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A78280
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The Case of using or forbearing the establish'd liturgie, during the late troublesome times, and prohibition of it by the then usurpers.
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1672
(1672)
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Wing C1191A; ESTC R173505
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15,248
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44
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THE CASE OF USING or FORBEARING The Establish'd LITURGIE During the late troublesome times and Prohibition of it by the then Usurpers LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXXII To the READER IF this short Discourse needed any Recommendatory Letters beside what its own intrinsick worth doth abundantly afford it might readily fetch them from the Greatness of its Author if others as well as my self ben't much mistaken and from its own suitableness to our present Condition For its Author There wanted not high probabilities to perswade the prefixing of the Reverend Name of as Learned and Judicious a Prelate as perhaps any that in our dayes have adorn'd the English Church But it was not thought expedient to be guilty though but in appearance either of doing any Injury to the memory of that Excellent Person or of imposing upon the World The knowing Reader may therefore please to use his own Judgement on several passages that he will find herein and especially on the Resemblance which it wears to the other worthy works of that stayd and well weigh'd man who conceiv'd all things deliberately dwelt upon them discreetly discern'd things that differ exactly pass'd his Judgement rationally and express'd it aptly clearly and honestly For its suitableness to our present Condition It will appear to any that shall consider the weighty Subjects herein treated of viz. the Obligation of Humane Laws Scandal Schism c. apply'd particularly to our Establish'd Liturgie and compare them with that Juncture of Affairs at this time wherein all sorts of men do so generally interest themselves The Usefulness of this Tractate chiefly on the account last mention'd may 't is hop'd be a sufficient Apology for presuming to take the same liberty in this which others have taken formerly in cases of a more private and therefore less profitable concern Especially seeing that even this also was in a sort publish'd before having been for divers years among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of my Own and several others Studyes that I know and I have reason to believe of more whom I know not and that besides there was danger of a worse Impression since the printing some of the contents hereof as is suppos'd in The Obligation of Humane Laws discussed by I. H. had caused divers Booksellers to enquire after it THE CASE OF USING or FORBEARING The Establish'd LITURGIE During the late troublesome times and Prohibition of it by the then Usurpers SIR WHereas you are desirous to know what my Judgment and Practise is concerning the using or forbearing of the establish'd Liturgie either in whole or in part in the publick service of God and offices of the Church If that may be any satisfaction to your self or Friends I shall fully acquaint you with what my practise is whereunto if my jugment be not conform'd I am then unavoidably my own condemner And upon what considerations I have according to the variation of times varied my self therein So long as my Congregation continued unmixt with Souldiers as well after as before the promulgation of the Ordinance of the two Houses for the abolishing of Common-Prayer I continued the use of it as I had ever formerly done in the most peaceable and orderly times not omitting those very Prayers the silencing of which I could not but know to have been chiefly aimed at in the Ordinance viz those for the King the Queen and the Bishops And so I did also though some Souldiers were casually present till such time as a whole Troop coming to Quarter in the Town with a purpose to continue a kind of Garrison or Head-Quarters amongst us were so enraged at my reading of it the first Sunday after they came that immediately after morning Service was ended they seized on the Book and tore it all to pieces Thence forward during their continuance here for full six months and upwards viz. From the beginning of November till they were called away to Naseby Fight in May following besides that for want of a Book of necessity I must I saw that it behoved me also for the preventing of further outrages to wave the use of the Book for the time at least in the ordinary Services Only I read the Confession the Lord's Prayer with the Versicles and Psalm for the day Then after the first Lesson in the Fore-noon Benedictus or Jubilate And in the After-noon Cantate After the second Lesson also in the Fore-noon sometimes the Creed sometimes the ten Commandements and sometimes neither but only sang a Psalm and so to Sermon But all that while in the Administration of the Sacraments the Solemnization of Matrimonie Burial of the Dead and Churching of Women I constantly used the ancient Forms and Rites to every of them respectively belonging according to the appointment in the Book Only I was careful to make Choice of such times and opportunities as I might do them with most secrecy and without disturbance of the Souldiers But at the Celebration of the Eucharist I was the more secure to do it publickly because I was assured none of the Souldiers would be present After their departure I took the liberty to use either the whole Liturgie or but some part of it omitting sometimes more sometimes less upon occasion as I judged it most expedient in reference to the Auditory especially if any Souldiers or other unknown persons happened to be present But all the while the substance of what I omitted I contrived into my Prayer before Sermon the Phrase and Order only varied which yet I endeavoured to temper in such sort as any person of ordinary capacity might easily perceive what my meaning was and yet the words as little left open to exception or cavil as might be About two years ago I was advertised but in a very friendly manner by a Parliament man of note in these parts that at a publick meeting in G. great complaint was made by some Ministers of the Presbyterian Gang as I afterwards found of my refractoriness to obey the Parliaments Order in that behalf The Gentleman told me withall that although they knew long before what my Judgment and Practice was yet they were not forward to take notice of it before complaint made which being now done in so publick manner if they should not take knowledge of it the blame would lie upon them He therefore advised me to consider well what I had to do For I must resolve either to adventure the loss of my Living or to lay aside Common-Prayer which if I should continue after complaint and admonition it would not be in his power nor in the power of any friend I had to preserve me The effect of my then-Answer was that if the case were so the deliberation was not hard I having long ago considered of the case and resolv'd what I might with a good Conscience do and what were fittest for me in prudence to do if I should ever be put to it viz. To forbear the Vse of the Common-Prayer-Book so far as
thereof Even as the Jew that stood in need to sink a Pit for the service of his House or Grounds was not for fear his Neighbors Beast should fall into it and be drowned bound by the Law to forbear the making of it but only to provide a sufficient Cover for it when he he had made it The thing then in this case is not to be left undone when it so much behoveth us to do it but the action to be carried on for the manner of doing and in all respects and circumstances thereunto belonging with so much clearness tenderness moderation and wisdom to our best understandings that the necessity of our so doing with the true cause thereof may appear to the world to the satisfaction of those that are willing to take notice of it and that such persons as would be willing to make use of our example to do the same thing where there is not the like cause of necessity may do it upon their own score and not be able to vouch our practise for their excuse Which how it may be best done for particular directions every charitable and consciencious man must ask his own discretion Some general hints tending thereunto I shall lay down in answering the next Objection where they will fall in again not unproperly and so stop two Gaps with one Bush 3 SCHISM Object 3. The last Objection is that of SCHISM The Objectâ—rs hold all such persons as have opposed against either Liturgie or Church-government as they were by Law established amongst us within this Realm for no better then Schismaticks and truly I shall not much gainsay it But then they argue That for them to do the same thing in the publick worship of God that Schismaticks do and for the doing whereof especially it is that they justly account them Schismaticks would as they conceive involve them in the Schism also as partakers thereof in some degree with the other and their Consciences also would from Rom. 14.22 condemn them either of Hypocrisie in allowing that in themselves and in their own practice which they condemn in others or of uncharitableness in judging others as Schismaticks for doing but the same thing which they can allow themselves to practice For all that such persons as they call Schismaticks do in this matter of the Church Service is but to leave out the Churches Prayers and to put in their own Or say this should not make them really guilty of the Schism they so much detest yet would such their symbolizing with them seem at least a kind of unworthy complyance with them more then could well become the simplicity of a Christian much less of a Minister of the Gospel whose duty it is to shun even the least appearance of evil 1 Thess 5.22 Besides that by so doing they should but confirm those men in their Schismatical Principles and Practise This Objection hath three Branches To the first whereof I oppose the old saying Duo cum faciunt idem non est idem Which although spoken quite to another purpose yet it is capable of such a sense as will very well fit our present purpose also I answer therefore in short That to do the same thing that Schismaticks do especially in times of confusion and untill things can be reduced into better order and when men are necessitated thereunto to prevent greater mischiefs doth not necessarily inferr a partaking with them in Schism no nor so much as probably unless it may appear upon probable presumptions otherwise that it is done out of the same Schismatical Spirit and upon such Schismatical Principles as theirs are The other two Branches viz. That of seeming compliance with Schismaticks and that of the ill use they may make of it to confirm them in their Schism do upon the matter fall in upon the aforesaid point of Scandal and are in effect but the same Objection only put into a new Dress and so have received their answer already And the only remedy against both these fears as well that of Scandal as this of Schism is the same which was there prescribed even to give assurance to all men by our carriage and behaviour therein that we do not lay aside the Common Prayer of our own accord or out of any dislike thereof neither in contempt of our rightfull Governours or of the Laws nor out of any base compliance with the times or other unworthy secular own-ends nor out of any Schismatical Principles Seditious Design or innovating Humour but meerly enforced thereunto by such a necessity as we cannot otherwise avoid in order to the glory of God and the publick good for the preservation of our Families our Flocks and our Function and that with the good leave and allowance as we have great reason to believe of such as have power to dispence with us and the Laws in that behalf This if we shall do bona fide and with our utmost endeavours in singleness of Heart and with godly discretion perhaps it will not be enough to prevent either the censures of inconsiderate and inconsiderable persons or the ill use that may be made of our example through the ignorance or negligence of some scandalum pusillorum or through the perverseness and malice of other some scandalum Pharisaeorum as the Schools term them But assuredly it will be sufficient in the sight of God and in the witness of our own Hearts and to the Consciences of charitable and considering men to acquit us clearly of all guilt either of Scandal or Schism in the least degree Which we may probably do by observing these ensuing and such other like general directions the liberty of using such meet accommodations as the circumstances in particular cases shall require ever more allowed and reserved viz. 1 If we shall decline the company and society of known Schismaticks not conversing frequently and familiarly with them or more then the necessary affairs of Life and the rules of Neighbourhood and common Civility will require Especially not to give countenance to their Church Assemblies by our presence among them if we can avoid it 2 If we shall retain as well in common Discourse as in our Sermons and the holy Offices of the Church the old Theological and Ecclesiastical terms and forms of speech which have been generally received and used in the Churches of Christ which our people are well acquainted with and are wholsom and significant And not follow our new Masters in that uncouth affected garb of speech or canting language rather if I may so call it which they have of late time taken up as the signal distinctive and characteristical note of that which in that their new Language they call the Godly Party or the Communion of Saints 3 If in officiating we repeat not only the Lords Prayer the Creed the ten Commandements and such other passages in the Common Prayer Book as being the very words of Scripture no man can except against but so much also of the old Liturgie besides in the very words and syllables of the Book as we think the Ministers of State in those parts where we live will suffer and the Auditory before whom we officiate wil bear sith the Officers in all parts of the Land are not alike strict nor the People in all Parishes alike disaffected in this respect 4 If where we must of necessity vary from the words we yet follow the order of the Book in the main parts of the Holy Offices retaining the substance of the Prayers and embellishing those of our own making which we substitute into the place of those we leave out with phrases and passages taken out of the Book in other places 5 If where we cannot safely mention the particulars expressed in the Book as namely for the King the Queen the Royal Progeny and the Bishops we shall yet use in our Prayers some such general terms and other intimations devised for the purpose as may sufficiently convey to the understandings of the people what our intentions are therein and yet not be sufficient to fetch us within compass of the Ordinance 6 If we shall in our Sermons take occasion now and then where it may be pertinent either to discover the weakness of the Puritane Principles and Tenents to the People or to shew out of some passages and expressions in the Common Prayer Book the consonancy of those observations we have raised from the Text with the Judgement of the Church of England or to justifie such particular passages in the Letany Collects and other parts of our Liturgie as have been unjustly quarrell'd at by Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists and others by what Name and Title soever they be called of the Puritan Sectaries Thus I have freely acquainted you both with my Practise and Judgment in the point proposed in your Friend's Letter How I shall be able to satisfie his or your Judgement in what I have written I know not However I have satisfied both your desire and his in writing and shall rest Your Brother and Servant in the Lord. Novemb. 12. 1652. FINIS