to make Profession of known or suspected falshood as to put in practise unlawful or suspected actions 2. Further we humbly desire that it may be seriously considered that as our first Reformers out of their great wisdome did at that time so compose the Liturgy as to win upon the Papists and to draw them into their Church-Communion by varying as little as they well could from the Romish forms before in use so whether in the present constitution state of things amongst us wee should not according to the same Rule of Prudence and Charity have our Liturgy so composed as to gain upon the judgements and affection of all those who in the substantials of the Protestant Religion are of the same perswasions with our selves Inasmuch as a more firm union and consent of all such as well in Worship as in Doctrine would greatly strengthen the Protestant interest against all those dangers and temptations which our intestine Divisions and Animosities do expose us unto from the common Adversary 3. That the Repetitions and Responsals of the Clerk and People and the alternate reading of the Psalms and Hymns which cause a confused murmure in the Congregation whereby what is read is less intelligible and therefore unedifying may be omitted The Minister being appointed for the people in all publick services appertaining unto God and the Holy Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament intimating the peoples part in publick prayer to be only with silence and reverence to attend thereunto and to declare their consent in the cloze by saying Amen 4. That in regard the Letany though otherwise containing in it many holy petitions is so framed that the petitions for a great part are uttered only by the people which wee think not to be so consonant to Scripture which makes the Minister the mouth of the people to God in prayer the particulars thereof may be composed into one solemn prayer to be offered by the Minister unto God for the people 5. That there be nothing in the Liturgy which may seem to countenance the Observation of Lent as a Religious Fast the example of Christs fasting forty daies and nights being no more imitable nor intended for the imitation of a Christian than any other of his miraculous works were or than Moses his forty daies fast was for the Jews And the Act of Parliament 5. Eliz. forbidding abstinence from flesh to bee observed upon any other than a politick consideration and punishing all those who by preaching teaching writing or open speeches shall notifie that the forbearing of flesh is of any necessity for the saving of the soul or that it is the service of God otherwise than as other politick Laws are 6. That the Religious Observation of Saints-daies appointed to be kept as Holy-daies and the Vigils thereof without any foundation as wee conceive in Scripture may be omitted That if any be retained they may be called Festivals and not Holy-Daies nor made equal with the Lords-day nor have any peculiar service appointed for them nor the people bee upon such daies forced wholly to abstain from work And that the names of all others now inserted in the Calender which are not in the first and second books of Edward the sixth may be left out 7. That the gift of Prayer being one special Qualification for the work of the Ministry bestowed by Christ in order to the Edification of his Church and to bee exercised for the profit and benefit thereof according to its various and emergent necessity It is desired that there may bee no such imposition of the Liturgy as that the exercise of that gift bee thereby totally excluded in any part of publick worship And further considering the great age of some Ministers and infirmities of others and the variety of several services oft-times concurring upon the same day whereby it may bee inexpedient to require every Minister at all times to read the whole It may bee left to the discretion of the Minister to omit part of it as occasion shall require which liberty wee finde to bee allowed even in the first Common prayer-Prayer-Book of Edward 6. 8. That in regard of the many defects which have been observed in that version of the Scriptures which is used throughout the Liturgy manifold instances whereof may bee produâ—ed as in the Epistle for the first Sunday after Epiphany taken out of Romans 12. 1. Bee yee changed in your shape And the Epistle for the Sunday next before Easter taken out of Philippians 2. 5. Found in his Apparel as a man as also the Epistle for the fourth Sunday in Lent taken out of the fourth of the Galathians Mount Sinai is Agar in Arabia and bordereth upon the City which is now called Jerusalem The Epistle for St. Matthews day taken out of the second Epistle of Corinth and the 4th Wee go not out of kind The Gospel for the second Sunday after Epiphany taken out of the second of John When men bee drunk The Gospel for the third Sunday in Lent taken out of the 11th of Luke One house doth fall upon another The Gospel for the Annunciation taken out of the first of Luke This is the sixth month which was called barren and many other places wee therefore desire instead thereof the New Translation allowed by Authority may alone bee used 9. That inasmuch as the holy Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation to furnish us thorougly unto all good works and contain in them all things necessary either in Doctrine to be beleeved or in Duty to bee practised whereas divers chapters of the Apocryphal Books appointed to bee read are charged to bee in both respects of dubious and uncertain credit It is therefore desired that nothing bee read in the Church for Lessons but the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament 10. That the Minister bee not required to rehearse any part of the Liturgy at the Communion-Table save only those parts which properly belong to the Lords Supper and that at such times only when the said holy Supper is administred 11. That as the word Minister and not Priest or Curate is used in the absolution and in divers other places it may throughout the whole Book bee so used instead of those two words and that instead of the word Sunday the word Lords-Day may bee every where used 12. Because singing of Psalms is a considerable part of publick worship wee desire that the Version set forth and allowed to bee sung in Churches may bee amended or that wee may have leave to make use of a purer Version 13. That all obsolete words in the Common-Prayer and such whose use is changed from their first significancy as Aread used in the Gospel for the Monday and Wednesday before Easter Then opened hee their wits used in the Gospel for Easter Tuesday c. may bee altered unto other words generally received and better understood 14. That no portions of the Old Testament or of the Acts of the
with them And if such general accusations may serve in a matter of publick and common fact there is no way for the justification of the Innocent And that it is no such common Guilt will seem more propable to them that consider that such conceived Prayers both prepared and extemporate have been ordinarily used in the Pulpits in England and Scotland before our dayes till now and there hath been power enough in the Bishops and others before the Wars to punish those that speak ridiculously seditiously impiously or blasphemously And yet so few are the instances even where jealousie was most busie of Ministers punished or once accused of any such fault in Prayer as that we find it not easie to remember any considerable number of them there being great numbers punished for not reading the Book for playing on the Lord's dayes or for Preaching too oft and such like for one that was ever questioned for such kind of praying And the former shewed that it was not for want of will to be severe that they spared them as to the later And if it be but few that are guilty of any intolerable faults of that nature in their Prayers we hope you will not go on to believe that the mischiefs that come by the failings of those few are far greater than the benefit of conceived Prayer by all others We presume not to make our experiences the measure of yours or other mens you may tell us what doth most good or hurt to your selves and those that have so communicated their experiences to you But we also may speak our own and others that have discovered them to us and we must seriously profess that we have found far more benefit to our selves and to our Congregations as far as our Conference and Converse with them and our observation of the effects alloweth us to discern by conceived Prayers than by the Book of Common Prayer we find that the benefit of conceived Prayers is to keep the mind in serious imployment and to awaken the affections and make us fervent and importunate And the inconvenience is that some weak men are apt as in Preaching and Conference so in Prayer to shew their weakness by some unapt expressions or disorder which is an evil no way to be compared with the fore-mentioned good considering that it is but in the weak and that if that weakness be so great as to require it Forms might be imposed on those few without imposing them on all for ther sakes as we force not all to use spectacles or Crutches because some are pur-blind or lame and considering that God heareth not Prayers for the Rhetorick and handsome Cadencies and neatness of expressions but will bear more with some incuriosity of words which yet we plead not for than with an hypocritical formal heartless lip-service for he knoweth the meaning of the Spirit even in the groans which are not uttered in words And for the Common Prayer our observation telleth us that though some can use it judiciously seriously and we doubt not profitably yet as to the most of the vulgar it causeth a relaxing of their attention and intention and a lazy taking up with a Corps or image of devotion even the service of the lips while the heart is little sensible of what is said And had we not known it we should have thought it incredible how utterly ignorant abundance are of the sense of the words which they hear and repeat themselves from day to day even about Christ himself and the essentials of Christianity It is wonderful to us to observe that rational Creatures can so commonly separate the words from all the sense and Life So great a help or hinderance even to the understanding is the awakening or not awakening of the affections about the things of God And we have already shewed you many unfit expressions in the Common Prayer Book especially in the Epistles and Gospels through the faultiness of your Translation as Eph. 3. 15. Father of all that is called Father in Heaven and Earth and that Christ was found in his apparel as a man that Mount Sinai is Agar in Arabia and bordereth upon the City now called Jerusalem Gal. 4. 25. This is the sixth Month which is barren Luke 1. And when men be drunk Joh. 2. with many such like which are parts of your publick Worship and would you have us hence conclude that the mischiefs of such expressions are greater than all the benefits of that Worship And yet there is this difference in the Cases that weak and rash Ministers were but here and there one but the Common Prayer is the Service of every Church and every day Had we heard any in extemporary Prayers use such unmeet expressions we should have thought him worthy of sharp reprehension yea though he had been of the younger or weaker sort Divers other unfit expressions are mentioned in the exceptions of the late Arch-Bishop of York and Primate of Ireland and others before spoken of and there is much in the prejudice or diseased curiosity of some Hearers to make words seem idle impertinent or ridiculous which are not so and which perhaps they understand not some thought so of the inserting in the late Prayer Book the private opinion of the souls of the departed praying for us and our praying for the benefit of their Prayers As for the Security which you call for though as is shewed you have given us none at all against such errors in your Forms yet we have before shewed you that you have as much as among imperfect men can be expected The same that you have that Physitians shall not murder men and that Lawyers and Judges shall not undo men and that your Pilot shall not cast away the Ship you have the power in your hands of taking or refusing as they please or displease you and of judging them by a known Law for their proved miscarriages according to the quality of them and what would you have more Sect. 5. To prevent which mischiefs the former Ages knew no better way than to forbid any Prayers in publick but such as were prescribed by publick Authority Con. Carthag Can. 106. Milen Can. 12. Repl. To what you alledge out of two Councils we answer 1. The acts of more venerable Councils are not now at all observed as Nice 1. Can. ult c. nor many of these same which you Cite 2. The Scripture and the constant practice of the more antient Church allowed what they forbid 3. Even these Canons shew that then the Churches thought not our Lyturgy to be necessary to their Concord nor indeed had then any such form imposed on all or many Churches to that end for the Can. of Coun. Carthag we suppose you meant Coun. 3. Can. 23. mentioneth Prayers even at the Altar and alloweth any man to describe and use his own Prayers so he but first cum instructioribus Fratribus eas conferre take advice about them with the
Prayer and that the body of your dayly Prayers broken into severy Collects should not as set together have any considerable respect unto that order nor yet to the order which reason and the nature of the thing requireth which is observed in all things else and yet that you should so admire this and be so tenatious of that which in conceived Prayer you would call by worse names then Confusions this sheweth us the power of prejudice We were thus brief in this Exception lest we should offend by instances But seeing you conceive the Order and Method to be excellent and to be willing to hear more as to this and the following Exception we shall when you desire it give you a Catalogue of Defects and Disorders which we before forbore to give you The Psalms have ordinarily an observable Method If you find any whole parts you cannot so well set together as to see the Beauty of Method will you turn your eye from the rest and from the Lords Prayer and choose that one for your President or excuse disorder on that pretence Sect. 2. The Collects are made short as being best for Devotion as we observed before and cannot be accounted faulty for being like those short but prevalent Prayers in Scripture Lord be merciful to me a Sinner Son of David have mercy on us Lord increase our Faith Repl. We do in common speech call that a Prayer which containeth all the substance of what in that business and addresse we have to say unto God And that a Petition which containeth one single request usually a Prayer hath many Petitions Now if you intend in your addresse unto God to do no more then speak a transient request or Ejaculation which we may do in the midst of other business then indeed your instances are pertinent but why then do you not give over when you seem to have done but come again and again and offer as many Prayers almost as Petitions This is to make the Prayer short as a Sermon is that is cut into single sentences every Sentence having an Exordium and Epilogue as a Sermon but it is to make the Prayers much longer then is needful or sutable to the matter Do you find this the way of the Saints in Scripture indeed Abraham did so when Gods Interlocution answering the first Prayer called him to vary his request Gen. 18. but that 's not our Case The Pâ—alms and Prayers of David Solomon Hezekiah Asa Ezra Nehemiah Daniel and the other Prophets of Christ John 17. are usually one continued Speech and not like yours as we said before Sect. 3. Why the repeated mention of the Name and Attributes of God should not be most pleasing to any godly Person we cannot imagine or what burden it should seem when David magnified one Attribute of Gods mercy 26. times together Psalm 36. Nor can we conceive why the Name and Merits of Jesus with which all our Prayers should end should not be as sweet to us as to former Saints and Martyrs with which here they complain our Prayers do so frequently end since the Attributes of God are the ground of our hope of obtaining all our Petitions such Prefaces of Prayers as are taken from them though they have no special respect to the Petitions as following are not to be termed unsutable or said to have fallen rather casually then orderly Repl. As we took it to be no controversie between us whether the mention of Gods Name is deservedly sweet to all his servants so we thought it was none that this reverent Name is reverently to be used and not too lightly and therefore not with a causeless frequency tossed in mens mouths even in Prayer it self and that Tautologies and vain repetitions are not the better but the worse because Gods Name is made the matter of them Is it not you that have expressed your offence as well as we against those weak Ministers that repeat too frequently the Name and Attributes of God in their extemporary Prayers and is it ill in them and is the same and much more well in the Common Prayer Oh have not the Faith of Worship of our Glorious God in respect of Persons Let not that be called rediculous idle impertinent or worse in one which is accounted commendable in others Do you think it were not a faulty crossing of the mind and Method of Jesus Christ if you should make six Prayers of the six Petitions of the Lords Prayer and set the Preface and Conclusion unto each As Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name for thine is the Kingdom c. and so on all the rest Yet we know that the same words may be oft repeated as David doth Gods enduring mercy without such Tautological vanity when it is not from emptiness or neglect of order or affectation But in Psalms or Hymnes where affections are to be elevated by such Figurative Elegancies and strains as are best beseeming Poetry or rapture we are not against such Repetitions But if we may according to the Common Prayer Book begin and end and begin and seem to withdraw again and make a Prayer of every Petition or two and begin and end every such Petition with Gods Name and Christs Merits as making up half the Form or neer nothing is an affected empty tossing of Gods Name in Prayer if this be not We are perswaded if you should hear a man in a known extemporary Prayer do thus it would seem strange and harsh even to your selves Sect. 1. There are besides a preparative exhortation several preparatory Prayers Despise not O Lord humble and contrite hearts which is one of the Sentences in the Preface And this That those things may please him which we do at this present at the end of the Absolution and again immediately after the Lords Prayer before the Psalmody Oh Lord open thou our Lips c. Repl. Despise not O Lord humble and contrite hearts is no Prayer for assistance and acceptance in that worship suited to the duty of a People addressing themselves to God But it is recited as a Scripture invitation to Repentance And that those things may please him which we do at this present are no words of Prayer but part of an exhortation to the People And O Lord open thou our lips comes after the Exhortation Confession Absolution and Lords Prayer and ergo is not in the place of such an address as we are speaking of What will not serve to justifie that which we have a mind to justifie and to condemn that which we have a mind to condemn Sect. 2. This which they call a defect others think they have reason to account the perfection of the Lyturgie the Offices of which being intended for common and general Services would cease to be such by descending to particulars as in Confession of Sins while it is general all persons may and must joyn in it since in many things we offend
Brethren or hinder that peace healing of the Church For Order is for the thing ordered and not contrarily For example there is much disorder lies in the Common-Prayer-Book yet we would obey it as far as the ends of our calling do require It wouldbe undecent to come without a Band or other handsome Raiment into the Assembly yet would we obey if it were commanded us rather than not worship God at all We are as confident that Surplices and Copes are undecent and kneeling at the Lords Table is disorderly as you are of the contrary And yet if the Magistrate would be advised by us supposing himself addicted against you we would advise him to be more charitable to you than you here advise him to be to us We would have him if your Conscience require it to forbear you in this undecent and disorderly way But to speak more distinctly 1. There are some things decent and orderly when the opposite species is not undecent or disorderly 2. There are some things undecent and disorderly in a small and tollerable degree And some things in a degree intollerable 1. VVhen things decent are commanded whose opposites would not be at all undecent their Charity and Peace and Edification may command a Relaxation or rather should at first restrain from too severe Impositions As it is decent to wear either a Cloak or a Gown a Cassock buttoned or unbuttoned with a Girdle or without to sit stand or kneel in singing of a Psalm to sit or stand in hearing the Word read or preached c. 2. VVhen a Circumstance is undecent or disorderly but in a tolerable degree to an Inconvenience Obedience or Charity or Edification may commaud us to do it and make it not only lawful but a duty pro hic nunc while the preponderating Accident prevaileth Christs instances goe at least as far as this about the Priests in the Temple breaking the Sabbath blamelesly and David's eating the Shew-bread which was lawful for none to eat ordinarily but the Priests And the Disciples rubbing the ears of Corne I will have mercy and not Sacrifice is a lesson that he sets us to learn when two duties comes together to preserve the greater if we would escape sin And sure to keep an able Preacher in the Church or a private Christian in Communion is a greater duty caeteris paribus than to use a Ceremony which we conceive to be decent It is more orderly to use the better translation of the Scripture than the worse as the Common-prayer-book doth and yet we would have no man cast out for using the worse It is more orderly decent and edifying for the Minister to read all the Psalms than for the people to read each second verse And yet we would not cast out men from the Church or Ministry meerly for that disorder It is more orderly and decent to be uncovered in divine worship than covered And yet rather than a man should take cold we could allow him to hear a Chapter or Sermon covered why not much more rather than he should be cast out But let us come to the Application It is no undecent disorderly worshiping of God to worship him without our Crosse Surplice and kneeling in the reception of the Sacrament 1. If it were then Christ and his Apostles had worshipped undecently and disorderly And the Primitive Church that used not the Surplice nor the transient Image of the Crosse in Baptism but in an unguent yea the Church for many hundred years that received the Sacrament without kneeling 2. Then if the King Parliament and Convocation should change their Ceremonies it seems you would take your selves bound to retain them for you say you must not worship God undecently But that they may be changed by Authority our Articles determine and therefore Charity may well require the Magistrate to change them without any wrong to the worship of God 3. VVe appeal to the common judgement of the Impartial whether in the nature of the thing there by any thing that tels them that it is undecent to pray without Surplice in the reading place and not undecent to pray without in the Pulpit And that it is undecent to Baptize without Crossing and not to receive the Lords Supper without And that it is undecent for the Receiver to take the Lords Supper without kneeling and not for the Minister to give it him standing that prayeth in the delivery Sect. 8. These promised we Answer to your first Reason that those things which we call Indifferent because neither expresly commanded or forbiden by God have in them a real goodness a fitness and decency and for thâ— cause are imposed and may be so by the Rule of St. Paul by which Rule and many others in Scripture a power is given to men to impose Signs which are never the worse surely because they signifie something that is decent and comely and so it is not doubtful whether such power be given It would rather be doubtful whether the Church could impose such ildle Signs if any such there be as signifie nothing Repl. To your first Answer we reply 1. We suppose you speak of a moral Goodness and if they are such indeed as are within their power and really good that is of their own nature fitter than their opposites they may be imposed by just Authority by equal means though not by usurpers nor by penalties that will do more harm than the things will do good 2. Signs that signifie nothing we understand not It is one thing to be decent and another to signifie something that is decent what you mean by that we know not The Cross signifieth our not being ashamed to profess the Faith of Christ crucified c. do you call that something that is decent It is something necessary to Salvation 3. Signes are exceeding various At present we use but two distinctions 1. Some are Signs ex primaria intentione iustitnentis purposed and primarily instituted to signifie as an Escucheon or a Sign at an Inne door in common matters and as the Sacrament and Cross in sacred matters and some are Signs but consequently secondarily and not essentially as intended by the Institutors so Hills and Trees may shew us what a Clock it is and so every Creature signifieth some good of Mercy or Duty and may be an Object of holy Meditation so the colour and shape of our Cloaths may mind us of some good which yet was none of the primary or proper end of the Maker or Wearer 2. Signes are either arbitrary expressions of a mans own mind in a matter where he is left free or they are Covenanting Signes between us and God in the Covenant of Grace to work Grace on us as moral Causes and to engage us Sacramentally to him Such we conceive the Cross in Baptism to be The Preface to the Common Prayer Book saith They are apt to teach and excite c. which is a moral operation of
such as we are any way bound by When you say the Church may vary in such indifferent things 1. If kneeling or standing at Prayer be an indifferent thing then so are they at this Sacrament 2. Then you follow the Changers and we the old Pattern 3. Then the Canons of general Councils and Customs pretended to be from Apostolical Tradition may be changed 4. What is it that you call the Church that changeth or may change these A Council or a popular Custom Bring us not under a forraign Power 5. The thing then being so indifferent and changeable you may change it if you please for ends that are not indifferent 6. And if now the Ministers may Pray standing why may not the People receive standing 7. When you say that to sit was never the use of the best times you deny the Apostles and primitive times to be the best as to the extent of the Church they were not the best but as to the purity of administrations they were Sect. 16. That there were ancient Lyturgies in the Church is evident St. Chrysostom's St. Basil's and others And the Greeks tell us of St. James much elder than they and though we find not in all Ages whole Lyturgies yet it is certain that there were such in the eldest times by those parts which are extant as Sursum Corda c. Gloria Patri Benedicite Hymnus Cherubinus c. Vere dignum justum c. Dominus vobiscum cum Spiritu tuo with divers others Though â—hose that are extant may be interpolated yet such things as are found in them all consentient to Catholick primitive Doctrine may well be presumed to have been from the first especially since we find no Original of these Lyturgies from General Councils Repl. We know there wanteth not a Lyndanus a Coccius to tell the world of St. Peters Lyturgy which yet prayeth that by the Intercession of Peter and Paul we may be defended c. and mentioneth Lynus Cletus Clemens Cornelius Cyprian Lucia Barbara and abundance such shall we therefore conclude that there were Lyturgies from the first and that what is here consentient to Antiquity waâ— in it There wants not a Marg. de la Bigne a Greg. de Valent. a Coccius to commend to us the Lyturgy of Mark that prayeâ—h protege Civitatem istam propter Martyrem tuum Evangelistam Marcum c. and tells us that the King where the Author lived was an Orthodox Christian and prayeth for the Pope Subdeacons Lectors Cantors Monks c. must we therefore believe that all that 's Orthodox in it is ancient So there wants not a Bigne Bellarm. c. to tell us of St. James his Lyturgy that mentions the Confessors the Deiparam the Ancherets c. which made Bellarm. himself say de Lyturgia Jacobi sic sentio eam non esse ejus aut multa a posterioribus eidem addita sunt and must we prove the Antiquity of Lyturgies by this or try ours by it There wants not a Sainctsius a Berllarm a Valentia a Paresius to predicate the Lyturgy of St. Basil as bearing witness to Transubstantiation for the Sacrifice of the Mass for Praying to Saints c. when yet the exceeding disagreement of Copies the difference of some Formes from Basil's ordinary Forms the Prayers for the most Pious and faithful Emperours shew it unlikely to have been Basils Many predicate Chrysostom's Mass or Lyturgy as making for praying to the dead and for them the propitiatory Sacrifice of the Mass c. when in one Edition Crysost is prayed to in it saith Cook in another Nicolaus and Alexius that lived about 1080. is mentioned in another Doctrines are contained as de Contaminata Maria c. clean contrary to Chrysostom's Doctrine must we now conclude that all is Ancient that is Orthodox when one Copy is scarce like another or can we try our Lyturgy by such as this The shreds cited by you prove a Lyturgy indeed such as we have used while the Common Prayer Book was not used where the Psalms the words of Baptism of Consecration Commemoration and delivery of the Lord's Supper and many other were used in a constant Form when other parts were used as the Minister found most meet so Sursum Corda was but a warning before or in the midst of Devotion such as our Let us Pray and will no more prove that the substance of Prayer was not left to the Ministers present or prepared Conception than Ite Missa est will prove it The Gloria Patri Bellarm. himself saith according to the common opinion was formed in the Conncil of Nice which was in the 4th Century And even then such a particular testimony against the Arrians might well stand with a body of unimposed Prayers and rather shews that in other things they were left at liberty If the Benedicite the Hymns or other passages here mentioned will prove such a Lyturgy as pleaseth you we pray you bear with our way of Worship which hath more of Hymns and other Forms than theâ—e come to That these Lyturgies had no Original from General Councils adds nothing with us to their Authority but sheweth that they had an arbitary Original and all set together shews that then they had many Lyturgies in one Princes Dominion and those alterable and not forced and that they took not one Liturgy to be any necessary means to the Churches Uniâ—â— or Peace but bore with those that used various at discretion We well remember that Tertul. tels the Heathens that Christians shewed by their conceived Hymns that they were sober at their Religious Feasts it being their Custom ut quisque de Scripturis sanctis vel de proprio ingenio potest provocetur in medium Deo canere Apol. cap. 39. Note here 1. That though there be more need of Forms for Singing than for Praying yet even in this the Christians in publick had then a liberty of doing it de proprio ingenio by their own wit or parts 2. That those that did not de proprio ingenio did it de Scripturis sanctis and that there is no mention of any other Lyturgy from which they fetcht so much as their Hymnes And the same Tertul. Apol. c. 30. describing the Christians publick Prayers saith sine monitore quia de pectore oramus we pray without a Monitor or promptor because we do it from the heart or from our own breast And before him Just. Mar. Ap. 2. p. 77. saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if all these words seem not plain enough to some it is no wonder when they rest not in the greater plainness of the holy Scriptures where Prayer is so frequently mentioned as much of the imployment of believers and so many directions encouragments and exhortations given about it and yet no Liturgy or stinted form except he Lords Prayer is prescribed to them or once made mention of no man directed here to use such no man exhorted to get him a Prayer
Book or to read or learn it or to beware that he add or diminish not whereas the holy Scriptures that were then given to the Church men are exhorted to read and study and mediate in and discourse of and make it their continual delight and it s a wonder that David that mentions it so oft in Psal. 119. doth never mention the Lyturgy or Common Prayer Book if they had any And that Solomon when he dedicated the house of Prayer without a Prayer Book would onely beg of God to hear what Prayers or what Supplication soever shall be made of any man or of all the People of Israel when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief and shall spread forth his hands in that house 2 Chro. 6. 29. and that he giveth no hint of any Lyturgy or Form so much as in those common Calamities and talks of no other Book then the knowledge of their own sores and their own griefs And in the Case of Psalms or singing unto God where it is certain that they had a Lyturgy or Form as we have they are carefully collected preserved and delivered to us as a choice part of the holy Scripture And would it not have been so with the Prayers or would they have been altogether numentioned if they also had been there prescribed to and used by the Church as the Psalms were would Christ and his Apostles even where they were purposely giving Rules for Prayer and correcting its abuse as Mat. 6. 1 Cor. 14 c. have never-mentioned any Forms but the Lords Prayer if they had appointed such or desired such to be imposed and observed These things are incredible to us when we most impartially consider them for our own parts as we think it uncharitable to forbid the use of Spectacles to them that have weak eyes or of Crutches to them that have weak Limbs and as uncharitable to undo all that will not use them whether they need them or not so we can think no better of them that will suffer none to use such Forms that need them or that will suffer none to pray but in the words of other mens prescribing though they are at least as able as the prescribers And to conclude we humbly crave that ancient customs may not be used against themselves and us and that you will not innovate under the shelter of the name of Antiquity Let those things be freely used among us that were so used in the purest Primitive times Let Unity and Peace be laid on nothing on which they laid them not let diversity of Lyturgy and Ceremonies be allowed where they allowed it May we but have Love and Peace on the Terms as the Ancient Church enjoyed them we shall then hope we may yet escape the hands of uncharitable destroying zeal we therefore humbly recommend to your observation the Concurrent testimony of the best Histories of the Church concerning the diversity of Lyturgy Ceremonies and modal observances in the several Churches under one and the same civil Government and how they then took it to be their duty to forbear each other in these matters and how they made them not the test of their Communion or Center of their peace concerning the Observation of Easter it self when other Holy-days and Ceremonies were urged were less stood upon you have the judgement of Irenaeus and the French Bishops in whose name he wrote in Eusob. Hist. Eccl. l. 5. 6. 23. Where they reprehend Victor for breaking peace with the Churches that differed about the day and the antecedent time of Fasting and tell him that the variety began before their times when yet they nevertheless retained Peace and yet retain it and the discord in their Fasting declared or commended the concord of their Faith that no man was rejected from Communion by Victors Predecessors on that account but they gave them the Sacrament and maintained Peace with them and particularly Policarp and Anicetus held Communion in the Eucharist notwithstanding this difference Basil Epist. 63. doth plead his cause with the Presbyters and whole Clergy of Neocesarea that were offended at his new Psalmodiâ— and his new order of Monasticks but he onely defendeth himself and urgeth none of them to imitate him but telleth him also of the novelty of their own Lyturgy that it was not known in the time of their own late renowned Bishop Greg. Thaumaturgus telling them that they had kept nothing unchanged to that day of all that he was used to so great alteâ—ations in 40. years were made in the same Congregation and he professeth to pardon all such things so be it the principal things be kept safe Socr. Hist. Ec. l. 51. c. 21. about the Easter difference saith that neither the Apostles nor the Gospel do impose a yoke of bondage on those that betake themselves to the Doctrine of Christ but left the Feast of Easter and other Festivals to the observation of the free and equal Judgement of them that had received the benefits And therefore because men use to keep some Festivals for the relaxing themselves from labours several Persons in several places do celebrate of custom the memorial of Christs Passion Arbitrarily or at their own choice For neither our Saviour nor the Apostles commanded the keeping of them by any Law nor threaten any mulct or penalty c. It was the purpose of the Apostles not to make Laws for the keeping of Festivals but to be Authors to us of the reason of right living and of Piety And having shewed that it came up by private custom and not by Law and having cited Irenaeus as before he addeth that those that agree in the same Faith do differ in point of Rites and Ceremonies and instancing in divers he concludeth that because no man can shew in the monuments of writings any command concerning this it is plain that the Apostles herein permitted free Power to every ones mind and will that every man might do that which was good without being induced by fear or by necessity And having spoken of the diversity of customs about the Assemblies Marriage Baptism c. He tells us that even among the Novatians themselves there is a diversity in their manner of their praying and that among all the Forms of Religions and parties you can no where find two that consent among themselves in the manner of their praying And repeating the decree of the Holy Ghost Act. 15. To impose no other burden but things necessary he reprehendeth them that neglecting this will take fornication as a thing indifferent but strive about Festivals as it were a matter of life overturning Gods Laws and making Laws to themselves And Sozomen Hist. Eccl. l. c. 18. and 19. speaketh to the same purpose and tells us that the Novatians themselves determined in a Synod at Sangar in Bythinia that the differenoe about Easter being not a sufficient cause for breach of Communion all should abide in the same concord and in the same
Consecrat no man is to be accounted a good Catholick Christian that does not receive three times in the year The distempers which indispose men to it must be corrected and not the receiving of the Sacrament therefore omitted It is a pittiful pretence to say they are not fit and make their sin their excuse formerly our Church was quarrelled at for not compelling men to the Communion now for urging men How shall she please Hooker l. 5. s. 8. Repl. We conâ—ess it is desirable that all our distempers and unfitnesse should be healed and we desire with you that Sacraments may be oftner but that every person in the Parish that is â—â—fit be forced to receive is that which we cannot concur with you to be guilty of Two sorts we think unfit to be so forced at least First abundance of people grosly ignorant and scandalous that will eat and drink Judgment to themselves not discerning the Lord's Body Secondly many melaâ—â— holy and otherwise troubled doubting souls that if they should receive the Sacrament before they find themselves more fit would be in danger to go out of their wits with fear left it would seal them to destruction and as the Lyturgy saith left the Devil enter into them as into Judas or at least it would grievously deject them As formerly so now there is great reason 〈…〉 that the unprepared be not forced to the Sacrament and ye◠〈◊〉 to great a part of the Body of the Church may not be let alonâ— in your Communion without due admonition and discipline that ordinarily neglect or refuse the Churches Communion in this Sacrament Those that are so prophane should be kept away but withall they should be proceeded with by discipline till they repent or are cast out of the Church Sect. 12. Answ. This Rubrick is not in the Lyturgy of Queen Elizabeth nor confirmed by Law nor is there any great need of restoring it the world being now in more danger of Prophanation than of Idolatry besides the sense of it is sufficiently declared in the 28 Article of the Church of England The time appointed we conceive sufficient Repl. Can there be any hurt or danger in the peoples being taught to understand the Church aright Hath not Bishop Hall told you in his Life of a Romanist beyond Sea that would have forced him down that the Church of England is for Transubstantiation because of our Kneeling pag. 20. And the same Bishop greatly differing from you saith in the same Book pag. 294. But to put all scruples out of the mind of any Reader concerning this Point let that serve for the upshot of all which is expresly set down in the fifth Rubr. in the end of the Communion set forth as the Judgment of the Church of England both in King Edward and Queen Elizabeth's time note that though lately upon negligence note upon negligence omitted in the Impression and so recites the words Where you say There is no great need c. We reply 1. Prophaness may be opposed nevertheless for our instructing the People against Idolatry 2. The abounding of Papists who in this point seem to us Idolatrous sheweth that there is danger of it 3. The commonness of Idolatry throughout the world and the case of the Israelites of old shew that mans nature is prone to it 4. Prophaness and Idolatry befriend each other As God is jealous against Idolatry so should all faithful Pastors of the Church be and not refuse to give such a Caution to the People and say There is no great need of it Publick Baptism Sect. 1. Ex. Ans. Until they have made due profession of Repentance c. We think this desire to be very hard and uncharitable punishing the poor Infants for the Parents sakes and giving also too great and arbitrary a Power to the Minister to judge which of his Parishioners he pleaseth Atheists Infidels Hereticks c. and then in that name to reject their Children from being baptized Our Church concludes more Charitably that Christ will favourably accept every Infant to Baptism that is presented by the Church according to our present order and this she concludes out of holy Scripture as you may see in the Office of Baptism according to the Practice and Doctrin of the Catholick Church Cyp. Ep. 59. August cap. 28. de verb. Apost Ser. 14. Repl. We perceive you will stick with us in more then Ceremonies To your Reasons we reply 1. By that Reason all the Children of all Heathens or Infidels in the world should be admitted to Baptism because they should not be punished for the Parents sakes 2. But we deny that it is among Christians that believe Original Sin any absurdity to say that Children are punished for their Parents sakes 3. But yet we deny this to be any such punishment at all unless you will call their non-deliverance a punishment They are the Children of Wrath by nature and have Original sin The Covenant of Grace that giveth the saving Benefits of Christ is made to none but the faithful and their Seed Will you call this a punishing them for their Fathers sakes that God hath extended his Covenant to no more Their Parents infidelity doth but leave them in their Original sin and misery and is not further it self imputed to them If you know of any Covenant or Promise of Salvation made to all without Condition or to Infants on any other Condition or qualification but that they be the Seed of the faithful dedicated to God you should do well to shew it us and not so slightly pass over things of so great moment in which you might much help the world out of darkness if you can make good what you intimate If indeed you mean as you seem to speak that its uncharitableness to punish any Infants for the Parents faults and that a non-liberation is such a punishmeâ—t then you must suppose that all the Infants of Heathens Jews and Turks are saved that dye in Infancy or else Christ is uncharitable And if they are all saved without Baptism then baptizing is of no use or necessity as you seem to think What then is the priviledge of the Seed of the Faithful that they are Holy and that the Covenant is made with them and God will be their God We fear you will again revive the opinion of the Anabaptists among the People when they observe that you have no more to say for the baptizing of the Children of the Faithful than of Infidels Heathens and Athiests To your second Objection we Answer You will drive many a faithful Labourer from the work of Christ if he may not be in the Ministry unless he will baptize the Children of Infidels Heathens and Excommunicate ones before their Parents do repent And the first question is not who shall be judge but whether we must be all thus forced Is not the question as great who shall be judge of the unfitness of persons for the Lord's Supper and yet there