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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75462	An Anti-Brekekekex-Coax-Coax, or, A throat-hapse for the frogges and toades that lately crept abroad, croaking against the Common-prayer book and Episcopacy and the copie of a letter from a very reverend church-man, in answer to a young man, who desired his judgement upon this case, viz. whether every minister of the Church of England be bound in conscience to reade the Common-prayer : with another letter from a convinced associatour, that a while boggled at the Common-prayer, to a brother of the same association, not yet convinced, together with the above-said reverend person's brief and candid censure thereupon, with some uses of application by the publisher.		1660 (1660)	Wing A3483A; ESTC R43600	20,576	45

having acted a part in a Comedy in derision of an old puritan whereas the said Comedy was onely to represent the extravagancies of love and was performed chiefly to gratifie the honourable and hopefull Baronet Sir VViliam Portman vvho vvith all that were present God be thanked are yet in perfect health save onely Mr. Ball vvho in a journey aftervvard in the exceeding hot vveather took a surfet by eating Pork and Caule and thereof dyed and to give him his due now he is gone 't is fit to be known that he was the Son of a very great Presbyterian and Non-conformist and so are most of his relations and in that way and those schismaticall principles he was bred yet being a very good schollar and after his coming to Oxford reading indifferently the books of both sides and seriously weighing their scriptures Antiquities and reasons forsook the Presbyterians and freely and chearfully came over to the Episcopall judgement even in those times when there was not the least glimps of hope of his advantaging but rather blasting his preferments by so doing And of sundry the like notorious afflictions upon diverse Ministers and other Non-conformists in sundry Counties It would make up a far larger book then that wherein the Army of the Toads is so ridiculously set forth and that not so much to shevv the judgements of God against the revivers of Common prayer as of Quakers and other such Phanaticks and sectaries as any but mere dolts may observe in diverse particulars of that book however the title page layes all on the Common prayers score According to the old ones Maxime calumniare fortiter aliquid haerebit cast dirt enough and some of it will stick on the smoothest and purest wall or garment Perhaps some will say Doctor Brownrig who was for Episcopacy and Common prayer died of a sudden extream fit of the stone the scholars or hard students disease but Hugh Peters who is against both is hang'd drawn and quarterd according to Law pray which is the greater judgement the Duke of Glocester who was for both died of the small pox for which some vile wretches have kept a thanksgiving day with words to this purpose Lord as thou hast cut off one of the limbs of that wicked family to go on to destroy it root and branch till there be not one of that wicked race left but Henry Martine who was against both either is already dead or like to die of the great otherwise called the French or Gallick Pox to save the hangman a labour I pray which is the greater judgement Thus you see how easie it is to accumulate undeniable Paradigmes more then a good many of such as are or have been Adversaries of the good old government of the Church of England and the Liturgy thereof and have felt god's scourge heavie upon them and thereby to stifle the noise of the Croaking Toads that of late have been creeping abroad to the disparagement of the good old way of God's worship But the truth is by all these things 't is hard to judge of god or evill 't is Turkish or Cromwellian divinity to judge of the right of a Religion by the lives or events of those that profess it let Holy writ as it is interpreted by the ancient Church and Fathers who were nearest the Fountain be our guide and never go to the Episkies of Enthusiasmes and mis-applyed providences vvhich must needs mis-lead us The true Copy of a Letter from a very Reverend Church-man in ansvver to a young man who desired his judgement without delay upon this Case viz. Whether every Minister of the Church of England be bound in conscience to read the Common-prayer SIR I Receiv'd your Letter in folio with others inclosed which I have returned The Books you write of I have not received yet I thank you for your good intentions I am sorry the paper is printed by it self it will be the less publick sooner die and vvill make the Authour the more enquired after vvhich may prove prejudicial Your Case you sent me must be put thus vvhether a Minister that is every Minister of the Church of England All indefinites in materiaâ necessariâ are equivalent to universals be bound in conscience to use the Common prayer The Case thus put there seem many things to be said to the contrary E. G. 1. No Minister is bound in conscience to do any thing which will be more hurtfull then profitable to God's Church but vve think this vvill be so Ergò c. 2. No Minister is bound in conscience to that vvhich will offend any godly men but this vvill do so Ergò c. 3. No man is bound in conscience to any thing forbidden by lavvfull Authority But the Common-prayer was forbidden by Lords and Commons Ergò c. 4. That which hath been disused and so is antiquated doth not binde without an Act of Reviver The Common-prayer hath been thus disused and there is no such Act c. Ergo c. 5. Nothing can thus binde which is not of faith for what is not of faith is sin But thus to do is not of faith to some Ergò c. 6. The Minister is not bound in conscience to any thing which will cause him to be suspected of lightness and so bring him and his Ministry into contempt with the people But this will do so Ergò c. 7. He is not bound in his conscience to do that against which he hath shevved his dislike either by preaching or conference with his people But some Ministers have done so Therefore not lawful for them or at least they are not bound in conscience c. Ergò c 8. No man is bound in conscience to any Act of imprudence which may make him ridiculous to others But this may be such if there should come from supream authority either a prohibition or alteration of that service But c. Ergò c. 9. No man is bound in conscience to that from which he hath a dispensation from his lawfull Superiour But some have been so dispensed with c. Ergò c. 10. None are bound to this who was ordeined without Oathes and Subscriptions But some Ministers have been so ordeined c. Ergò c. This is all you have in your paper and all I think can be said by others which question not the thing in it self as did the old Puritans as unlawfull for the Negative For the Affirmative it is said 1. Every man is bound to that which the Law of the land still in force require of him But the Law of the land still in force requires the reading of the Common-prayer Ergò c. 2. Every Minister is bound to what the Law of the Church by her Canons and Constitutions requires of him But c. Ergò c. 3. Every Minister is bound in conscience to use that kind of publick worship supposing neither restraint nor danger which is best for the peoples edification

in their own Families yet any man as he conceived might lawfully and if with conveniency he could should do well as vvell for good example as that he might the more regularly worship God in publick to resort to some other Church vvhere lavvful Divine Service vvas And so much the Act for Uniformitie seems to exhort if not enjoyne viz. That every man unlesse he hath a lavvful Excuse ought to be at his ovvn Parish-Church or at some other vvhere the Common prayer is He likevvise certified That he had treated vvith the Reputed Minister of his ovvn Parish vvith all gentleness and meekness in private and yet that he thought that Rebuke openly by vvay of Fraternal Correption and not as in an Authoritative vvay might belong to any private Christian Onlie he must be sure to look vvell to it That the Person he rebuked vvere manifestlie and notoriouslie a Breaker of some Lavv as he conceived the Minister of the Church of England that did refuse to use the Common-prayer to be As for example any private Christian may rebuke one that he sees filching a yard of Ribbon or Tape of a Rob-orchard or in a thing more indifferent for not standing bare or shevving due Reverence to the King or any other of his Superiours and consequently may nay ought much more to rebuke openly with the abovesaid Restriction Him that by his contempt or neglect of his Sovereigns Injunctions by Law for the good and peace of the Church should merit it He moreover represented to the Reverend man that He according to Christs Rule before this intimation had offered nay pressed for a conference with his Reputed pastour with and before two other Ministers which was very hardly yielded to because one of them though both learned and Pious had been a sequestred man yet such were the unavoidable occasions of the said two Ministers that in diverse weeks yea some moneths together they could not be both at home at the same time and so that conference as yet Uncompassed For the Dic Ecclesiae that then in the most received sense being then not to be had the young man did desire his Reputed Pastour's leave to be of another congregation at which he was silent and that the young man took for consent and accordingly joyned himself to another congregation about half a mile off though thither he could not pass in quiet without base reproaches from the Disciples of Him that would not perform Divine service according to Law So that to such a sad pass were things brought notwithstanding his Majesties return to the exercise of his Regal office amongst us That those that would serve God regularly and according to the established Laws of the Church and Kingdom were fain to sneak to it like Quakers as if they onely vvere the Phanaticks that obeyed authority and those The onelie or the best Christians in most places that did least conform themselves thereto The Copie of a Letter sent from an Associatour in the West who for a while boggled at the Common-prayer but after was convinc'd of his Errour to another of the same Association not yet so convinc'd M. B. UNderstanding that as yet you do forbear to use the Common-prayer and presuming that you have not appear'd against it I have taken the boldnesse to offer you these Reasons why deferring any longer that Work will not be expedient for our Church as the Case now stands 1. The restraint being taken off that hindered the exercise of that Service that 't is expected we should obey the Law in force appears by the Examples both of the King and Parliament and the new printing of the service-Service-books against the last Thanksgiving day with some Prayers added for that season which I have seen 2. Your Example retards others which perhaps is discerned by others better then by your self they having therefore a greater esteem of you because they judge you vile in their own eyes 3. The people do generally forsake those Churches where 't is not used and the far greater part of the Nation are for it which supposing the lawfulnesse of the thing is reason enough For if there be a necessity of offending one side in Licitis the Rule is we must respect the greater part in the first place but then if those Licita be also commanded by a Law in force I see no Plea can be made against them 4. 'T is time after all our high flights to stoop to the weaknesse of the people the generality are so dull that they cannot follow their Leaders who are too nimble for them Therefore the sheep do choose rather to follow the lame Shepherd whose pace is most suitable to their slowness and apply themselves to the plainest and most homely prayers as most agreeable to their Capacities 5. Stronger Christians as they abound in gifts and parts so they should with charity and for the weak brother's sake to be content therewith 6. We cannot well answer the Objection of Schism from the Papists if we depart from them where there is no necessity much lesse if we renounce the Common Prayer because as some alledge taken out of theirs This Sophisme used to make the people hate it is indeed a solid reason to make men of understanding love it as Gold refined from drosse and implying a charitable desire of Communion with them wherein we may 7. Since the laying aside of the Liturgie and our Discipline Popery has gotten much ground and many went over to the Romans seeing our disagreement in every thing Creed Prayers Baptisme Catechisme Eucharist Marriage Burial Visitation of the sick c. All which is solved by the old way and Discipline and while every one pursued his own way Vnavoidable was the scandal 8. Wise men have thought it the best way to preserve a State to reduce it to it's principles by which it grew great as Mr Herbert notes concerning Catechism and this is that which is now doing in the Civil body proportionably so should it be in the Church for the Vine thrives and grows with the Elme How shall all these Extravagancies be cured but by resuming that way wherein we may those things being removed that are justly offensive walk orderly unanimously and soberly and if the matter be well examin'd more profitably to the common Interest of the Church in charity and union and though knowledge and gifts may have increased more by the new way yet these also are not hindred by the old 9. Equity and Reason and the Law of Nations do favour that in Being till orderly judgement of Decision be given against it Are we not bound then to suspend our Reasons inducing us to think hardly of the Liturgie specially if not demonstrative Or else we trouble the Church without necessity But 't is objected that it has been condemned already by the most godly and zealous c. Ans It was never condemned in an orderly way A Bias of Partiality was apparent in that they never admitted them

The very Poets and Oratours among the antient Ethnicks took this care before they did dare to commit any thing to publick view or audience not only for the propriety and puritie of the words and phrase but also for the soliditie and pertinencie's sake of what they penned as the Illustrious Lipsius and since him the learned Vossius shew in their treatises de Recitatione veterum And shall Heathens be more tender of their credits then we Christians of the peace of the Church and of Charity I know nothing has conduced so much to the bringing us into those late horrid confusions and so likely to hurry us back again into them as that overweening Enthusiasticall opinion which the common people have got among them viz. That when a man is got up into the Pulpit especially if he make use of no Notes he has a speciall extraordinary inspiration not much short of if not the very same with that of the old Prophets Evangelists and Apostles and that God puts even the words and phrases into his minde and mouth and that what he there prayes and preaches as they call it is the very word of God farre transcending that which is read in the Pew below The occasion or cause rather of this opinion among people is that this and the like prefaces are ordinarily recited in the Pulpit never in the Pew viz. Hearken to the word of God as you shall finde it written c. Or hearken to the good word of God as it shall be delivered to you upon these words c. Or give good heed or attention to the whole minde of God as it shall be exhibited from these words c. Whereas alas too too often to the great grief of sober minded Christians some are so far from giving the minde of God that they do not understand the minde of learned men upon those places they undertake to handle What if a man should say that since the death of the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles there is no preaching at all properly and strictly so called For they were the only proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Heralds Proclaimers Predicatours or Embassadours that brought the sacred Messages to us immediately from God and the Ministers of the Gospell now are bound up to their Canon may not adde or diminish one Iota and therefore are rather Expositours then Preachers unless it be in a very large and improper sense What if a man should say that the expounding of any place of Scripture must be done in the same way and by the same helps that a Master or Usher in a School uses in the exposition of Isocrates his Paraenesis or Tullie's Offices or any other Classicall Author What if a man should say that publick praying or preaching in a large sense ex tempore if any be so prophanely rash and sinfull as so to do for some that are thought by the Deluded people so to do do nothing less but do make as many wry mouths close-stool faces in private to prepare those crudities as they do in squeezing them out in publick is no more then for a school-boy to make a rude Theam Oration or Verse ex tempore 'T is true indeed that praying and preaching still I mean in the larger sense are Acts conversant about sacred things and yet are no more properly gifts then any of the liberall sciences God's good blessing no doubt does go along with them where they are soberly and Regularly used in their kinde and so it doth with a christian scholar or student in his other learning in it's kinde And any one in the Pulpit if he hath not read much and studied hard before hand may as soon mistake the true sense of a place of Scripture or faulter in his prayer as a school-master or scholar at the Desk or Table if they be not circumspect in expounding construing or parsing an Authour or composing and pronouncing Theam Verse or Oration And this I take to be correspondent to the mind of that Illustrious light of our Church Doctor Hammond in his preface to his precious Annotations upon the New Testament and of all the most pious and learned Church-men of our Nation who are content with that Honour which God hath given them by an ordinary call and his ordinary Assistance without desiring to boy upthemselves in the esteem of the Vulgar by a Pretence to such Mountebank Enthusiasmes as others boast of And for the Specialties or particular Bills that are put up in some of our Churches it were well if they were a little better considered of and whither they tend As for example if a Lace-maker or Button-seller hath occasion to go to a Faire or Market at thirty o fourty miles distance or to place a Boy to School or an Apprentice the Prayers of the greatest Congregations are olemnly desired for a blessing upon the Journey and Under taking 'T is true God's Providence is over the meanest thing and the lowest Actions of men as over the very Sparrows and the very hairs of our heads and yet if a Sparrow that one loves should be sick or ones haire begin to fal off were it fit to put up a particular publike solemn prayer in a Church for them What will wise men say to this Bill viz. A Servant that is fallen into a prophane Familie desires the Prayers of this Congregation that God would be peased in mercy by his Providence to finde out a way to remove him out of that Familie Whither I pray tends this but to faction and sedition in Families as well as in the Church and State One would have thought if it had been fit at all that such a thing should be put up in a Bill for publick Prayer it should rather have been thus viz. A Servant that is fallen into a prophane Familie desires the prayers of this Congregation that God would give him patience to continue there and be a blessing to that Familie as Joseph was to Potiphar's and Instrumental for God's glory by his good example But should we tell of all the strange Extravagancies of some men in their praying preaching thanksgivings and fastings as how one desires God to make the King truly a Defender of the Faith as if it were not his legal Title and an Injunction of both Houses that he should be prayed for as Defender of the Faith truly Ancient Catholick and Apostolick and in all Causes and over all Persons as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal in his Majesties Realmes and Dominions Supreme Head and Governour But some men fondly think if his Majestie be not for Presbyterie or Independencie against Bishops and Common-prayer he cannot be truly a Defender of the Faith Another appoints a publick Fast of his private phancie and prayes that God would humble the Nation for not sticking close to the Covenant for starting aside from the Covenant for not Adhering to the Covenant in it's principal and main ends and intentions Another begs God to undermine and pull down the great ones in the Nation that are combining against God and Jesus Christ and the Power of Godlinesse in the Nation and that he would set up his Zerubbabels again in the Nation Another preaches that a true Minister of the Gospel must use Distraction in his preaching and not such a kind of general preaching as was now coming up in the Nation which would break no bones and convert no soules Hath his Majestie been so gracious as to forgive so much and to declare for a warning his Resolvednesse to use all rigour and severity for the future against all such as by word or deed shall do any thing contrary to the Government which comprehends as well that in the Church as that in the State and yet dare these Audacious Incendiaries still go on under a pretence of zeal for God's glory to blow the Trumpet of Sedition and another Rebellion Let them take heed that the hand of God and Justice do not overtake them e're they be aware as it hath some of their wicked crew The Reader is desired to take notice that whereas there is a scandalous story grassant in dishonour to the Reverend Bishops and Doctours of our Church viz. That when the first newes of the Parliament's due submission to and close with his Majestie 's Gracious declaration was brought to the Hague His Majesty should call upon a Bishop or Doctour then present in these or such like words Come Doctour since it hath pleased God to be so Gracious to me and my people let Us immediately give God solemn thanks here while the Commissioners be present At which the Bishop or Doctour was much abashed as the story runs and making shift for a Common-prayer-book did tumble it and fumble it a long time for some forme or formes to serve the particular occasion but after long ado his Majesty with some passion said Why cannot you give God thanks upon such an eminent occasion without your Book To which the Bishop or Doctour replied may it please your Majesty I desire not to be wiser then the Church At which His Majesty hastily snatcht the Book from him laid it under his own Armes and gave God thanks ex tempore in an admirable manner This is the story but upon good enquirie and discourse with sundry Persons then present it appears to be indeed but a story and if it be otherwise let any of that gang disprove it if he can in the next Pamphlet or Journall Doctour Earle and Doctour George Hall are Persons fide digni and were present all the while the Commissioners were delivering their Message to the King and they have been talked with and averr the contrary And no question His Majesty if he be humbly asked will make good what they averr VVell fare Mr. Faireclough of Wells in Somersett who hath the Knack of praying Ex tempore as well as the best of them and hath gone for a Presbyterian that at a friendly Conference with some Divines in Dorsetshire ingenuously confessed That he never prayed so heartily in his life as at Cambridge by the Common-prayer And that rather then there should be another such a Confusion in Church or State he could wish all the Presbyterians and Independents in England banisht FINIS