also all the the reformed churches who conclude their prayers before their Sermon or after with this prayer conceive that it ought not only to beset before us as a pattern when we pray but also to be used as a prayer Neither are the reasons to the contrarie of any weight for though it be Scripture that doth not conclude it to be no prayer For the prayers of Moses Hannah Deborah Solomon David and Paul are set down in holy Scriptures and are part of the inspired oracles of God yet they cease not to be prayers and though in the Lords Prayer all the particular wants of Gods children are not expressed yet the main wants and principall graces are expressed to which the other may be with great facilitie added by our selvs and referred to the proper heads in the Lords Prayer Secondly hos suo jugulamus gladio we may give them a wound with their own dudgeon dagger for if they grant it to be the pattern of all Prayers it followeth that it is the perfectest of all prayers and certainly if we may use prayers of our own which are more imperfect much more may we use this which is a most absolute and perfect one If a Scrivener set a most perfect copie and therein comprise in certain sentences not only all the letters of the Alphabet but all the combinations and conjunctions of them none doubteth but that the schollers may both write other sentences according to that pattern and in the first place write those verie sentences in the copie endeavour to come as near as they can to the originall Such is the Lords Prayer a perfect copie to write by comprising in it all things needfull for a Christian to pray for first therefore we are to write it and then to write after it and correct our writing by it and though we speak with the tongue of men and Angells yet certainly our prayers cannot be so acceptable to God as when we tender them unto him in his Sons own words For this end saith that blessed Martyr S. Cyprian Christ vouchsafed to leave us this incomparable forme of prayer that whilst in prayer to the Father we read or say by heart what his Son taught us we may the sooner and easier be heard ARGUMENT IV. What the Christian church hath generally practised in all ages and places in the worship of God ought not to be thought as erroneous or swerving from the rule of Gods word But the Christian church generally in all ages and in all places hath made use of publike set and sanctified forms of prayer as appeareth by the Liturgies yet extant whereof some bear the names of the Apostles as S. Iames and S. Peter some of the Greek fathers as that of Chrysostome and S. Basil some of the Latine fathers as Ambrose Gregorie and Isidore c. Ergo set forms of prayers are not erroneous or swerving from the rule of Gods word ANABAP ANSWERS First that this is no better then a popish argument drawn from antiquitie and universalitie Secondly that these Liturgies are Apochryphall and though in latter times the use of Liturgies came in yet the purer and more ancient times used no such crutches to support their lame devotion for Justine Martyr in his second apologie affirmeth that the chief minister sent up prayers to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is interpreted according to his abilitie or gift of ex tempore prayers and Tertullian in his apologie saith that the Christians needed no monitor in their prayers as it were to chalk the way before them in a set form because they prayed by heart REPLY First the Papists pretend to antiquitie and make their brags of universalitie but in truth they have neither An argument drawn from a shadow of truth vanisheth like a shadow but an argument drawn from a true bodie is substantiall Secondly the strength of the argument lieth not in bare antiquitie and the universalitie of this practice for we know many errors are ancient and some abuses verie far spreading but in the nature and condition of the Catholike Christian church to whom Christ hath promised his perpetuall presence and the guidance of his Spirit into all truth in which regard the Apostle stileth it the pillar and ground of truth For howsoever particular churches may erre in faith and manners and the representative Catholike church in the most generall Councells hath sometimes grossely mistaken error for truth and Idolatrie for true religion yet the universall church taken formally for the whole companie of beleevers hath ever been kept by vertue of Christs promise from falling into any dangerous errour especially for any long time Thirdly Because they except against the Liturgies found in the writings of the ancient fathers in which though I grant there are some prints of noveltie yet there are foot-steps also of true antiquitie I will wave them for the present and by other good testimonies prove the constant and perpetuall use of Service or common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Books To begin with the first age from the ascension of our Lord to a hundred years Victorius Sciaticus Maronita in his preface to those three Liturgies he put forth saith that the Bishops both of the Eastern and Western churches made some alteration upon good ground in those Liturgies which they received from the Apostlei If this mans credit cannot carrie so great a cause yet certainly Hegesippus his testimonie a most ancient writer bordering upon the Apostles time ought not to be slighted who writeth of S. Iames chosen Bishop of Ierusalem by the Apostles themselvs that in regard of a form of Service or common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book made by him for the use of the church of Ierusalem he was stiled Iacobus Liturgus In the second age Iustine Martyr in his second apologie which he wrote to Antoninus the Emperour acquainteth us with the practice of the Christians in his time which was to meet everie Sunday and in their Assemblies to read select places of Scripture hear Sermons and sing Psalmes and after the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Priest or chief Minister had made an end of his conceived prayer to offer up make or say Common-Prayers unto God It is true as it is alledged that he prayed by himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all his might that is in the best manner he could or with all fervencie of devotion as the Rabbins say that he that pronounceth Amen with all his might openeth the gates of Eden This expression in the Greek will not conclude that the chief Minister in those dayes prayed ex tempore for it may truly be said of them who in the Universitie and at Court pen their prayers most accurately that they pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all their strength of wit memorie and affection Yet if it were granted that the Preacher in Iustine Martyrs time might make a short prayer before his Sermon ex tempore yet certainly he read other
set forms of Prayer which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Common Prayers and distinguished from that which he delivered alone by himself by way of preface to his Sermon or Homilie In the third age we meet with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prescribed prayers and Tertullian in his apologetick gives us the moulds or heads of the publike prayer then constantly used saying our prayer for all our Emperors is that God would vouchsafe to grant them a long life a happy reign a safe Court valiant armies faithfull counsellors a good people a quiet world Yea but say the Anabaptists they said this prayer de pectore out of their brests and sine monitore without any guide or remembrancer or prompter and therefore by an ex tempore facultie This will not follow they mistake much the matter for this monitor Tertullian speaks of was a kind of Nomen-clator who kept a Catalogue of their numerous heathen deities to whom those Paynims prayed upon speciall occasions and directed them to whom and for what to pray left they should commit any absurditie in their prayers in praying to Ceres for wine and to Bacchus for corn Such monitors or prompters the Christians needed not who prayed to one God only and not a prayer suggested by others but premeditated by themselvs and first spoken in their heart before it was uttered by the mouth according to that of the Psalmist My heart is enditing a good matter my tongue is the pen of a readie writer To pray then de pectore in Tertullians sense is no more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to say without book or pray by heart or from the heart whose feat is in the brest S. Cyprian flourished in this age about the year 250. in whose writings which S. Ierome affirmeth to have been sole clamora as illustrious and well known in the Christian church as the beams of the sun or as he speaketh hyperbolically brighter then they We find some short forms of prayer at this day in use both in the Roman Missall and our book of Common-Prayer as namely sursum corda habemus ad Dominum lift up your hearts and we lift them up unto to the Lord c. Upon which passages and the like the Centurle writers who have gathered all the harvest of antiquitie and have scarce left gleanings for any other truly infer that in this blessed Martyrs dayes out of all peradventure they had certain set forms of short prayers and responds In the fourth age Eusebius writeth that the most religious Emperour Constantine the great commanded all his subjects to keep holy the Lords day and on it to send up to God with heartie and unanimous devotion an elaborate or studied form of prayer penned as it seemeth for the purpose as to give God thanks for the great and miraculous victories he gave him over all the tyrants that persecuted the church so to pray to God to perfect the great work he had begun by him to propagate the Gospell through the whole world and reduce all that were subject to the Roman state to the obedience of faith Besides this prayer penned by some Bishop the same Historian writeth that the Emperour himself made a speciall prayer which he commanded the Souldiers to say every day in the Roman tongue In this age also the famous Councell at Laodicea was held which hath left us diverse Canons like so many golden rules both to regulate our devotion and rectifie our lives and among these for one that everie morning and evening the same service or form of prayer should be used and because some even in this verie age adventured to make use of their ex tempore gift of prayer at least read or said some private prayer conceived by themselvs in stead of the publike form the Milevitan Councell provideth against this abuse by a speciall Canon which carrieth this tenor it seemed good to the reverend fathers met in this Synod to appoynt that those prayers or orizons which were devised or at least allowed by that Councell should be used by all men and no other lest peradventure something through ignorance or want of care might be uttered in the church that might not well agree with the Catholike faith The occasion of this Canon was the over-weeâ—ing conceit that some Bishops had of some prayers devised by themselvs which they obtruded to the church in stead of the publike prescript form whereby it appears that in those dayes that libertie was not permitted to any reverend or ancient Bishop which now everie punie minister taketh to himself to adde or leave out or change what he thinketh good in the Book of Common-Prayer established by the church and ratified by Act of Parliament About the end of this age or the beginning of the next Basil Ambrose and Chrysostome framed Liturgies to be used in their Diocesses yet extant in their works and bibliotheca patrum though with some interpolation And S. Augustine in his seventh Tome consisting of many excellent treatises against the Pelagians produceth divers passages out of the Common-Prayer then used by the church to convince those hereticks of the noveltie as well as falshood of their tenets For notwithstanding that the Pelagians were furnished with many testimonies of the ancient Doctors especially of the Greek church qui ante exortum Pelagium securius locuti sunt who before that heresie sprang up spake more freely of the freedome of mans free will by nature in opposition to the Manichees who taught a fatall necessitie of sinning then could well stand with the free grace of Christ accurately defended by S. Austine and his scholars yet this learned and zealous father being most expert in the prayers appoynted to be read in the ancientest Christian churches out of them exceedingly confounded these upstart hereticks and proved a full consent of antiquitie for those Orthodox tenets he propugned against all the enemies of Christs free and saving grace and truly at this day a man may more certainly gather out of the Book of Common-Prayer and specially the Collects used in our Liturgie what is the judgement of the church of England in those points anciently questioned by the Pelagians and now by the Arminians then out of the Book of Articles or Homilies In the sixt age Gregorie the great and S. Isidore set forth offices or forms of church Service and partly out of them partly out of the Liturgies above mentioned of S. Basil Ambrose and Chrysostome partly some more ancient attributed to the Apostles and Evangelists themselvs all the famous and known churches of the Christian world have their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 misses officia services or Books of Common-Prayer compiled which they use at this day and as most of the reformed churches have so the most learned and judicious Calvin wisheth all might have Concerning a form of prayer and ecclesiasticall rites I very well
18. 10. Two men went up into the Temple to pray Acts 3. 1. Peter and Iohn went up together into the Temple at the houre of prayer 1 Thess. 5. 17. Pray without ceasing 1 Tim. 2. 1. Let prayers intercessions and supplications be made for all men 1 Thess. 1. 2. making mention of you in our prayers 2 Tim. 1. 3. remembrance of thee in my prayers EXCEPT II. Secondly they except against the service-Service-book that either all of it or the greater part is taken out of the Roman Missall and therefore is to be kickt out of the church with that superstitious piece of Romish devotion ANSWER But this exception is first insufficient secondly ignorant For if the prayers in our Service-book are holy and pithie if agreeable to the pattern of all prayer and favour of true pietie and devotion which they cannot denie they doe what skils it out of what book they were culled The Iews borrowed jewels of the Egyptians to adorn the Sanctuarie Solomon sent for timber and other materials for the Temple to Hyram king of Tyre S. Paul transcribed verses out of heaÌ„then Poets Virgil raked gold out of Enuius hic muck Christian Apothecaries gather simples to make sovereigne electuaries out of the gardens of Iews and Mahumetans the Lapidaries take out a precious stone called Bufomtes out of the head of a Toad Christ indeed forbids us to cast pearl before swine but no where to take a pearl out of a ring in a swines snowt if there be found any there Secondly this exception is guiltie of as much ignorance as weaknesse they who make it are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as cannot see afarre off of if they could they might have discerned the prayers in our Church-book to be farre more ancient then the Roman Missall The Bishops and learned Doctors who in the dayes of Edward the sixt compiled the Service-book at Windsor had farre more ancient Liturgies in their eye then the Roman Missall or Breviarie they drew not water out of that impure channell but out of a clearer fountain There are the same Epistles and Gospels in our book and theirs but they were not taken out of theirs but out of the Canonicall books of the old and new Testament there are the same Psalmes and Hymnes but they were not taken out of their Psalter but out of Davids and Saint Luke there are many of the same Collects and Orisons but they are not taken out of their Breviarie but out of the Liturgies of Saint Basil Saint Ambrose Saint Chrysostome and other more ancient attributed to the Apostles themselves Lastly if in regard of that little which may seem to be translated out of the Missall into our English service-Service-book it might be tearmed as Spalatensis when he was present at the Service in Canterburie church called it Breviarium optime reformatum a reformed Breviarie I cannot apprehend how that should be any derogation to it for what saith Solomon take away the drosse from the silver and there shall come forth a vessell for the refiner This was the noble work of the learned Doctors and Martyrs who reformed Religion in England they took away the drosse not only from the Missals but from all other Offices and Service-books then extant all superstitious Rites either heathenish or Iewish all Legendarie fables all invocation of saints prayers for the dead all Dirige's and Trentals and whatsoever was not warrantable by holy scripture and retaining the rest supplyed what was wanting thereunto and hence came forth this Vessell for the refiner this Liturgie of our church more compleat then any now extant in other reformed churches EXCEPT III. Thirdly they except at three Popish absolutious as they tearme them the first in the beginning of the Service after the publique confession the second before the Communion the third in the visitation of the sick But this exception hath in it more strength of passion then reason for none of these absolutions are absolute but conditionall nor in the name or by the authoritie of the Minister but of Christ. The first is nothing but a declaration of Gods mercie who freely pardoneth the penitent and of the Ministers dutie to declare and pronounce this absolution and remission to the people The second is a prayer of the Minister to God to have mercie upon the Communicants to pardon and deliver them from all their sinnes and to confirme and strengthen them in all goodnesse The third is the execution of that Ministeriall power wherewith Christ invested the Apostles and their successours Iohn 20. 23. As my father sent me so I send you whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained Here is our expresse warrant and commission from Christ for what we doe in this kind to revive the spirit of the humble and cheat up the drooâ—ing conscience reaâ—lie to languish in a featefull conflict with despaire EXCEPT IV. Fourthly they except against the reading of the Psalmes Epistles and Gospels in a corrupt translation in which there are many grosse errours as Psal 105. 28. And they were not obedient to his word whereas it should be translated and they rebelled not against his word and Luke the first 36. This is the sixth moneth which was called barren for this is the sixth moneth with her who was called barren And Rom. 12. 11. Fervent in Spirit serving the time for serving the Lord. And Galat. 4. 25. Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia and bordereth upon the citie which is now called Ierusalem for and answereth to Ierusalem And Phil. 2. 8. He was found in his apparrell as a man for being found in fashion as a man And Ephes. 3. 15. Which is the father of all that is called father in heaven and earth for of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named But this exception is of little importance and may soon be philipp't away For first if no translation way be read in the church but that which is free from all errour then none at all ought to be read for there is none in which there are not some mistakes more or lesse with this ferula therefore they rap themselves over the thumbs Secondly those sores on which they fasten their nail have their salves they may see them if they please in Hooker Fisher and many others who have cleared those very passages Lastly neither is the Minister nor are the people tyed to that translation in the common-prayer-book but they may if they please in stead thereof read the Psalmes Epistles and Gospels according to the last and best translation neither were they to blame who in the first setting forth of the common-prayer-book appointed the scriptures to be read in that ancient translation for that was the best then extant neither is there any errour at all in it which concerneth faith or manners and other slips must be born withall in translations or else we must read none at all till we have a translation given
thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Christ saith it is life Eternall to know the Father to be the onely true God and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ but it is not life Eternall to know Christ onely as man but as true God and man and so a perfect Mediator neither is Christ said only the Son of God in respect of his temporall generation as man but also in respect of his eternal generation as he is the second person in Trinity this answer therefore of yours is not sufficient nor pertinent M. Doctor the company is not satisfied with their Answers I pray resolve the doubt your selfe I will as soone as they have propounded their objections for I moved these Questions only to make it appeare to the auditors how unfit these men are to take upon them the office of Teachers who are so imperfect in the fundamentall poynts of Catechisme Now let them propound what questions they please What is the nature of a visible Church what is the matter and fâ—rme of it or what is the visible Church of Christ made up of by authority of the Scriptures Your Question is Quid constituit visibilem Ecclesiam what makes a Church Yes I answer according to the Scriptures and the joynt consent of of all protestant Churches in the world French Dutch c. in the harmony of confessions that the sincere preaching of the Word and the due administration of the Sacraments constitutes or makes a true visible Church The Papists make many notes of the Church as antiquity universality succession miracles and diverse other but the reformed Churches make but two onely namely those above mentioned What is a true particular visible church A particular companie of men professing the christian faith knowne by the two marks above mentioned the sincere preaching of the word and the due administration of the Sacraments Is the church of England such a church It is so How prove you that First I answer I need not to prove it but you are to disprove it For as Hooker teacheth in his Ecclesiasticall Politie they who are in possession are not bound to prove their right but they who goe about to thrust them out are to disprove their right aud bring a better title for themselves Secondly yet to give you further satisfaction thus I prove the church of England to be such a church Every church in which the word of God is sincerely preached the sacraments lawfully and rightly administred is such a church But in the church of England the word is sincerely preached and the sacraments lawfully administred Ergo the church of England is such a church I denie that in the church of England the word is sincerely preached or the sacraments rightly administred I have here two things to prove 1. That the doctrine of the church of England is agreeable to Gods word 2. The sacraments are rightly administred in it First the doctrine of the church of England is contained in the 39 Articles Secondly the due administration of the sacraments in the communion-communion-book But both the one the other are agreeable to Gods word Ergo the preaching of the word and administration of the sacraments in the church of England are agreeable to Gods word I denie that the 39 Articles and the book of common-prayer are agreeable to Gods word 1. I wil prove that the book of Articles is agreeable to Gods word In the book of Articles the first which concerneth the blessed Trinity the 2. 3. 4. which concern the incarnation of Christ Jesus his death and resurrection the 5. which concerneth the holy Ghost the 6. the perfection of scriptures and the 18. following which impugn popery are agreeable to Gods word and you cannot name any one of the rest which is not agreeable therefore they are all agreeable If you know any one that is not agreeable instance in it and I will presently shew how it is agreeable to scripture For the 39 Articles I know not what they are I never saw them that I remember Then for ought you know they are all conformable to scripture at least you can except against none of them Now for the book of common-prayer it consists partly of Psalms Epistls and Gospels partly of Prayers and the form and manner of administration of the sacraments But the former are taken out of scripture the latter are agreeable to it What doe you except against it I except against your administration of Baptism it is not rightly administred in your church for you baptize children and that is not agreeable to Gods word if you say it is how doe you prove it by scriptures This D. F. undertook to prove out of scriptures but before he alledged any text of scripture for it another Anabaptist interposed You say your church is a true church that cannot be for the true church compells none to come to church or punishes him for his conscience as the church of England doth Iosiah was supream governour of the true church in Iudah and Israel but Iosiah compelled all Israel to come to the house of God and worship him there 2 Chron. 34. 33. So Iosiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that appertained to the children of Israel and compelled all that were found in Israel to serve the Lord their God Ergo men may be compelled by the civill magistrate to the true worship of God Josiah compelled them to come to Jerusalem but that law is not now in force There is a three-fold law of God delivered by Moses 1. Ceremoniall 2. Judiciall and 3. Morall The ceremoniall and judiciall are not now in force but the morall is and Iosiah did this by the command of the morall law For the text saith not that he compelled them to come to Ierusalem but to serve the Lord their God which is a dutie required by the morall law and the law of nature For though the place of Gods Service and the manner be changed yet the substantiall worship of God still remains and princes are now as much bound to compell their subjects to the true worship of God as Iosiah was And moreover it is to be noted that Iosiah did this by vertue of a covenant which he made before the Lord to walk after the Lord and keep his commandements with all his heart and all his soul 2 Chro. 34. 31. And the spirit of God sendeth this testimony after him 2 King 23. 15. Like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to the law of Moses which words have an apparent reference to that first and great commandement Deut. 6. 5. thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might
lives to the law of God they are also purged from the guilt of their sinnes and Christs righteousnesse is imputed unto them though they have no sense or feeling thereof till God worketh powerfully upon their hearts by the preaching of the word and they apprehend Christs merits by an actuall faith As a flower in the winter lyes hid under ground in the root which at the spring shooteth forth the leaves thereof so in children that are baptized there remaines that root of sanctifying grace in their hearts which in riper yeares putteth forth the leaves thereof by a holy profession and bringeth forth fruit by a godly conversation They argue à pari if the sacrament of baptisme be to be administred to children then also the sacrament of the Lords supper for both are seales of the same covenant But the supper is not to be administred unto infants therefore neither is baptisme But we answer that the inference is not good for though both are seales of the covenant of grace yet there is a three-fold disparitie in them which looseneth the sinewes of the argument First baptisme is the seale of our new birth but the Lords supper of our growth in grace and ghostly strength baptisme is a sacrament of initiation the Lords supper of perfection Now it will not follow that because a punie or novice may or ought to be admitted to the lowest form in the school of Christ therefore he may and ought to be set in the highest the Lords supper is strong meat and not milk and therefore no fit meat for sucklings Secondly the sacrament of the Lords supper was instituted for the commemoration of Christs death As oft as ye eat of this bread and drink of this cup saith the Apostle ye shall declare the Lords death till he come But children neither can apprehend nor shew forth Christs death therefore that sacrament is not ordained for them Thirdly before the receiving the Lords Supper every one is required to examine himselfe which children cannot do But before baptisme there is no such examination required Though if any in riper years be converted to the Christian faith it is most requisite that he be examined by the minister who baptiseth him and that he be able to give a good account of his faith but every one who is fit to be baptized is not presently to be addmitted to the Lords Table without precedent preparation and a more strict examination of himself both concerning his growth in faith and sinceritie of repentance and unfained charitie with an earnest desire of that heavenly repast They argue from Christs example who was not baptized till he was thirtie years of age But we answer that Christs example alone without a precept doth not bind us For Christ neither instituted nor administred the holy Supper till the day before his death and then he both administred and received it after Supper and that with his Apostles only yet we are not bound either to defer our receiving to the day before our death or to administer the Eucharist after Supper or to participate only with such a number and those Priests or Ministers of the Gospell Secondly Christ in his infancie was circumcised circumcision then being in force neither was baptisme then instituted but now circumcision is abrogated and baptisme succeeds in the place thereof Thirdly though Christ were not baptized in his infancie for the reasons above alledged yet was he baptized if I may so speak in the infancie of baptisme it self For as soon as Iohn began to baptize Christ came unto him and required baptisme of him When the fulnesse of time was come in which God had appoynted to manifest him to the world and appoynt him our teacher by a voice from heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him According to whose example we ought not to defer our baptisme but upon the first opportunitie offered unto us receive that seal of our new-birth in Christ and admission into his church I conclude the answer to this argument with an observation of Gastius that Christ because he was Lord both of the people in the old testament and of them in the new therefore he would receive the sacraments of both and was both circumcised in his infancie and baptized also as soon as baptisme was in force Since the examination and confutation of this second Article of the Anabaptists there came to my hands a small pamphlet dedicated to the house of Commons intituled The vindicathâ—u of the royall commission of king Iesus wherein the author Francis Cornwell master of Arts and sometimes student of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge frameth many arguments against the ordinance of the church in baptizing infants Of which I may truly say as Martiall doth of Caecilius who made disverse dishes of one and the self same kind of course root Atreus Caecilius cucurbitarum Sic illas quasi filias Thyestae In partes lacerat secatque mille Gustu protinus has edes in ipso Has prima feret alterave mensa Has coenae tibi tertia reponit Huicseras Epidipnidas parabit Hoc lautum vocat hoc putat venustum Unum poâ—ere ferculis tot assem Thou cheatest my stomack with varietie of dishes in all which there is but one sorie root drest after a diverse manner in all of them not a half-pennie worth of good and solid meat So this new Anabaptisticall Proselyte endeavours to cheat the judgement of the reader with varietie of syllogismes and enthymems in which there is but one or two arguments at most propounded in divers forms and in all of them not the weight of one solid reason the summe effect of his whole book is contained in the title-page wherein he affirmeth that the christening of children doth universally oppose the commission granted by king Iesus Mat. 28. 19. 20. Mark 16. 15. 16. and that paedobaptisme is a popish tradition brought into the church by Innocentius the third upon these two notes he runs in division through his whole book The first hath no colour of probabilitie and the latter is a grosse ignorant untruth if the baptisme of infants oppose the coÌ„mission granted by Christ Mat. 28. either it opposeth it in words or in sense not in words for there is no mention at all of children in either of those texts much lesse any prohibition of baptizing them neither doth it oppose it in sense For the meaning of our Saviour there apparently is that his Apostles and their Successors should go and convert all Nations and plant Christian churches in them first teaching them the Gospel and principles of Christian Religion and after administring the sacraments unto them which they have done accordingly first teaching the parents and baptizing them and after their children into their faith But the objection from these texts is fully answered and retorted in the end of the conference and in the solution of the first argument brought by
like that it be a certain and constant one from which the Pastors of the Church may in no wise depart or varie ARGUMENT V. Those prayers which all in the kingdome are perpetually bound to use ought to be approved by the whole church or kingdome for such prayers especially ought to be made in faith and care taken that nothing be in them repugnant to sound doctrine But such prayers cannot be ex tempore ejaculations or sudden conceptions of every private Pastors brain opinion or fansie Ergo they must be penned forms examined by Gods word and publiquely printed that all may know what they are and may confidently goe along with the Minister and without any scruple of conscience say Amen to the prayers which they cannot doe to such unwarranted immethodicall inconsequent nay hereticall schismaticall and seditious prayers as many of our ex tempore Enthusiasts deliver especially on fast-dayes with infinitie of tautologies and vain repetitions to the great scorn and scandall of our religion ARGUMENT VI. There ought to be publique prayers not only on the Lords day but on the week-dayes also upon speciall occasion in every church or congregation of the saints for prayer is the Christians dayly sacrifice from which those houses of God ought to take their denomination domus mea domus orationis vocabitur my house shall be called the house of prayer domus orationis non orationum not a house of sermons though such there to be made nor a house of sacraments though there to be administred nor a house of Psalmes though there to be sung but a house of prayer as the principall and chief and most necessarie dutie there to be performed prayer may be without the other the other cannot be without it But such prayers can be no other in most churches then set forms devised by the learned of the Clergie and approved by the State for there is not one Minister or Curate of a hundred especially in countrey villages or parochiall churches who hath any tolerable gift of conceived as they tearm them or ex tempore prayers Ergo there ought to be set forms of prayer used in publique congregations ARGUMENT VII No man prayeth as he ought who poureth not out his whole soul before God praying as well with an entire intention as affection But this a man cannot doe who maketh a prolix ex tempore prayer in a publique congregation by reason that he must at the same time both think upon what he speaketh and invent also what he is to speak in order and with good coherence unlesse he will pray absurdly and inconsequently Ergo no man prayeth as he ought who comes not with a set or premeditated form of prayer into a publique congregation ARGUMENT VIII Not to speak of sudden ejaculations which necessitie forceth or excuseth nor of prayers in extasies and raptures in which an elevated soul is rather passive then active In all ordinarie prayers which we are to offer to God in the usuall and constant course of our Ministerie we must be carefull to shun all temeritie and rashnesse and watch in prayer with all diligence The pure oyle Olive of the Sanctuarie was to be beaten by Gods appointment Exod. 27. 20. and the Virgins were to trim their lights Mat. 25. 7. before they went out to meet the Bride-groome and God himself rejected the blind and the lame for sacrifices None presumeth to put up a petition to the king which is not carefully perused before and shall we lesse reverence the King of heaven then an earthly prince But temeritie and rashnesse cannot be avoided by such who speak to God quicquid in buccam venerit and presume to deliver that in a publique assembly which they never thought on before Ergo all such ex tempore prayers ought to be forborn in publique and the set forms of the Church retained or some in stead of them composed with publique approbation Anabaptists Objections In excepting against all set or stinted â—orms of prayer aspis a vipera sumit venenum according to the Latin proverb the asp borroweth poyson from the viper that is the Anabaptists from the Brownists who may rightly be tearmed a generation of vipers because they after the manner of vipers make way to their separation or going out from the Body of their Mother the Church of England by eating and rearing her bowels Out of their own store the Anabaptists furnish themselves with arguments against all set forms of prayer in generall but they are beholding to the Brownists for all such objections as they make against the publique forms of prayer used in the Church of England in particular For the more distinct handling of the objections being somewhat of a different nature and for the ease of the reader that he may more readily find a particular and punctuall solution to any such speciall objections as most stick with him I will first propound their main arguments against set forms in generall and both answer them and retort them and then particularly scan what they seem materially to object against the service-Service-book established by law in the Church of England OBJECTIONS against set forms of Prayer in generall OBJECT 1. No worship devised by man is acceptable to God Set forms of prayer are a worship devised by man Ergo set forms of prayer are not acceptable to God ANSWER First a worship of God devised by man may be taken in a double sense either for a worship wholly devised by man without any precept or president in scripture and such a worship is not agreeable unto God but condemned in his word under the name of will-worship or for a worship in substance prescribed by God but in some circumstance manner or help thereunto devised or composed by man and such may be and is acceptable unto God as for example reading scripture is a religious act prescribed by God yet the translation of the originall into the mother-tongue divisions of the text into chapters and verses diverse readings interlinearie glosses together with the contents and fitting them to the times and seasons are from man Preaching is a worship of God yet the choyse of such a text dividing it into parts and handling the parts in such a method raysing doctrines and applying Uses from them are from man or acts wherein the Preacher maketh use of his invention art and judgement Catechizing is a dutie enjoyned by God yet to use such a form of words or method in Catechizing by questions and answers as also the dividing the Catechisme into 52. Sections answerable to the Sundayes in the year as we see in Calvins and other Catechismes is a device and invention of man In like manner prayer is a dutie enjoyned by God and a part of his substantiall worship but the set forms are devised by man yet according to generall rules prescribed in scripture Secondly not only prayer it self but even set forms of prayer have both precept and example in Gods
by divine inspiration as the originals are EXCEPT V. Fifthly they except that there are vain repetitions in the Service-book But this exception is vain not the repetitions for First that is not vain which serves to a holy end and purpose the more to stirre up our affections or imprint such prayers deeper in our memories as the reflecting of the sunne-beams is not in vain which encreaseth the heat thereof and the striking again and again upon the same nail is not in vain because it driveth it in deeper and more fasteneth it Secondly the holy scripture warranteth such repetitions for in the 136. Psalme these words for his mercie endureth for ever are 27. times repeated in the old translation but 26. according to the new and in Psalme 119. the word of God or some synonymon thereunto is repeated 175. Christ himselfe repeated that prayer Father let this cup passe from me three times Thirdly there is no prayer appointed to be often repeated save the Lords prayer which Christ himself twice delivered upon severall occasions and not only the church of England but all churches in their Liturgies have thought fit to rehearse often for it is as the salt which seasoneth all our spirituall sacrifices as the amber which sweeteneth all our dishes as the Elixar which turneth all our leaden conceptions into pure gold In the confession of our sinnes we are defective as also in the profession of our faith and in our prayers for our selvs and others and in our forms of consecration of the sacrament and therefore in all these places of the Service-book the Lords prayer is added to supply the defects thereof EXCEPT VI. Sixthly they except against the shortnesse of our prayers they say they are rather snips of prayers then prayers and that in them there may be some sparks of pietie but no flame of devotion But this exception is neither true nor just First not true for the prayers appoynted by the church to be read at solemn fasts as likewise the prayers for the whole estate of Christs church and the Morning and Evening prayers for private Families and for sundrie other purposes printed after the Psames are of as large a size as any used in any reformed churches Secondly it is not just our prayers are thereby no way disparaged for the shortest of them come nearer to the pattern of perfect prayer drawn by our Saviour then their longest In all the Bible there is no example of any verie long prayer on the contrarie Solomon commandeth us when we petition the Almightie to use few words and Christ himselfe more then once taxeth the vanitie and hypocrisie of such as mete out their devotion by the ell when you pray use not vain repetitions as the heathen do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking And Mat. 23. 14. Wo be unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye devoure widdows houses and for a pretence make long prayers In direct opposition to such he framed a prayer to himself a verie short one but most pithie and perfect and it is after this fair copie that the learned Scribes who penned our English devotions wrote well knowing that God is not wooed with varietie of of phrases but rather with sighs and groans not with enlarged thoughts but with enflamed affections as Saint Austine teacheth us The hotest spring sends forth their waters by ebullitions oratio brevis penetrat coelum In a long prayer the affection slaketh cooleth and dieth before he that prayeth is speechlesse and the vulgar sort of people are verie little benefited by these prolix and long-winded rather discourses or expostulations or exaggerations then prayers neither can they for so great a space of time hold their attention to the Preacher neither can their memorie carrie away a quarter of what is powred out before them whereas short prayers often repeated in their ears leave an impression behind them and they get them with many most profitable texts of Scripture often rehearsed in the Book of Common-Prayer by heart and if you take away from them these short cuts and shreddings of devotion as they please to nick-name them such as can neither read nor write will have nothing left to mend their wedding garment Howsoever we want not the approbation herein of the ancient churches especially the famous churches of Aegypt who had many prayers but verie short as if they were darts thrown with a suddain quicknesse lest that vigilant and erect attention of the mind which in prayer in most necessarie should be wasted or dulled through the continuance of over-long prayers EXCEPT VII Seventhly they except against the interchangeable varietie of our service-Service-Book whereas they continue a long prayer themselvs without any interruption the people only sealing all in the end with their Amen But according to the Rubrick and practice of the church in most congregations in reading the Psalmes and other parts of the Service the Minister and people answer one another by course and turns sometimes he darts outâ—a short ejaculation as sursum corda lift up your hearts they answer him with habemus ad Dominum we lift them up unto the Lord when he singeth one verse in a Psalme they chant out another when he prayeth for them the Lord be with you they require him with a like prayer and with thy spirit And what hurt or incongruitie is in this it is a religious seconding one the other in their devotion and stirring up the intention of the people It is as it were the laying gloing coals one upon another which presently kindle one the other and make the flame the greater And though now this be an eye-sore to some in our Common-Prayer-Book yet the ancients esteemed it no blemish but a beautie in their Liturgies For Saint Ambrose maketh mention of such a custome in Millain Platina in Rome Basil throughout all Greece and Plinie the younger among the first Christians in Trajans time within a hundred years after Christs death These Christians saith he before day sing Hymns alteratìm by turns or catches to one Christ whom they esteem a God And yet we may fetch this practice higher even from a quire of Angells in heaven for so we read Esay the 6. 3. And the Seraphims cryed one to another holy holy holy EXCEPT VIII Their last exception and greatest spleen is at the Letanie one of the choicest pieces in all the Service-Book wherein we offer up the sweetest incense of most fervent prayers and fragrant meditations to God And the Brownists their taking offence at it sheweth them to be of the nature of the Vultures who as Aristotle writeth are killed with the oyl of Roses or rather like swine who as Plinie informeth us cannot live in some parts of Arbia by reason the sweet sent of aromaticall trees there growing in everie wood Against this therefore they thunder out a volley of objections in the Letanie say they
the Consull and the Prophet A Censure of a Book printed Anno 1644. Intituled The confession of faith of those Churches which are commonly though falsely called ANABAPTISTS PLiny writeth that if the black humour of the Cuttell-fish be mingled with oyl in a Lampe the visages of all in the room though never so faire and beautifull will seem ugly and of the hieu of Blackamores so the Proctors for our Anabaptists would beare us in hand that all who of late have preached and written against that Sect through the black humor of malice tanquaÌ„ Sepiae atramâ—nto make it appear much more deformed and odious then it is for if we give credit to this confession and the preface thereof those who among us are branded with that title are neither Hereticks nor Scismaticks but tender hearted Christians upon whom through false suggestions the hand of Authority fell heavy whilest the Hierarchie stood for they neither teach free will nor falling away from grace with the Arminians nor deny originall sinne with the Pelagians nor disclaime Magistracie with the Jesuits nor maintaine pluralitie of wives with the Polygamists nor communitie of goods with the Apostolici nor going naked with the Adamites much lesse averre the mortalitie of the soul with Epicures and Psychopannychists and to this purpose they have published this confession of their Faith subscribed by fifteen persons in the name of seven Churches in London Of which I may truely say as Saint Hilarie doth of that of the Arrians they offer to the unlearned their faire cup full of venome annointing the brim with the honey of sweet and holy words they thrust in store of true positions that together with them they may juggle in the venome of their falshood they cover a little ratsbane in a great quantity of sugar that it may not be discerned For among the fifty three Articles of their confession there are not above six but may passe with a faire construction and in those six none of the foulest and most odious positions wherewith that Sect is aspersed are expressed What then are all that have imployed their tongue and pen against them heretofore no better then calumniators and false accusers of their brethren nothing lesse for besides the testimonies of Melancthon Bullinger Sleiden Gastius Pontanus Guidebres others who lived among them by the harmonie of all the Protestant Churches confessions it appears that the masters of our Anabaptists Ring-leaders of that sect in Switzerland Suevia Franconia Munster Saxonie and the Low Countries held such erroneous tenets as are above mentioned and if their Scholars in England have learned no such doctrines from them it is because they are punies in their School and have not taken any Lesson in the upper forms they have but sipt of the cup I spake before of the divell holds them but by the heel only as Thetis did Achilles when she dipt him in the sea We read in Diodorus Siculus of certain creatures about the shores of Nilus not fully formed and in a Stone-cutters shop we see here the head of a man there all the upper parts carved in a third place the perfect statue so it seems to me that these Anabaptists are but in fieri as the Schooles speak not in facto esse like the fish and Serpents in the mud of Nilus not fully shaped like a statue in the Stone-cutters shop not finished they are Anabaptists but in part not in whole Be it so for I desire to make them rather better then worse then they are I will therefore lay nothing to them but that they owne nor bring any other evidence against them then this their confession In which I except First against those words in the thirty one Article Whatsoever the Saints any of them doe possesse or enjoy of God in this life is by Faith This passage savours ranke of that errour or heresie call it which you please imputed to Armacanus who is said to have taught that the right of all possessions and goods or temporall blessings is founded in grace not in nature and that we hold them by no legall tenure but Evangelicall promises and true it is that none but the faithfull hold in capite nor have any but true beleevers a comfortable and sanctified use of the creatures and a spirituall title to them but yet it cannot be denied that they may have and many have actually a legall title to them and civill interest in them even before they are in Christ or adopted into his family by actuall Faith for if it were otherwise Esau should have had no right to mount Seir nor Nebuchadnezzar to Tyre which yet the text saith God bestowed upon them nay if this position may take place no childe shall have any right to his fathers inheritance nor Prince newly borne to his Crowne which is not only an absurd but a very dangerous and seditious assertion None of the foure great Monarchs of the world represented in Daniels vision for ought can be proved were true beleevers though some of them did some outward acts of pietie and afforded some reall courtesies to the people of God yet of these Kingdomes the Prophet speaking saith that the most High ruleth in them and giveth them to whomsoever he will and Saint Augstine is bold to say that the same God who set the Crowne upon Constantine the Christians head gave the Empire of the world to Iulian the Apostata Nay Christ himselfe paid tribute to Caesar and acknowledged that he had a right to the tribute money saying Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars Yet that Caesar he spake of was Tiberius an enemy to all godlinesse and a kind of monster among men Secondly I except against those words in the 38. Article that the due maintenance of the officers aforesaid should be the free and voluntary communication of the Church and not by constraint to be compelled from the people by aforced Law These words may carry a double sense if their meaning be that all Religious Christians ought freely to contribute to the maintenance of the ministery should not need any law to inforce them we embrace their good affection to the Church and Churchmen but if their meaning be that the maintenance ought to depend upon the voluntary contribution of their parishioners and that in case the flock should deny their Shepherds either part of their milke or fleece that the Pastours should have no assistance of Law to recover them this their opinion is most impious and sacrilegious and directly repugnant to the Law of God which assigneth tithes for the maintenance of the Priests and that Law of God in the old Testament is not abrogated in the new but rather confirmed at least in the equitie thereof for Christ speaking of tithing mint and cummin saith those things ye ought to do and not leave these things undone and the Apostle proveth that the ministers of the Gospel ought to live