to be believed for necessity of Salvation But the Statute doth require belief of every one of these Articles when it enjoyns not only subscription but an assent unto them punishing all with Deprivation that shall affirm and maintain any Doctrine repugnant to them which every man must do if they be found contrariant to the Word or he must be false to God 4. If subscription to these or any other Articles be still continued How can any just liberty be granted to tender Consciences But that they must swallow all that is enjoyned although beside yea contrary to the Word or be persecuted and ruined Thus much of the Doubtfulness of the Articles and of the inconvenience and mischief of subscribing them Which inconvenience and mischief will be greater if we should be tyed to those Articles alone though never so sound as shall now appear in the Defectiveness of them 2. The Articles are Defective Because 1. The sixth Article speaking of the Holy Scripture saith In the name of the holy Scripture we do understand those Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament of whose Authority there was never any doubt in the Church Nevertheless albeit it enumerate the Canonical Books of the Old Testament yea and all the Apocrypha too yet it nameth not any of the New Testament but only concludeth thus All the Books of the New Testament as they are commonly received we do receive and account Canonical Now it being not unknown that there hath been doubts in the Church of some of them insomuch as the Epistle of St. James the second Epistle of St. Peter and several other books and passages in the New Testament have been not only doubted but refused the Article is defective in the not enumerating all the Books of the New Testament 2. There are no Articles for discovering and condemning sundry points of Popery in Doctrine which being first the Tenets of Arminius the first Protestant Writer that was not a professed Lutheran that ever openly maintained them are too commonly suckt in and cryed up by some as the Doctrine of the Church of England which since the Reformation never own'd them but are all maintained by Bellarmine and generally by all Franciscans and Jesuites but confuted by all approved Writers of the Protestant Reformed party that have written against Bellarmine and others of that crew as likewise by the learned Whitgift Whitaker Junius Zanchius Pareus Chamier Dr. Prideaux and many others The learned King James also took so much notice of and distaste at those Arminian-Popish Opinions touching Predestination abused universal Redemption universal Grace the manner of conversion and falling from grace that his Majesty was the chief procurer and promoter of the late Synode of Dort to which he sent Bishop Carlton Dr. Davenant Dr. Hall afterwards Bishops Dr. Goad and Dr. Balcanqual to assist in that Synode whose judgements touching all those points were given in to the said Council subscribed with their hands and afterwards printed and published Agreeable whereunto in the main hath the late Assembly of Divines sitting at Westminster declared their judgements in the Confession of Faith afterwards ratified by both Houses of the late Long Parliment for which reason is that Assembly so much slighted reviled and opposed 3. Those Articles contain nothing of the Creation of Providence Fall of man of Sin of the Punishment of sin of Gods Covenants Effectual Calling Adoption Sanctification Faith Repentance Perseverance of the Law of God Christian liberty and Liberty of conscience Religious Worship of the Sabbath or Lords day of Marriage and Divorce the Communion of Saints Church-government and Discipline of the Resurrection or of the last Judgement all which the Scripture teacheth and that as necessary as appears by the comprizing most of them in the Apostles Creed and therefore necessary to be explained and held forth unto all as the Doctrine of this Church especially considering the differences and Controversies about many of them Upon this reason it was that the late Assembly of Divines have taken so much pains to compose several Articles which they call Chapters wherein both those of the 39 Articles which are held to be indeed fit to be retained are more fully cleared and explained and the rest added with pertinent proofs of Scripture to make it manifest that they are all evidently grounded upon the Word of God But all proofs are wanting in the 39 Articles no text of Scripture being produced to make cut any one of them II. Of WORSHIP THe Form of Publick Worship in England except Preaching is set down in the Liturgy or Book of Common-Prayer established by Law in 1 Eliz. 2. intituled An Act for the Vniformity of Common-Prayer and Service in the Church and the Administration of the Sacraments This Act repealeth another made in 1 Mar. 2. which had repealed a former Statute made in 5.6 Edw. 6. for the Vniformity of Common-Prayer c. and re-established that Common-Prayer-Book which the said last mentioned Act of Edw. 6. had ratified and confirmed But yet the Act of 1 Eliz. which authorizeth and enjoyneth the use of that Book of 5.6 Edw. 6. doth it with allowance of one alteration or addition of certain Lessons to be used on every Sunday in the year and the form of the Letany altered and corrected and two sentences onely added in the delivery of the Sacrament to the Communicants but none other or otherwise Now it is here to be observed that in the Act of 5.6 Edw. 6. for confirming that Book it is said that The Kings most Excellent Majesty with th' assent of the Lords and Commons in that Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same had caused the aforesaid Order of common service intituled The Book of Common-Prayer to be faithfully and godly perused explained and made fully perfect and by the foresaid Authority annexed and enjoyned it so explained and perfected to that present Statute So that the same was enrolled together with the Act it self Which being repealed by Queen Mary the Original Book was taken off from the Parliament-Roll and so lost But in the Act of 1 Eliz. 2. there is no mention at all of joyning the Book then revived and re-confirmed to the said Act nor doth it appear that ever it was again enrolled whereby by having recourse to any Record or Parliament-Roll it may be proved that that Book of Common-Prayer printed in the year 1559. the first of Qâ—een Eliz. is confirmed by Law or that any man is bound to use it as the onely form now established by Parliament or to be punished for not using it at all And albeit the Act of 1 Eliz. Quere therefore whether he that either useth them not or useth other be punishaable taketh notice of some alterations above mentioned to be made in the Book then ratified yet it doth not name nor express what those alterations were So that all men are lest in a blind touching the same if put to prove that those
satisfying their carnal and fleshly lusts but to have many children because every one of them hoped and begged oft-times of God in their Prayers that that blessed seed which God promised should come into the world to break the Serpents head might come and be born of his stock and kindred As if all did not know out of what Tribe Christ was to issue Par. 2. Hom. 2. of Alms pag. 160. The same lesson doth the Holy Ghost teach us in sundry places of the Scripture saying Mercifulness and alms-giving purgeth from all sins delivereth from death and suffereth not the soul to come into darkness For this is alledged Tob. 4. ver 10. Then there is added The wise Preacher the son of Sirach confirmeth the same when he saith That as water quencheth burningfire even so mercy and alms resisteth and reconcileth sins Excellent sense For this Ecclus. 5. is quoted in the margent But it is cap. 3.30 where the words in the New Translation are Alms maketh an atonement for sins Of which words however a charitable construction may be wyre-drawn yet those expressions the same lesson doth the Holy Ghost teach us in sundry places of the Scripture evidently admit of these two gross Errours 1. That the Book of Tobit is to be taken for Holy Scripture 2. That it was indited by the Holy Ghost The former of these is contrary to Art 6. in which only the Canonical Books there named are owned for the Scripture of the Old Testament And that of Tobit is there numbred among the Apoeryphals which the Article saith out of Hierom the Church doth not apply to establish Doctrine yet this Homily applies these Apocryphal passages to confirm the Doctrine of Alms deeds And as touching the Holy Ghosts teaching of this in those places alledged out of Tobit and Siracides this is denyed by all who receive not those Books as Canonical Take but one witness instead of many King James who in his Book directed to his Eldest son and called Basilicon Doren having spoken to him of reading of the Holy Scriptures saith thus As to the Apocrypha Books I omit them because I am no Papist and indeed some of them are no way like the ditement of the Spirit of God 6. That by the 37th Article as it is still printed and may not be altered where it is said The Queens Majesty hath the chief power in the Realm of England c. meaning Queen Elizabeth who is after named therein all Ministers are bound to read those very words unto this day and may not say The Kings Majesty hath the chief power for the Articles must be read every word of them as they are printed with the Kings Declaration before them or the Minister must be deprived if he alter any word or shall not take it in the sense of the very Letter of it And if he keep not to all the very words of the Articles who can swear that he did read them after his Induction if put unto it 7. That by this means we shall have no setled or fixed Doctrine of the Church of England at all if so often as the Bishops and Clergy in Convocation shall obtain License to deliberate of all such things as they shall think fit to explain and shall obtain thereto the Royal Assent they may put what sense they please upon the Doctrine established which by the Declaration prefixed to the Articles is promised to be from time to time granted unto them If it be said There is an easie Cure for all this The Declaration before the 39 Articles was never confirmed by any Act of Parliament nor is now in force or if it be it is but the taking of that away and causing the Books to be printed without it So will the subscribers to the Articles be at as much liberty as by the Act of 13 Eliz. was allowed them To this it is Answered that this will signifie nothing if Ministers be still tyed to subscription For 1. It hath been already declared yea adjudged that by that Statute there is no liberty for any man to subscribe the Articles with any limitation or explication if any credit be given to Sir Edward Cook who saith * Instit 4.47 p. 324. edit 1658. that he hath heard Wray chief Justice in the Kings Bench Pasch 23 Eliz. quoting Dier 23 Eliz. 377. lib. 6. fol. 69. Grenes Case Smiths Case report that where one Smith subscribed to the said 39 Articles of Religion with this addition so far forth as the same were agreeable to the Word of God that it was resolved by him and all the Judges of England that this subscription was not according to the Statute of 13 Eliz. Because the Statute required an absolute subscription and this subscription made it conditional and that this Act was made for avoiding diversities of opinions c. And by this Addition the party might by his own private opinion take some of them to be against the Word of God and by this means diversities of opinions should not be avoided which was the scope of the Statute and the very Act it self made touching subscription hereby of none effect Thus He. 2. This shews a necessity of repealing that branch of the Act so far as it concerneth subscription because 1. if we may not subscribe with such an addition so far forth as the same Articles are agreeable to Gods Word it must needs be granted that the Composers of them are admitted to be infallible and their Articles of equal Authority with Canonical Scripture or else that the Statute intended to tyrannize over the Consciences of men which is not to be imagined 2. There is no more necessity for Ministers to subscribe those Articles which that Act confirmes then there is for others to subscribe to all other Acts of Parliament which do concern them If an Act once confirm and ratifie a thing under a penalty it will take place and keep all in as much obedience as if all the Subscriptions in the world were made to it It is not particular Subscriptions but publique Legislative Authority that makes it a binding Law 3. This Subscription is for the most part required of men while they be young and have not time or solidity throughly to ponder and weigh all the Articles in the balance of the Sanctuary or in the scaies of the Laws so that hereby they are cast into a snare ere they be aware and by their own inconsiderate and rash act bound as men are apt to make them believe if they afterwards upon never so just grounds begin to hesitate to maintain every of those Articles although contrary to the Word of God which is expresly contrary to the very Letter of the 20th Article which saith It is not lawful to ordain any thing that is contrary to Gods Word written And afterwards As it ought not to decree any thing against the same that is the Word so beside the same ought it not to enforce any thing
Annunciat None yet on Mar. 25. which is the day Josh 21. Josh 22. Ecclus. 2. Eccl. 3. On St. Mark None yet on Apr. 25 which is the day 2 Sam. 3. 2 Sam. 4. Ecclus 4. Ecclus. 5. On St. Barnaby None 't is no holy-day Yet on June 11. Hest 3. Hest 4. Eccl. 10. Eccl. 12. On St. Peter None yet on Jun. 29. which is the day Job 31. Job 32. Eccl. 15. Eccl. 19. On St. James None yet on July 25. which is the day Eccles 10. Eccles 1â— Eccl. 21. Eccl. 23. On St. Barthol None yet on Aug. 24. which is the day Ezek. 3. Ezek. 6. Eccl. 25. Eccl. 29. On St. Matthew None yet on Sept. 21. which is the day Mic. 7. Naum 1. Eccl. 35. Eccl. 38. On St. Mich. None yet on Sept. 29. which is the day Zech. 7. Zech. 8. Eccl. 39. Eccl. 44. Can we think there could ever have been so much boldness in those that printed the Common-Prayer-Book in 1 Eliz. to make so many alterations in that very year wherein the Act of Eliz. passed for confirmation of that in 5.6 Edw. 6. which admits not of one of them if that Book which hath been followed ever since printed in 1 Eliz. were the very Book then re-established And is not every Minister which readeth those Apocryphals on the days aforesaid punishable if he persisteth therein by the Act of 1. Eliz. 2 And here let it be noted that albeit there be sundry whole Canonical Books left out and no less then 188. Chapters of the Old Testament not read at all yet of the Apocrypha which contains but 173 Chapters there are read 121 Chapters by the Kalendar of 5.6 Edw. 6. as well as the Kalendars of later date Whereas St. Hierom in his directions for reading the Scriptures in private by an holy woman gives warning Caveat omnia Apocrypha Let her beware of all the Apocrypha Which is not unlike to that of King James to his Son who by saying I omit them because I am no Papist declares plainly that such husks were first cast before the Church by Popery and is fit food for none but doting Papists No more is that Kalendar of 5.6 Edw. 6. from Octob. 5. to Novemb. 28. wherein very few Canonical Chapters are appointed to be read We shall now offer one Observation out of the late compiled Liturgy for Scotland which is this that however so many Apocryphal Chapters still stand in our Liturgies in all the Kalendar for Scotland there are but 12. Apocryphals to be read in their Churches which yet they would not endure this shews plainly that our great zealous Masters who gave order for the Composing of that Book had somewhat upon their Consciences that rounded them in the ear against the continuing so many Apocryphals in ours especially considering that some of them have been reputed but Fables as namely the Book of Judith the History of Susanna c. acted first in Interludes or Plays And some of the Chapters contain meer delusions and lyes yet even those very Chapters are appointed to be read in our Churches To make this last out take notice of somewhat observed before out of the second Homily of Alms-deeds which quoteth Tobit 4. and Eccluâ— 5. both being appointed to be read the one Octob. 6. the other Octob. 30. which I here pass over In Tobit 3. appointed by the Kalendar of 5.6 Edw. 6. to be read Octob. 6. where mention is made ver 8. that Sarah the daughter of Raguel had been marryed to seven husbands whom Asmodeus the evil spirit had killed before they had lien with her a likely matter Yet was she reproached by her own Fathers maids that she had strangled them all In Tobit 3. ordered to be read Octob. 9. ver 9. it is said Alms doth deliver from death and shall purge away all sin What need then the bloud of Christ And in ver 15. one Raphael telleth Tobit thus I am Raphael one of the seven holy Angels which present the prayers of the Saints and which go in and out before the glory of the holy One. Whereas none but the Angel of the Covenant now at the right hand of God to make intercession for the Saints do present their prayers Revel 8.3 This Raphael was far from being one of the Angels that go in and out before the glory of the holy one for he was a lying either man or spirit This was he that was hired by Tobias son to Tobit to shew him the way to Rages and being asked by Tobit himself of what Tribe he was answered I am Azarias the son of Ananias the great and of thy brethren Tob. 5.12 Now you find him in two tales to the same man in one of which he must needs lye They that desire to read more of his pranks may read that Book of Tobit and particularly Chap. 6. where he taught Tobias how to chase away the Devil by taking the heart the liver and gall of a fish and thereof to make a smoak which when the Devil who was said to be in love with Sarah before named and therefore in the Marriage-Chamber had killed those seven husbands before mentioned who had marryed her should smell he should flee away and never come again any more And are not these gallant Chapters to be read in Churches yet our Kalendar appointeth them to be read viz. Tob. 5. and 6. on Octob. 7. So likewise Judith cap. 9. appointed to be read Octob. 16. tells a story of a prayer which her self made to God when she had it in design to cut off Holofernes head in which prayer she takes notice of father Simeon who with Levi slew the Shechemites for deflouring their sisters Gen. 34. and tells God concerning the Shechemites ver 4. Thou hast given their wives for a prey and their daughters to be captives and all their spoils to be divided among thy dear children which were moved with thy zeal and abhorred the pollution of their bloud and called upon thee for aid c. Can we think this pious Amazon had ever read Jacobs censure of that fact of Simeon and Levi and his curse upon it Gen. 49.5 6 7. even while he was blessing the rest of his Sons except incestuous Reuben at the very point of death Simeon and Levi are brethren instruments of cruelty are in their habitations O my soul come not thou into their secret unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united for in their anger they slew a man and in their self-will they digg'd down a wall Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel The rest of her prayer is conformable to this Therefore she prayeth ver 10. in reference to Holofernes and his men smite by the deceit of my lips for she meant to destroy him by lying the servant with the prince and the prince with his servant c. And in ver 13. Make my
speech and deceit to be their wound and stripe c. Was not this a brave resolution a pious petition to tell a lye for God We forbear more instances because we delight not to scrape in such Dung-hills We have done with the Kalendar II. Of the RUBRICKS RVbricks are Directions given in the Common-Prayer-Book how to officiate and read the said Book in the several parts thereof And they are called Rubricks because anciently printed in Red Letters and are as much established by Law as any other part of the Book of Common-Prayer it self I shall instance onely in some of them not medling with those before noted in the inserted Paper of Differences 1. There are many Rubricks wherein the Minister is called Priest which is the old Stile and Title in the mass-Mass-Book from whence it was taken We never finde it in the New Testament but onely in the Old which Title was then given to such of the Levites as were made Priests to sacrifice at the Altar And thence the Papists borrowed that name for their Popish Sacrificers at their Altars It is now then a meer Superstitious and Antichristian Name no way warranted by the Word of God in the Pontifician Sense yet is it used above fifty times in our Liturgy It is true one seeks to excuse it by saying Use hath made this so Popular as it is not safe to remove it yet confesseth it may be altered without prejudice to Religion But why may not the Word Priest be taken away and the word Minister put in the room The Name of Minister is not unknown yea it is as often used in the Rubricks of the same Book as the name Priest Therefore it may without the least danger or offence be wholly obliterated Hence it is that in the Scots Liturgy it is wholly omitted and Presbyter put into the room thereof Whereas this is a more strange and unknown name being borrowed from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was never used to signifie a Priest but an Elder and thence borrowed to denote a Minister as all the Learned know and none but Papists use the word Priest unless Scoffers at Ministers whom in scorn and derision they call and nick-name Priests 2. In the fifth Rubrick of the Order for reading of the holy Scripture it is said That the Collect Epistle and Gospel appointed for the Sunday shall serve all the week after except there fall some Feast that hath his proper By vertue of this these in Cathedrals were read every day albeit they had no Communions But another Rubrick prefixed to the Epistles and Gospels runs thus The Collects Epistles and Gospels to be used at the celebration of the Lords Supper and holy Communion throughout the year These therefore were never intended to be read but when there is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper administred This was anciently administred every day in the Church of England and so to be used still at least in Cathedrals as appears by the Rubrick after the first Exhortation at the Communion If then upon any reasonable cause there be no Communion there ought at that time to be no Epistle and Gospel read If there be any read it is without warrant So that these two Rubricks fight and which to follow is uncertain And indeed they are both but blind guides that lead into the ditch and make a man obnoxious to the Law 3. The Rubrick before the general Confession at the Communion runs thus Then shall this general Confession be made in the name of all those that are to receive the holy Communion either by one of them or else by one of the Ministers This gives liberty to Lay or private men to officiate in part at least as to this Confession which is a branch of the Office peculiar to the Minister to be the mouth of the people unto God in Prayer especially in the Administration of the Sacraments in the Congregation What is this but to admit a private person to assist and bear a share in administring the Lords Supper Is not this to hit against the 17 Article of Religion which declares it to be unlawful to any but such as be lawfully called and sent to wit Ministers duly ordained In all other parts of the Liturgy all Confessions and Prayers are expresly put upon the Minister alone at least to begin and lead the Congregation therein 4. In the Rubricks before the proper Prefaces at the Communion it is said that upon Christmas day and seven days after upon Easter-day and seven days after upon the Ascention-day and seven days after upon Whitson-day and six days after the same several Prefaces appointed for each of these solemn days shall be read as if every of the seven days following were one and the same with the first and what was done on the first day was done over again every one of the following days which yet was never done but once and but upon one day at all and perhaps upon neither of those days on which it is said there to be done But of this more when we come to speak of the Body of the Book 5. The last Rubrick after the Communion saith Note that every Parishioner shall communicate at the least three times in the year of which Easter to be one and shall also receive the Sacraments and other rites c. But the first Exhortation before the Communion to be used when the people are negligent to come unto it requireth the Minister to say unto the whole Congregation I bid you all that be here present and beseech you for the Lord Jesus Christs sake that ye will not refuse to come thereto being so lovingly called and bidden of God himself Yet the aforesaid Rubrick seems to dispense with Gods own Invitation How rightly let all sober men consider And if thrice communicating will suffice contrary to the Primitive Practise which was for all to Communicate at every solemn meeting why must Easter be one of the three times more then any other Lords Day seeing every Lords Day is celebrated upon the same account that that called Easter-day is viz. in memory of the Resurrection of our Lord But where it is added in that Rubrick He shall also receive the Sacraments and other rites c. this is no other but non-sense or worse For what Sacraments else are there for a Communicant of the Lords Supper to receive Is Baptism to be reiterated are the Popish Sacraments to be recalled And if they were must every Parishioner receive them and that thrice a year And what are the Rites he must receive Be they Ceremonies Humane Inventions Superstitious antique Crossings duckings bowing to the Altar towards the East to Images c If so where are these or any of these enjoyned And if not enjoyned why must they be all received thrice a year or at all But of this more hereafter 6. The last Rubrick before the Catechism in order to Confirmation concludeth thus And that no man shall
to be sinners Accordingly he took three Verses out of Psal 14. one out of Psal 140. another out of Psal 10. another out of Isa 59. All which the Old Translators unadvisedly thrust into the 14. Psalm as parts of that one Scripture I forbear to mention other Psalms wherein sometimes words sometimes whole verses are left out and much of the rest is very improperly and impertinently translated which in the Leiturgy provided for Scotland was redressed yet the Book for sundry other defects impertinencies and redundances was refused This makes sport for Papists and Atheists to find how much our Translations publickly used do enterfere and jar and how corrupt some of them be Thus of the differences between the old Common-prayer-books confirmed by Law and the present Common-prayer-books so much magnified and adored not only by the common sort but by too many of those who pretend to learning and skill in the Publike Offices of the Church of England but abuse the people yea Magistracy and God himself therein For still the Preface of the Book runs thus That nothing is enjoyned to be read but that which is the pure word of God or that which is evidently grounded thereupon which as our bold Masters have ordered the matter is false and a meer cheat put upon the people of God Having thus given a taste of the Differences between the Old and New Books I hold it needful to shew how unsafe it might be hereupon to conclude no more but this Then let the present Book of Common-prayer be compared with the old that was established and be reformed by it For even in the Book that was established by Parliament there are sundry incongruous and uncomely expressions unwarrantable passages and some gross mistakes of the Scripture it self especially in the Translations of the Epistles and Gospels Which Translation used in the Book of Common-prayer is as antient as the 35. of Hen. 8. and used first in private Primmars being translated out of the Mass books and other Offices of the Romish Church for want of a better Translation in the Reign of Edward the sixth For Example Gâ—sp The old Translation on 2 Sund. after Epiph. When men be drunk But in the new When men have well drunk Epist Indeed Dr. Prideaux saith all these are amended in the Kings New Transtation of the Bible But what is this to the Service-book in which these corrupt passages are still printed and pressed to be read in Divine Service on 4 Sund. in Lent Mount Sinai is Agar in Arabia and hordereth upon the City which is now called Jerusalem a gross mistake both of Scripture and Topography The new Translation therefore renders it thus This Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Hierusalem which now is He saith not Mount Sinai is Agar for that is not so But Hagar is mount Sinai that is a representation or figure of it Nor doth the Apostle say that mount Sinai in Arabia bordered upon Hierusalem For that is false Arabia being many hundred miles distant from Hierusalem And the Mount whereof St. Paul speaks was a type of it not bordering on it Epist on Palm-Sunday He was found in his apparel as a man In the new He was found in fashion as a man The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imports not apparel but the form or figure which includeth the real substance and true nature of the thing whereof it is a form Epist on 16 Sun after Trin. Which is Father of all that is called father in heaven and in earth Then the Father must needs be Father to himself The new Translation therefore renders it Of whom the whole family of heaven and earth is named So the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Much more might be added not only against the present unestablished Leiturgy but against that which was confirmed But this shall suffice For my intention neither is nor ever was to destroy or cast off all Forms but only to shew some grounds of exception against this And seeing this is so much cried up that the most place all their Devotion and Religion in it and come little short of the Israelites in abusing of the brazen Serpent which by Gods own command was erected in the Wilderness Authority may consider whether it be not honourable safe and necessary to deal with both Books as Hezekiah did with that Idolized Serpent and carefully to provide a better in the room as that good King did in reforming the whole Publick Service of God there being now far better means and fairer opportunities of so doing than in the times of compiling the Antient Leiturgy by those Reverend and Renowned Bishops and Matyrs that did compose it ROM 10.22 Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth Having reprinted the foregoing Sheet we must now go on in the same Order and Method as was before promised to observe some more incongruous and unworthy passages all which call for a New Form of Liturgy in the rest of the Kalendar Rubricks and Body of the Book it self I. In the KALENDAR THe Kalendar is either that which appoints Proper Lessons for Sundays and Holy-days to speak in the Common-prayer-book Language or that which in each Month sheweth what Chapters are to be daily read on week-days according to the days of the month and is prefixed in all Editions to the Book it self In the Proper Lessons appointed for Holy-days The Kalendar of 5.6 Edw. 6. omitteth proper Lessons for the Conversion of Paul because that was then no Holy-day but abrogated by the Act of 5.6 Edw. 6. ca. 3. Therefore in the Common Kalendar then established the first Lessons for that day being Jan. 25. as being a Common-day of the Week were Gen. 46. and Gen. 47. But in the Book of 1 Eliz. these two Chapters are laid by and Wisd 5 and 6. put in the room This however toucht upon in the printed Sheet is here again taken notice of to shew by this among other arguments that the Book then printed was not confirmed by 1. Eliz. 2. because that Act admits of no alterations of Lessons on Holy-days or other days save only on Sundays Yet is this also thrust into the New Scotish Leiturgy and that day made an Holy-day again And whereas in all the proper Lessons for Holy-days in 5.6 Edw. 6. only All Saints day had for those Lessons Wisd 3 and 5. and all other Holy-day Lessons were Lessons out of the Canonical Books the Kalendar of 1 Eliz. hath appointed 20. more Apocryphal Chapters for Holy-days and thrust out so many Canonical Chapters that by the Kalendar of 5.6 Edw. 6. were appointed for those very days as for instance  Kalendar 5.6 Edw. Kal. of 1 Eliz. On the Purification None yet on Feb. 1 which is the Day Exod. 12. Exod. 13. Wisd 9. Wisd 12. On St. Mathias None yet on Feb. 25. which is the Day Numb 33. Numb 34. Wisd 19. Ecclus. 3. On the
four other learned and grave Persons Masters of Art at the least and allowed for publique Preachers What Law for confining Ordination to four times a year If there be a Law do Bishops now observe it Is it not usual to ordain in other mens Diocesses which they can no more legally do then a Sheriff execute his Office when he is out of his County How often do Deans and Prebendaries assist at Ordinations And why must all other Assistants be Masters of Arts at least What Law or Rule for any of these things unless for being Assistants to and Co-ordainers with the Bishop which this Canon doth tacitely deny when it saith such and such shall be present but not a word of their Laying on of Hands according to the Book of Ordination And whereas by the 36th Canon Subscription is enjoyned to the Books of Common-prayer and of Ordination not only upon all Ordinations and Institutions to Benefices c. which by Can. 37. is required also of all Lecturers Catechists Readers yea by Can. 77. of all School-masters too unless to the last clause of Art 2. touching using the book of Common-prayer whereas the Statute of 13. Eliz. 12. requires no subscription but to the 39. Articles nor that save only of such as are to be instituted to a Benefice not at Ordination or at taking Licenses to Preach only The 38th Canon touching Revolters after Subscription hath been spoken to before The 40th Canon enjoyning an Oath against Simony is necessary yet against Law and particularly against the Petition of Right This therefore we say no more of but humbly pray such an Oath may be imposed by Law But whereas the 49th Canon prohibiteth Ministers not to expound Scripture c. if not Licensed by the Bishop this is expresly contrary to Law 8. Eliz. 1. which confirmeth the Book of Ordination in and by which every one ordained a Presbyter hath the Bible delivered into his hand by the Bishop with these Words Take thou Authority to preach the Word of God c. Yet must every such ordained Minister be compelled to be at the charge of taking out a further License from the same Bishop at the same time to preach in the same place or else not to perform that duty which he promised solemnly to the Bishop and by him was authorized to perform at his Ordination Nor may any Ministers be suffered by the 51. Canon to preach in any other Church without shewing such License although otherwise well known to be sufficiently authorized thereunto And whereas the 62. Canon alloweth Ministers to celebrate Matrimony between other persons without asking the Bannes in Churches if he have a License for doing of it from the Bishop Archdeacon or their Officicals this is expresly contradictory to the Book of Common-prayer Rubrick 1. before the form of Matrimony and so contrary to Law of 1. Eliz. 2. if that Book be confirmed thereby There be sundry other Exceptions justly to be taken to the Book of Canons as namely to such Ecclesiastical Offices besides Bishops and Presbyters as be admitted to bear a share in Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction albeit they be Lay-men while yet they abominate Lay-Elders in the Presbyterian Government beside many other all which we at present forbear not as approving of them but as hoping for a Reformation of that as well as of other things We therefore shall now only with all humility propound a few Queries very necessary as we conceive to be seriously considered 1 Quere Whether if there be any thing of substance altered in or added to the Articles of Religion or Books of Common-Prayer or Ordination and those Alterations or Additions not expresly mentioned and confirmed by Parliament this doth not make those Books to be void in Law if pleaded at Law The Grounds of this Quere are the Acts of 13. Eliz. 12. as touching the Articles that of 1. Eliz. 2. as to the Book of Common-prayer and the Statute of Eliz. 8.1 and of 5.6 Edw. 6.1 as to Ordination Which last named Act saith that the Books therein mentioned were annexed to the said Statute yet are they not to be found inrolled therewith no more is the other Book of Articles in 13. Eliz. inrolled with that Act. 2 Quere Whether the Statutes which are said to confirm any of the things named in the former Quere mentioning only the Titles but not reciting the matter of the Books themselves do make those Books or the things contained in them which have been several times altered although never so much as said to be inrolled nor found so to be do make those things to be established and good in Law because now commonly reputed received and generally used as ratified by Law The Ground of this Quere is that clause in 1. Eliz. 2. which after mentioning some Alterations but not particularly naming them in the Common-prayer-book prohibiteth all other Alterations saying And none other or otherwise 3 Quere If any man be indited or sued at Law upon the Statute of 1. Eliz. 2. for not reading of or coming to hear the Book of Common-prayer or upon the Stat. of 13. Eliz. 12. for not reading the Articles of 1562 and the Defendant plead Not guilty and deny these Books to be those confirmed by those Laws till the Plaintiff prove them to be of Record whether is not the Plaintiff bound to prove that and in the mean time the Defendant not punishable by those Statutes The Grounds of this Quere are first that there are no Records of these to be found secondly the Books have been several times altered since those Acts and thirdly many punished upon the said Acts because those Books have been generally received and used as established by Law 4 Quere Whether notwithstanding the Royal Licence before and Assent after any Canons made in Convocation be valid in Law before they be ratified by Act of Parliament as the Service-book and Articles of Religion were said to be and whether by consequent the Canons of 1603. be now binding The grounds hereof are first that all other Constitutions are or are reputed to be ratified in Parliament Secondly the Statute of 1. Eliz. 2. which gives power to the Queen her Heirs and Successours to grant Licence to Commissioners Bishops and others to exercise Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction when it speaks of withdrawing or altering any Rites and Ceremonies or adding new the power is there given to the Queen alone without mention of Heirs and Successours And when any thing is ordered or authorized by the King although under the Great Seal yet the enforcing thereof before ratification by Parliament is held to be contrary to the Petition of Right We shall now close up all with this humble Advertisement that whereas it is pleaded by some that Liturgies and among them the substance of ours are ancienter then the Popish Mass-Books by many hundreds of years whence they infer the weakness and folly of their Objections who say that all or most or any of the things contained in our Service-Book are taken out of the Mass-Book and so are Popish and upon that account would have them abolished and for that purpose produce some passages out of Ignatius Clem Alexandrinus Justin Martyr Tertullian Cyprian Chrysostome c. wherein sundry things in use among us are found mentioned in them and by some the Liturgy of St. James Peter c. are also urged although by many Learned men censured as supposititious Yet none of these Authors do mention any Publick Form the same for substance with ours although they speak of Publick Prayers made in the Congregation which none ever denyed Publick Prayer is one thing a Publick Form another Nor are we against all Liturgies but onely against that which is liable to such material Exceptions as necessitate us to desire a new Form And albeit some of the Rites and Ceremonies now in use may be mentioned in sundry of the Fathers within the first 600 years after Christ yet the mentioning of them is no evidence of the lawfulness of them or that they are not Popish although of latter times espoused by that Synagogue of Rome for as much as Popery was in the Egge and the mystery of iniquity began to work although under disguises and other names even in the time of St. Paul himself 2 Thes 2.7 Yea some of those very Fathers have sundry passages in them which condemn those very things which are now cryed up upon the very authority of their venerable names We shall for brevity give but one instance which every Reader may find in the Preface touching Ceremonies before the Book of Common-Prayer which albeit it hath been before alledged we here briefly touch upon again for better satisfaction of such as cannot consult the Author himself The particular mentioned in that Preface is a passage out of St. Augustine who was so far from approving such a number of Ceremonies yet not to be compared with the multitude in after-times that he complained that hereby Christians were in worse case then were the Jews and therefore counselled to take off that yoke and burden so soon as it might quietly be done And this was one of the Grounds and Reasons there alledged of the cutting off of so many superstitious Ceremonies in the first Reformation under that blessed King Edward the sixth which of late our Arminians and Grotian Divines and Prelates have sought to recal under the colour and guise of Antiquity for which they produce onely some bits and scraps of Fathers to prove their Antiquity but no solid Arguments to make out their lawfulness and conveniency and yet seek to impose them on those who hold themselves bound to hate the garments spotted with the flesh as well as the flesh that is the corruption it self We therefore conclude That it is not bare Antiquity but Divine Verity that must be the onely Rule and Standard of all Doctrine Worship Rites and Ceremonies Ordination Jurisdiction and Discipline among all that intend Conformity to the Mind of Christ FINIS Page 2. line 7. read 4 Car. p. 7. l. 4. r. them in print p. 34. l. 18. r. that and another p. 43. l. 26. r. Presbyteris l. 30. r. qui.