Christian much less of a Minister of the Gospel whose duty it is to shun even the least appearance of evil Besides that by so doing they should but confirm such men in their Schismatical Principles and Practice This Objection hath 3 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 is very capable of such a sense which will very well fit our present purpose also I Answer therefore in short To do the same thing that Schismaticks do especially in times of Confusion and till things can be reduc'd unto better Order and when men are necessitated thereunto to prevent greater mischiefs doth not necessarily infer a partaking with them in Schism no nor so much as probably unless it may appear upon probable presumption 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 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 receiv'd 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 prescrib'd Even to give assurance to all men by our carriage and behaviour therein that we do not lay aside Common Prayer of our own accord or out of any dislike thereof neither in contempt of our rightful Governours or of the Laws nor out of any base compliance with the Times or unworthy Secular own ends nor out of any Schismatical principles seditious designs or innovating humour but meerly enforc'd 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 Functions And that with the good leave and allowance as we have great reason to believe of such as have power to dispense with us and the Laws in that behalf This if we shall do bonâ fide and with our utmost endeavours in singleness of heart and with godly discretion perhaps it will not be enough to prevail with either the censure 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 perversness and malice of others scandalum pharisaeorum as the Schools term them But assuredly it will be sufficient in the sight of God and the witness of our own hearts and to the Consciences of charitable and considering men to acquit us clear of all guilt either of Scandal or Schism in the least dâ—gree Which we may probably do by observing these ensuing or such other like general Directions The liberty of using such meet accommodations as the circumstances in particular Cases shall require evermore allowed and reserved viz. 1. If we shall decline the company and society of known Schismaticks not conversing frequently or familiarly with them or more than the necessary affairs of life and the rules of Neighbourhood and common civility will require especially not to give countenance unto 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 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 the people are well acquainted with and are wholsome 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 taken up as the signal distinction and characteristical note of that which in that their new Language they call The Godly Party or Communion of Saints 3. If in officiating we repeat not only the Lord's 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 of the old Liturgy besides in the very words and syllables of the Book as we think the Ministers of State in those parts wherein we live will suffer and the Auditory before whom we officiate will 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 mentioned in the Book as namely in praying 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 that purpose as may sufficiently convey to the understanding of the people what our intentions are therein and yet not be sufficient to fetch us within the 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 Puritan Principles and Tenets to the people or to shew out of some passages and expressions in the Common Prayer the consonancy of those Observations we have raised from the Text with the Judgment of the Church of England or to justifie such particular passages in the Letany Collects and other parts of our Liturgy as have been unjustly quarell'd at by Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists or other by what Name or Title soever they are called Puritan Sectaries Thus have I freely acquainted you both with my practice and judgment in the Point propos'd in your Friend's Letter How I shall be able to satisfie his or your judgment 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 Rob. Sanderson Answ. 1 Sam. 2. 17. 22. Exod. 21. 33 34. 1 Thess. 5.
for his sake that we henceforth study to serve and please thee by leading a godly righteous and sober life to the glory of thy holy Name and the eternal comfort of our own Souls through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen After the Confession the Lord's Prayer with the Versicles and Gloria Patri and then Psalms for the Day and the first Lesson After which in the Forenoon sometimes Te Deum but then only when I think the Auditory will bear it and sometimes an Hymn of mine own gathered out of the Psalms and Church Collects as a general Form of Thanksgiving which I did the rather because I have noted the want of such a Form as the only thing wherein the Liturgy seem'd to be defective And in the Afternoon after the first Lesson the 98th Psalm or the 67th then the second Lesson with Benedictus or Iubilate after it in the Forenoon and Afternoon a singing Psalm Then followeth the Creed with Dominus Vobiscum and sometimes the Versicles in the end of our Letany From our Enemies defend us if I lik'd my Auditory otherwise I omit the Versicles After the Creed and instead of the Letany and the other Prayers appointed in the Book I have taken the substance of the Prayer I was wont to make before Sermon and dispos'd it into several Collects or Prayers some longer and some shorter but new modell'd into the language of the Common Prayer Book much more than it was before And in the Pulpit before Sermon I use only a short Prayer in reference to the hearing of the Word and no more So that upon the matter in these Prayers I do but the same thing I did before save only that what before I spake without Book and in a continued Form in the Pulpit I now read out of a written Book broken into parcels and in the reading Desk or Pue Between which Prayers and the singing Psalms before the Sermon I do also daily use one other Collect of which sort I have for the purpose compos'd sundry made up also as the former for the most part out of the Church Collects with some little enlargement or variation as namely the Collects Adventual Quadragesimal Paschal or Pentecostal for their proper seasons and at other times Collects of a more general nature as for Pardon Repentance Grace c. And after one or more of them in the Forenoon I usually repeat the Ten Commandements with a short Collect after them for Grace to enable us to keep them This hath been my practice and is like still to be unless some happy Change of Affairs restore us the liberty of using the old way again or it be made appear to my Understanding by some able charitable Friend That I therein have done otherwise then I ought to have done For I may say that I have not yet met with any thing in Discourse either with my own Reason or others of sufficient strength to convince me that I have done any thing but what may stand with the Principles as well of Christian Simplicity as Prudence There are but three things that I know of that are of any consideration oppos'd viz. 1. The Obligation of the Laws 2. The Scandal of the Example 3. The unseemly symbolizing at least with Schismaticks if not partaking with them in the Schism 1. Law Object The first and strongest Objection which I shall therefore propose to the most advantage of the Objector is that which is grounded upon the Laws and their Obligation For it may be Objected That every humane Law rightly establish'd so long as it continueth a Law obligeth the Subject and that for Conscience sake to the observation thereof in such manner and form as in the same Law is prescribed and according to the true meaning and intention of the Law-giver therein That a Law is then understood to be rightly establish'd when it containeth nothing but what is honest and lawful and is enacted by such person or persons as have full and sufficient authority to make Laws That a Law so establish'd continues a Law and is so in force till it be either Repealed by as good and lawful Authority as that by which it was made or else antiquated by a long continued uninforc'd disuse with the tacit or presumed consent of the Law-giver That the Act printed before the Common Prayer Book and entituled An Act for the Uniformity was such a Law being it was established in a full and free Parliament in peaceable times and ratified by the Royal Assent That it still continues in force and being not yet Repealed but by such persons as at least in the Opinion of those that maintain the Dispute for want of the Royal Assent have not a sufficient right or authority to do such an Act nor disused but of late times and that by enforcement and as is presum'd much against the mind of the Law-giver That therefore it still retains the power of obliging in part of Conscience that power being so essential and intrinsecal to every Law quatenus a Law that it can in no wise be sever'd from it And that therefore no Minister publickly officiating in the Church can with a good Conscience either omit any part of that which is commanded by the aforesaid Law or use any other Form than what is contained in the foresaid Book but must either use the Form prescribed in the Book or else forbear to officiate The Answer to this Objection granting all in the Premisses besides dependeth upon the right understanding of that which is affirmed concering the Obligation of the Laws according to the intention of the Law-giver which if it should be understood precisely of that particular actual and immediate intention which the Law-giver had declared by the words of the Law in which sense only the Objection proceedeth will not hold true in all cases But there is suppos'd besides that in Law-giver a more general habitual ultimate intention of a more excellent and transcendent nature than the former which is to have an influence into and over-ruling power over all particular Laws viz. an intention by the Laws to procure and promote the publick good The former intention binds when it is subservient to the latter or consistent with it and consequently bindeth in ordinary cases and in orderly times or else the Law is not a wholesome Law But when the observation of the Law by reason of the conjuncture of circumstances or the iniquity of the times contingencies which no Lawgiver could either certainly foresee or if foreseen sufficiently provide against would rather be prejudicial than advantageous to the Publick or is manifestly attended with such inconveniencies and sad consequents to the Observers as all the imaginable good that can redound to the Publick thereby cannot in any reasonable measure countervail In such case the Law obligeth not but according to the latter and more general intention only even as in the operations of nature particular Agents do ordinarily move according
Bishop Sanderson's JUDGMENT Concerning SUBMISSION TO Usurpers LONDON Printed by for Richard Marriott MDCLXXVIII Bishop Sanderson's JUDGMENT Concerning SUBMISSION TO USURPERS SIR WHEREAS you desire to know what my judgment and practice is concerning the using or forbearing the establish'd Liturgy either in whole or in part in the publick Service of God and Office of the Church If it be any satisfaction to your Friend I shall fully acquaint you what my practice is whereunto if my own Judgment be not conform I am without all excuse my own condemner and upon what considerations I have according to the variation of the times varied from 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 the 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 whereof I could not but know to have been chiefly aim'd at in the Ordinance viz. three for the King and Queen and 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 Garison or Head-quarter among us were so enrag'd at my reading of it the first Sunday after they came that immediately after Morning Service ended they seiz'd upon the Book and tore it all in pieces Thenceforward during their continuance there for full six months and upwards viz. from the beginning of November till they were call'd away to Naseby Fight in May following besides that for want of a Book of necessity I must I saw that it also behoov'd me for the preventing of farther Outrages to wave the use of the Book for the time at least in the Ordinary Service only I read the Confession the Lord's Prayer all the Versicles and the Psalms for the day Then after the first Lesson in the Forenoon Benedictus or Iubilate and in the Afternoons Cantate After the second Lesson also sometimes the Creed sometimes the Ten Commandements and sometimes neither but only sang a Psalm and so to Sermon But in all that while in the Administration of the Sacraments the Solemnization of Matrimony Burial of 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 in all the rest to make choice of such times and opportunities as I might do them with most secresie and without disturbance of the Souldier But at the Celebration of the Eucharist I was the more secure to do it publickly because I was assur'd none of the Souldiers would be present After their departure I took the liberty to use either the whole Liturgy or but some part of it omitting sometimes more sometimes less upon occasion as I judg'd it most expedient in reference to the Auditory especially if any Souldiers or other unknown persons hapned to be present But all this while the substance of what I omitted I contriv'd into my Prayer before Sermon the phrase and order only varied which yet I endeavour'd to temper in such sort that any person of ordinary capacity might easily perceivve what my meaning was and yet the words left as little liable to exception or cavil as might be About two years ago I was advertis'd but in a friendly manner by a Parliament man of note in these parts that at a publick Meeting at Grantham 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 withal That although they knew 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 a manner if they should not take notice 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 resolved what I might do with a good Conscience and what was fittest for me in prudence to do if I should ever be put to it viz. to forbear the use of the Common Prayer Book so far as might satisfie the letter of the Ordinance rather than forsake my Station My next business then was to bethink my self of such a course to be thenceforth held in the publick work in my own Parish as might be believed neither to bring danger to my self by the use nor to give scandal to my Brethren by the disuse of the establish'd Liturgy And the course was this to which I have held me ever since I begin the Service with a Preface and an Exhortation infer'd to make Confession of Sins which Exhortation I have fram'd out of the Exhortation and Absolution in the Book contracted and put together and exprest for the most part in the same words and phrases but purposely here and there transplac'd that it might appear not to be and yet to be the very same Then follows the Confession it self in the same Order it was enlarg'd only with the addition of some words whereby it is rather explain'd than alter'd The whole frame whereof both for the fuller satisfaction in that particular and that you may conjecture what manner of addition and change I have made proportionably hereunto yet none so large in other parts of the holy Office I have here under-written O Almighty God and merciful Father we thy unworthy Servants do with shame and sorrow confess that we have all our life long gone astray out of thy ways like lost sheep and that by following too much the vain devices and desires of our own hearts we have grievously offended against thy holy laws both in thought word and deed We have many times left undone those good duties which we might and ought to have done and we have many times done those evils when we might have avoided them which we ought not to have done We confess O Lord that there is no health at all nor help in any Creature to relieve us but all our hope is in thy mercy whose justice we have by our sins so far provoked Have mercy upon us therefore O Lord have mercy upon us miserable Offenders Spare us good Lord who confess our faults that we perish not but according to thy gracious promises declared unto mankind in Christ Iesu our Lord restore us upon our true Repentance into thy grace and favour And grant O most merciful Father