Enjoyned by Authority to be used Obj. The grand great and chief exception that is taken against our Liturgy is that our Book of Common-Prayer is Popery taken out of the Popish Mass-book Answ To this we answer in general before we come to examine particulars Be pleased to take into your consideration this moderate point of Wisdom that all that the Papists have or make use of cannot properly be called or accounted Popery as we call Popery The old Rule is good here Qui hene distinguit bene docâ—t It is the part of a Wise-man to distinguish things to put a difference between things and not to confound and put together things that differ Therefore we should rightly know what Popery is Popery is properly the Errours Abuses Corruptions Superstitions Idolatries and Abominations which are used and mantained by the Pope Papists and Church of Rome either in Doctrine or Worship These indeed may properly and truly be called and accounted Popery if we submit our selves to the Pope of Rome receive his Laws his Doctrine his Worship if we cleave to his Adherents to them that worship him and receive his Mark if we maintain or profess either those false Doctrines or that Superstitious or Idolatrous worship which is professed among them and maintained by them Then indeed we may be rightly said to fall into Popery and to incline unto iâ— but if we call all those truths which they have and are kept sound among them in matters of Doctrine or those things which in matter of Worship are good and pure and free from corruption by the name of Popery we are very much mistaken If we must make use of nothing in the Service and Worship of God which they use nor may have liberty to assume to our selves the right use of those things which they do or have abused being purged from their corruptions we must then leave and renounce the Scriptures both the Old and New Testament both Baptism and the Supper of the Lord yea renounce all the Ordinances of God pull down our Churches and abandon all Religion Now it is known to the world that the Church of England renounceth the usurped power of the Pope of Rome and doth disclaim all his Religion and Laws all Errours Heresies Superstitions Idolatries and Abominations of the Church of Rome so that no man can accuse her unjustly of Popery or brand her with the name of Popery seeing she hath made a full Separation from the Church of Rome And though she maketh use of some things which they use in the Service and Worship of God yet they are such things as are lawful in themselves and fully purged from their Corruptions and Superstitions and cannot justly be accounted or called Popery The Church of Rome was once a true and sound Church though we profess no perfection in the world and not so pure but might be tainted with some Corruption and was famous for the profession of the true Faith and Doctrine of Christ Rom. 1. 8. Their Faith was spoken of throughout the whole world and as for her Bishops they were godly men most of them being Martyrs for three hundred years after Christ and more yet she was never accounted the Catholick or Universal Church but a Member of the Catholick or Universal Church But as time doth corrupt all things so she by degrees fell into corruption The Church of England even in the time of Popery was a Member of the Catholick or Universal Church and had not the being of a Church of Christ from Rome or by separating her self from Rome but having her eyes opened to see her Errours and her Spirits quickned and revived she began to think upon a necessity of Reformation and so cast off the yoak of Anti-christ and the usurped power of the Pope of Rome with all his Errours Superstitions and Abominations and sought to bring her Children to the right Faith of Christ and to the true and pure Worship and Service of God And examining the Liturgy and Book of Common Prayer then in use and finding it corrupted and fallen from the ancient purity she composed a new one of her own and though perhaps in some things it might not be much disagreeing from the former yet seeing those things were pure and sound free from corruption and after the ancient Form of Liturgies of the Church she thought good to retain them and to continue them for her use We do acknowledge our Liturgy and Book of common-Common-Prayer to be the work of man and as by man it was first composed so by man it may be at any time altered or put down and there is no work of man so perfect though never so absolute and compleat but may have some Errour in it or be tainted with some Corruption But that it is Popish Superstitious Idolatrous or Anti-christian as some who had more Zeal then Knowledge have been bold to defame it savoureth of too much Ignorance Pride Rashness and Presumption This we altogether deny and the very Ordinance of Lords and Commons which did put down this Book of Common-Prayer as you may see in the Preface to the Directory did not accuse it of any such matter as Superstition or Idolatry no nor so much as of Errour but speaketh reverently of the first Composers of it and modestly and discreetly of the Book it self onely they alledge this that they found by experience that it proved an offence to many at home and abroad disquieted many mens Consciences of Ministers and others was too much heightned by the Prelates made as it were an Idol by many ignorant people was a means to hearten Papists and to nourish an idle Ministry therefore did agree and resolve to put it down and to set up the Directory in its room Though it be granted that some things in this our Book do agree with theirs not so much perhaps as some imagine and give out yet if we do acknowledge that Rome was once a true and sound Church we cannot but suppose her Doctrine and Worship Then to be sound and pure although since it hath been corrupted if then upon our Reeformation for we did not make a new Church but only reformed the Errours of the old our prudent Reformers did take such things as were good and pure after the ancient Form of the Liturgies of the Church which they had corrupted with Errours being purged and refined for their use what just cause have we to complain The abuse of a thing doth not abolish or take away the Right use of it that were as the Heathen said to take the Sun out of Heaven that hath been worshipped and abused There is no Creature made by God or thing used and made by man but hath been some way wronged or abused They were Wise-men and godly men who did at first make and compose this Book of Common-Prayer some of the chiefest of them being Martyrs and burned in Queen Marys days for the Profession of our Protestant Religion and
to Hadley to be burnt and took his leave of his Wife and Son he gave to his Wife this Book of Church Service then so called set out by King Edward this Book of Common-prayer which he alwayes used in his Imprisonment as the last token and best token of his love unto her Here you see the judgment of this glorious Martyr who was the true Servant of God stood for our Religion to the Death in those fiery times of Queen Mary Sealing it with his blood how much he prized this and highly esteemed it To this I might adde the Authority and Judgment of Arch-bishop Cranmer Latymer and Ridley with many more who were the makers of this Book and content to give their Lives to the Fire to defend it and our Religion They could not see neither judge any thing in it to be Popish Superstitious Idolatrous or Anti-christian we should not therefore accuse it wrongfully or defame it wilfully without cause Are we wiser then all they or more Conscientious then they If we had but modesty and the grace of humility in us we could not but suspect our own Judgment and think we are deceived unless we would be of the mind of Abelardus singular and cross to all and say as he did and was wont to say Omnes alii sic ego non sic All men are of this mind and judgment but I am of another howsoever we should not reproach it or speak thus Contemptuously of it Si accusasse sufficiaâ— as the saying was of old if it be enough to Accuse Traduce and Defame without Proof Ground or Reason Innocence it self cannot go free Some passages in it perhaps may seem strange to such as are ignorant or have a prejudice against it by reason of some Rash High aad Self-conceited Spirits who had more Zeal then Knowledge who were among us in these late distracted times inveighing openly against this Book and against all Antiquity never understanding the Grounds of things nor dreaming of such a miraculous change as hath come upon us untill they come to know the true Reasons of them 1. The Book it self in general it cannot but make a man of Understanding to admire the boldness of some Raw Young Self-conceited Zealots who should cry up this Book of Common-prayer for Popery and condemn it so confidently as Popish when as 1. The Papists themselves will not own it nor acknowledge it nay they detest it abhor it and condemn it aâ— Heretical and account and call us Hereticks for maintaining it and for using it Though Queen Mary was helped to the Crown especially by the aid and assistance of the Suffolk men who were alwayes forward for the promoting of the Gospel and for our Protestant Religion and promised them faithfully that She would not alter the Religion then Established being this our Protestant Religion yet as soon as She got possession of the Crown She not only neglected her promise made but punished one Mr. Dobbe living about Windham side strangely for putting her in mind of her promise setting him three times in the Pillory to be a gazing stock to all men for the Terrour of others and made it her chief work care and study with her Adherents to put down with all possible speed that might be this our Book of Common-prayer and set up their old Latine Service She came to the Crown but in July and in the next Moneth August 27. The Service began in Latine in Pauls Church at London There was a rumor spread abroad of Arch-bishop Cranmer that he had Recanted and Revolted from his Religion caused the Mass to be said at Canterbury and had himself said Mass before the Queen c. To purge himself and to shew to the world that all was untrue and meer scandal and that there was no such matter but that he was constant in the truth he sent out a Declaration in Print dated Sep. 5. the next Moneth wherein he cleared himself from all such false Aspersions and added withall that if it would please the Queen he with Peter Martyr who was then come from Oxford to London and five or six more whom he would choose would in open disputation maintain the Book of common-Common-prayer with the Ceremonies and Rites there prescribed and the Doctrine of our Church set forth in the time of Edward 6 by the Scriptures and Fathers against all persons whomsoever But while he was in expectation to have this Disputation obtained he with other Bishops were laid fast in the Tower and Peter Martyr suffered to depart the Realm who went to Argentine And in the next Moneth Octob. 5. begun a Parliament wherein this our Book of Common-prayer was put down and the old Latine Service set up throughout the Land Now with what face can any man say that this Book of Common-prayer is Popery when as the Papists themselves will not own it nay detest and abhor it yea proclaim for Heresie this Book of Common-prayer bent all their strength and endeavours with all possible speed to suppress it yea condemn us count us and call us all Hereticks for using defending and maintaining it 2. Again if they had so much Learning and Understanding as to understand the Monuments of our Church they might be informed that this Book of Common-prayer was at first Composed and made by Mr. Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury Ridley Bishop of London Latymer Bishop of Worster and divers others Wise Learned and Godly men in the time of Edward the Sixth upon the first Reformation of our Religion Bishop Ridley was the first that read this Book of Common-prayer in Pauls Church at London preached in the Forenoon in the Quire and in the Afternoon at Pauls Cross to commend this Book unto the people and to perswade them to accept it and embrace it These men the makers of this Book were at that time the only Opposers of Popery which had long been fostered and continued in this Land and was then in the height These were the men who were the greatest and chiefest Opposers of Popery stood for our Protestant Religion against the Pope and all his Adherents against all the Papists and Popish Bishops yea stood strongly to the Death Sealing it with their bloud being burnt immediately after in Queen Marys days for the profession of it which if they had not done in all probability our Protestant Religion had been much weakned if not wholly suppressed and utterly extinguished But God was pleased to shew his strength in their weakness and to give them that constancy whereby many were Confirmed in the truth and Converted to the truth The beheading of Martyrs as Justine Martyr speaketh â—is like the cutting of Vines the more they be cut the more they prosper and fructifie so it was with the burning of Martyrs Sanguis Martyrum Semen Ecclesiae was the old saying The bloud of the Martyrs the Church is not destroyed but watered and refreshed It is a very Memorable thing which Mr. Fox reporteth in the
upon them or Imposing them as Parts of Gods Worship and thus may bring in Superstition and Idolatry Answ If you desire to receive full satisfaction in this you must look upon the Doctrine of our Church whence the Grounds of the Imposition and Practice of these Ceremonies are drawn That is the Truest and Surest Rule to go by Examine the xxxix Articles agreed upon by all our Divines Anno Dom. 1562. which are called by some Our English Creed containing the summe of our Faith and the Doctrine of our Church The xxth Article speaketh plainly in the end of it Though the Church be the keeper of Gods Word Yet as it ought not to Decree any thing against the Word of God so besides the same ought it not to inforce any thing to be Believed for Necessity of Salvation And again in the end of Artic. 34. Every Particular or National Church hath Authority to Ordain Change and Abolish Ceremonies and Rites Ordained onely by mans Authority so that all things be done to Edifying And for Particulars search the Canons of our Church made Anno Dom. 1603. where in the 30th Canon the lawful use of the Cross in Baptism is fully Explained thus That it is no part of the Substance of that Sacrament being used addeth nothing to the Perfection and Vertue of Baptism nor being omitted detracteth any thing from the Effect and Substance of it but is used onely as Primitively as a Lawful outward Ceremony and Honourable Badge whereby the Infant is Dedicated to the Service of him that died upon the Cross And for Decency of Apparel Injoyned to Ministers in Can. 74. thus All which Particulars concerning Apparel prescribed our meaning is not to Attribute any Holiness or special Worthiness to the said Garments but for Decency Gravity and Order Now if you find in the General Doctrine of our Church which is Visible and ought to be in Charity the Rule of Judging Particulars that she doth not onely disclaim those Superstitious Grounds but doth farther declare The Grounds of such General Imposition of all these Ceremonies to be onely in a Civil manner to be Imposed for Distinction Order Decency and Uniformity and not for any Religious Opinion that they put in them you have little Reason to be Jealous or Suspicious of any ill meaning in your Governours to whom you owe Charity which thinketh no Evil as well as Obedience and Submission Here you see fully and plainly that Christian Libertie is not against the Duty and Obedience which we owe to our Governours and Lawful Magistrates but rather Tieth us in things Indifferent Lawful and not Contrary to the Words of God to all kind of Duty to all our Lawful Governours To Fathers to Masters to Husbands to Pastours to Magistrates Kings and Rulers and by the strongest Bonds of Obedience Of Wrath as the Scripture speaketh Of Conscience and for the Lords sake Thus I have done my Indeavour to give Satisfaction I speak as to Wise Understanding Rational and Moderate Men Free from Passion Prejudice and strong Affections to Judge aright of things You know that Innovations are dangerous either in Church or State It was an approved saying of Seneca that Divine Heathen of Old Non expedit Concutere Faelâ—cem Statum It is neither the part of a Wise Man nor yet accounted Safe to shake or disquiet a well setled State Nay Remember that Old Rule in Policy of State Malum bene positum non est movendum An evil as onely Inconvenient being placed well is not to be Removed It is no Wisdome if a Stone stand a little out of square in a great Building by Pulling it out to indanger the Fall weakning or shakeing the whole Frame An Inconvenience is better then a Mischief If it could be found and proved that there were some Errours in this Book of Common Prayer If they be small they might be borne with If they be such as some may Judge them not to be Tolerable yet they may be Corrected and Amended and not the whole Frame pulled down But we may make that Challenge to all our Adversaries which Mr. Deering in a Book called A sparing restraint c. doth against Mr. Harding Look if any Line be blameable in our Service and take hold of your Advantage I think Mr. Jewell will accept it for an Article Our Service is good and Godly Every tittle grounded upon Holy Scriptures and with what Face do you call it Darkness If this Book should now be put down after so many years Continuance in our Realm and a New Form set up to satisfie the Scruples and Fancies of some Self-conceited people who are never long content with any thing Think what sad Consequences would follow upon it The Papists would and might Triumph and Insult that our Church is Corrupt and Impure and hath been full of Errours and Corruptions from the first Beginning and from the first Foundation of it the putting down of it upon such an account must needs be a Confession and Acknowledgement of Errours in it to all the world The Non Conformists They would also crie out and seeming Just that they have been wrongfully Presented all this while onely because they would not Submit and Subscribe to Errours And the Common people would generally take a New Liturgy to be a New Religion Thus that weighty saying of St. Augustine would fall upon us Ipsa Mutatio Consuetudinis etiam quae adjuvat Utiliâ—ate Novitate perturbat The very Novelty of such a Change would more offend then the Profit of it would do Good Reason well tell us if this be yeelded to the same Reproof must justly come upon Our Liturgy of Variety Uncertainty Unconstancy which Dr. Suâ—cliffe in his Book De Missa chargeth truely upon the Romane Missal and what Obloquie and Reproach will this Occasion to us and to our Religion But to cleer Our Book from all such Aspersions and to Confirm the Perfection of it we have the Testimony of that Learned and Glorious Martyr Dr. Rowland Taylour given above a Hundred years agoe Who as Mr. Fox Recordeth in his Examination Jan. 22. Anno Dom. 1555. before Bishop Gardiner then Lord Chancelour and other Commissioners spake thus There was saith he set forth by the most Innocent King Edward for whom God be praised everlastingly the whole Church Service with great deliberation and the Advice of the best Learned in the Realm and Authorized by the whole Parliament and Received and Published gladly by the whole Realm which Book was never Reformed but Once and yet by that One Reformation was so fully Perfected according to the Rules of our Christian Religion in every behalf that no Christian Conscience could be Offended with any thing therein Contained Here you have his Judgement not onely of the Perfection of this Book of Common Prayer but also of the very first Making and Composing of this Book who doubtless knew the Truth and spake the Truth For this was spoken by him within Four years if you Examine the time after this Book was made and Confirmed by that Act of Parliament of King Edward the Sixth So that no man can truely say or Judge that this Book of Common Prayer is
Popery or was taken out of the Popish Mass Book much less that it was the Mass Book Translated Seeing it was set forth by King Edward as he affirmeth made with great Deliberation and the Advice of the best Learned of the Realm For all the World will acknowledge and bear witness that King Edward and his Divines were no Papists but the great and onely Opposers of Popery Opposing it strongly and stoutly to the Death the most of them suffering as Martyrs and Sealing our Religion with their Blood I will Conclude with the Answer of our English Divines which were at Stransburge to their English Brethren at Frankeford who were all forced by Queen Mary Anno Dom. 1554. for their Religion to fly beyond Sea to save their lives They at Frankford being friendly Entertained submitted too easily to the Orders of the Churches there used and did not onely leave off Our Communion Book then so called our Book of Common Prayer themselves and the Orders of the Church of England but wrote to their Brethren of Stransburge perswading them to Joyn with them and to do the like But they of Stransburge wisely considering the Inconveniences which would fall upon it if they did Consent unto them upon mature Deliberation Resolved to keep still the Orders and Liturgy of the Church of England and not to Change sending their Answer dated Novemb. 28. Subscribed with Sixteen Hands in these Words This were say they to Condemne the Authors of this our Book of Common Prayer who most of them Suffered as Martyrs It would give Occasion to our Adversaries to Accuse our Doctrine of Imperfection and us of Mutability To make the Godly to Doubt in that Truth wherein before they were perswaded And to Hinder their Coming hither which before they had purposed Think seriously of these things Do the Martyrs no wrong Do our Church our Religion no wrong Do the Godly Living and Dead no wrong Do your Selves no wrong Remember the Story which Josephus Relateth in his Fift and Sixth Book De Bellâ— Judaico Of those who called themselves Zelotae among the Jews pretending much to Religion who when Vespatians Army came up against Jerusalem took upon them to stand for the maintenance of their Religion to defend the City and especially to preserve the Temple But by their Dissentions between them and Simon and John who all pretended to defend the Temple they were the Chief and onely cause and occasion of Burning the Temple down much against the mind of Titus the Emperour their Enemy who desired to save it and Laboured what he could with his Souldiers to quench the Fire and to preserve the Temple though all in vain But they all pay'd dear at last and perished miserably in the end You know what they of Athens said of their Divisions Auximus Philippum Dissentionibus Nostris We have much Increased the power of Philip King of Macedon our great Adversary by our Dissentions and what can we expect to be the Issue of our unhappy Differences but the Strengthning and Increasing of the Power and Malice of our Adversaries against us and in the End without Gods Mercy the utter Ruine and Destruction both of our selves and of our Religion Let there be no Strife I pray thee saith Abraham to Lot Gen. 13. between thee and me between thy Herdsmen and my Herdsmen for we are Brethren Abraham fearing the danger of Division though the Elder and Better yet Submitteth himself for Peace goeth to Lot his Nephew and offereth any Conditions for Peace we should remember that we all professe our selves to be the Children of Abraham we are Brethren we should herein Imitate Abraham our Father Submit one to another for Peace loose any thing rather then Peace and not take Offence at every thing making a Difference Breach and Disturbance about Trifles things of so poor and small concernment but think upon the danger of Contention and take the Apostles Counsel Rom. 14. 19. Let us follow after the things which make for Peace that as Rom. 15. 6. we may with one mind and one mouth Glorifie God and may all Indeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace FINIS