make more or less Canonical Books of Holy Scripture than the Church of God has allow'd and approv'd of in all Ages Do we not acknowledge and believe every tittle of the Holy Scriptures and abominate the least addition or diminution to them But some call it Divine Service and the Common Prayer Book is bound up with the Bible and is not this an adding to the Word of God No by no means for when we call the Common Prayer Divine Service we give it that Title from the Object thereof which is Almighty God to whom all our Prayers are directed and offered up and we are not so Presumptuous as to intend thereby that they are of equal Authority with the Holy Scriptures or that God himself is the immediate Author of them excepting that only of Our Father but only that Prayer being the Service of God and our Churches Prayers Composed according to the Rule of his Word some on that account call it Divine Service tho' that Title be not to be found in the Book it self and therefore can be no Objection against it and as for the Binding it up with the Bible that does not make it any part thereof no more than the Contents of the several Chapters and the Marginal Notes can be said to be part of the Holy Scriptures which yet are bound up with them but to shew the great value we have for the Word of God it is ordered by the Common Prayer Book that in this solemn Worship of Almighty God some Psalms and Chapters out of the Old and New Testament shall be read every Morning and every Evening wherein we follow the Example of Christ and St. Paul the former of which did read part of the Prophet Isaiah to the People and it was his Custom to do so Luk. 4.16 17 18 19 20. and the latter after the reading the Law and the Prophets preached to the Congregation Act. 13.15 16 17. c. a thing which is never Practiced as I am credibly inform'd by John Bunyan and his Party no more than it is by the Quakers which shews the little regard they both have to the Holy Scripture and that they prefer their own Extemporary Prayers and Preachments before it with what Forehead then can this Author pretend that we undervalue the Word of God either by adding to it or diminishing from it which not we but they themselves are guilty of for they never read the holy Scriptures to their Congregations as we do but instead thereof pretend that their Extemporary Prayers and rambling Discourses are the immediate dictates of the Holy Ghost and then both must be as good Scripture as any in the Bible which is truly to add to the Word of God and to break the foregoing Precept of Moses and that other to the same purpose Deut. 4.2 Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that ye may keep the Commandments of your Lord your God which I command you which these Men thus openly neglect and contemn in rejecting that Form of Prayer which Christ requires all his Disciples to use and so those two other Texts he mentions as Rev. 22.18 and Prov. 30.6 concern themselves and not us in that pretending to pray in the very Words of the Spirit they thereby add unto the Revelation of St. John new ones of their own and therefore have all the reason in the World to fear the Plagues there threatned and lest God should reprove them and they should be found Liars lastly as for Col. 2.16 to verse 24. how does that effect the Common Prayer Book Do we therein teach the Observation of new Moons and Sabbaths and the Worshiping of Angels Or do we therein forbid to touch taste or handle those things which God has allow'd as some of the ancient Hereticks did as particularly Marriage and unclean Meats which they held to be unlawful but if nothing of all this can be fastned upon us what Impudence is it for this Man to produce this place of St. Paul against us especially when we may with better reason urge it against him and his Adherents for do not they forbid to touch i. e. any Form of Prayer even that which our Lord Commanded Do not they forbid to taste i. e. any Meat that has blood in it which they hold unlawful to be
Liturgy's Vindicated BY THE DISSENTERS Or the Lawfulness of Forms of Prayer and Liturgies PROVED From the very Texts of Scripture urged against them by John Bunyan and the Dissenters By the Author of the Religious Conference between a Minister and his Parishioner about Infant Baptism 2 Pet. 3.16 In which are somethings hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures to their own Destruction LONDON Printed for C. Brome at the Gun at the West end of St. Pauls 1700. THE CONTENTS A PREFACE giving an Account of the Undertaking and secret Juggle of some in pretending to Pray by the Spirit how they are meer Deceivers and Men-pleasers in it Chap. I. Shewing Jo. Bunyan's Imitation of Satan not only in urging Scripture and suppressing so much thereof as makes against him as particularly 1 Cor. 14.15 which is Explain'd and Vindicated from the false Glosses he puts upon it and turned full upon him but also in his intolerable Pride impudent Calumnies and railing Accusations against us and a Question is asked How poor Creatures shall Pray in their Families who have not this pretended Gift of Prayer Which his Party are desired to Answer some better way than by bidding them to Groan Chap. II. Returning an Answer to his Objections against the Common Prayer Book and clearing it from the Imputation of Popery there being nothing thereof in it but Composed by Protestant Martyrs together with sundry Scripture Authorities for the Lawfulness of Forms of Prayer and our Observation of Christmas Easter and other Holy Days in Memory of the Saints Chap. III. Concerning his evasive Answers to our Saviour's Command for the use of the Lord's Prayer Luk. 11.2 which is briefly Explain'd and Confirm'd with some Reflections on his Rules for Prayer as also on the Presbyterian Directory wherein they as much limit the Spirit as we do by a Form as also concerning the falseness of his Assertion That none but Saints ought to say the Lord's Prayer from the known Examples of the Prodigal Son and Rich Man the one calling God and the other Abraham Father and from that Relation which God bears to us by Creation and Redemption he being on both accounts the Father of all Men. Chap. IV. Of the Anabaptists Persecuting Spirit and Cruelty towards other Protestants and particularly towards King Charles the Martyr and his Loyal Subjects and their Canonizing such Persecutors for Saints and Martyrs contrary to the Practice of those that deserved and had that Name among the Primitive Christians whose only Weapons were Prayers and Tears and of that Persecuting Passage in the solemn League and Covenant where they are Sworn to Extirpate us Chap. V. Of some Texts of Scripture Jo. Bunyan brings for the Prohibition of the Common Prayer Book which are all shewn to prove no such thing but rather the Lawfulness of using it Chap. VI. Of two other Places of Scripture which he produceth to the same purpose as Zach. 12.10 and 2 Tim. 3.5 which rightly Explain'd do both conclude against him and for the Lawfulness of Praying by a Form Chap. VII Of his two Scripture Arguments for Praying by the Spirit as 1 Cor. 14.15 and Rom. 8.26 shewing them to be impertinently Alleged and clearing them from the silly Exposition and Paraphrase he makes upon them and proving that one at least if not both of them establish Forms of Prayer and overthrow his Pretences of Praying by the Spirit Chap. VIII Of two plain Proofs that Jo. Bunyan and his Party have not the Spirit which they pretend to viz. 1st The Schism which they have made and continue in the Church with the Rebellions they have rais'd and carryed on against the State 2dly The scurrilous and unchristian Language they utter against us which is exemplified in some farther Instances than were given in the first Chapter Chap. IX Of another Proof to the same purpose from his evil Counsel about the Education of Children whom he would rather have to live without Praying at all than to be taught it by any Form whatsoever which does not savour of the Spirit of God no more does his Beastly Expression in calling this a Nuzzling them up in a Form Chap. X. An Apology for the Author least his Book be Condemned as undervaluing the Holy Spirit and the Assistance which he affords is farther Explained and Stated and Proved not to consist in the Groans or extempore Effusions of Men but in Godly Motions within us and the fervent Desires of the Heart the Life and Soul of Prayer being Faith Hope and Charity and such an Assistance of the Holy Spirit our Church admits and teacheth us to Pray for The Conclusion An Address to all the Members of our Orthodox Church of England not only to Pray but also to Live according to the Common Prayer Book even a Godly Righteous and Sober Life to the Glory of God's holy Name Amen THE PREFACE TO THE READER BEing sensible that some Men will censure me for entring the Lists with such a Combatant where it will be no Credit to Conquer but a mighty Disgrace to be overcome I think my self obliged to give this Account of the Undertaking to reconcile the Reader to what I have hereafter Written least otherwise looking only on the Title-Page he should grow Angry and Impatient and throw away the Book The Discourse I here Answer was sent me from an Anabaptist of my Parish and as I have reason to believe by the Order and Direction of one of their Teachers as a choice Piece which might take me off from the use of the Common Prayer Book whose Morning and Evening Service I wish were constantly offer'd up entire in all other Families as well as mine when it cannot be perform'd in Publick and I am confident they will receive no little Comfort and Satisfaction in so doing but having read it over I found so much Railing Wresting and Mis-applying of Scripture almost in every Page and so little Reason and Truth in any thing he said I once thought his reviling impertinent Discourse unworthy of any other Answer but what the Archangel returned to Satan Jud. 9. The Lord rebuke thee Bunyan But when I considered the high Value the whole Party set upon such slight scurrilous Pamphlets how this was Bequeathed as a Legacy by the last Will and Testament of one of them to a surviving Friend to convince the World That whether Living or Dying they have no Charity for us and how they are contented that themselves and subtle Books should be let alone to Creep into Houses and lead silly Women I may add Men too Captive who are sooner caught and seduc'd with crafty and incoherent Reasoning than with close and sound Arguments and when they have gain'd them for Proselytes and drawn them into the wild Mazes of their numerous Errors 't is very hard to reduce and bring them back into the way of Truth On all these Accounts I judged it needful
unknown Tongue in such a Language as a Man had never learnt and neither the Congregation nor perhaps himself understood tho he cou'd speak it for ver 14. he says If I Pray in an unknown Tongue which in the next verse he calls a Praying with the Spirit my Spirit Prayeth but my Vnderstanding is unfruitful being not able to Interpret what he said which was another extraordinary Gift of the Spirit and which he that had the Gift of Tongues sometimes wanted and therefore the Apostle intimates in this place that there may be a separation between them between Praying with the Spirit and Praying with Vnderstanding and when there is the latter is to be preferred before the former ver 19. in the Church I had rather speak five words with my Vnderstanding that by my Voice I might Teach others than Ten thousand words in an unknown Tongue i. e. in the Spirit which bestowed that Gift so that in St. Paul's Judgment Praying with the Spirit is not always to the Edification of the Church not always performed with Vnderstanding And so much my Author owns p. 58.59 This distinction was occasioned through the Corinthians not observing that it was their Duty to do what they did to the Edification of themselves and others too whereas they did it for their own Commendations so I judge for many of them having extraordinary Gifts as to speak with divers Tongues therefore they were more for those mighty Gifts than they were for the Edifying of their Brethren which was the cause that Paul wrote this Chapter to them to let them understand that tho' extraordinary Gifts were excellent yet to do what they did was more excellent for saith the Apostle If I Pray in an unknown Tongue my Spirit Prayeth but my Vnderstanding is unfruitful and also the Vnderstanding of others therefore I will Pray with the Spirit and I will Pray with the Vnderstanding also but as I observ'd in the beginning of this Chapter he stops short here without adding which I shall therefore add I will Sing with the Spirit and I will Sing with the Vnderstanding also the plain meaning of which Phrase is this viz. that in the Apostles Days some were enabled by a miraculous Gift of the Spirit not only to Pray in an unknown Tongue but also to Sing in an unknown Psalm or Hymn as appears farther from ver 26. When ye come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Tongue c. both these were extraordinary and miraculous Gifts by the Confession of our Adversary and he may as well pretend to Sing as Pray extempore from this Text of Scripture but unless he can Sing and Pray in an unknown Tongue he doth not Sing and Pray as St. Paul and the Corinthians did and if notwithstanding this devout Christians may Compose Spiritual Songs and Hymns and Sing them according to the Rules of Musical Notes and yet all that while be assisted by the Spirit so may they also Compose Prayers and Praises before-hand and read them in the Congregation who are to join with them therein and yet all that time be assisted by the same Spirit for Praying and Singing with the Spirit are expressed as * Discourse of extempore Prayer p. 13. Dr. Taylor observes in the same Place in the same manner to the same end and I know no Reason why there should be differing Senses put upon them to serve purposes CHAP. II. HAving clear'd the Scope and Meaning of this mangled divided and abused Text and detected the Authors Pride in Sainting himself and his own Party and his Diabolical Slanders in making Devils Incarnate of us I shall next consider the malicious Reflections he casts on our Churches Liturgy in the Prosecution of his Discourse Page 11. he says Our Common Prayer Book is taken out of the Papistical Mass Book being the Scraps and Devices of some Popes some Friars and I wot not what and this he repeats Page 29. Paul and his Companions were as able to have made a Common Prayer Book as any Pope or Prelate in the Church of Rome and could as well have made a Common Prayer Book as those who first Composed this c. But I have these things to offer to shew the Falseness and Senselessness of such Suggestions 1st That our Common Prayer Book was not Compiled by any Pope or Prelate of Rome but by some Reformed Protestant Divines who suffer'd Martyrdom for the Protestant Religion Sealing it with their Blood and how can that savour of Popery that was the joint and unanimous Work of Protestant Martyrs who without doubt were assisted therein with the same Holy Spirit that enabled them to resist unto Blood and one of them * See Fox's Martyrol p. 1524. They with weeping Eyes Prayed together and Kissed one another and he gave unto her a Book of the Church Service set out by K. Edward which in the time of his Imprisonment he daily used Doctor Rowland Taylor made use of the Common Prayer Book when he lay in Prison and a little before his Martyrdom commended it to his Wife as the last Token of his Love 2d If it were true that the Common Prayer Book were taken out of the Mass that is no Proof of its Unlawfulness if there be nothing else Sinful in it the Papists using some such Prayers as we do does not render them Unlawful They use to anoint Sick and Dying Persons with Oyl and so do the Anabaptists and when urg'd with this that theirs is a Popish Practice their Answer is that 't is never the worse for all that if it be according to the Word of God and may not we return the same Answer That our Prayers are never the worse tho' some of them shou'd be found yet in another Language in the Mass Book so long as they are agrâ—â—able to the Holy Scriptures and pursuant to those excellent Forms Recorded there 3dly The Papists are so far from likeing and favouring the Common Prayer that the first thing they did after Queen Mary ascended the Throne was to abolish and cast it out of the Church which they would never have done if they had thought it conducing to the advancement of their Cause but they knew it was the best Defence and Buswark we have against Popery and therefore demolished and took it away and so did the Dissenters again in the Cromwellian Days and we may on their own grounds conclude them to be Popishly affected because they shewed the same Enmity and Spight to the Common Prayer Book and with disdain laid it aside as the Papists had done before and if these Men are never the worse for doing the same things the Papists did Why is our Common Prayer Book the worse for having some things in it which the Mass Book has Especially if it be consider'd that all their Prayers are in Latin which 〈◊〉 a Language unknown to the common People all our Prayers are in English which is our Mother Tongue and understood by