bread Now the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternall glory by Christ Iesus who also is able to build you up direct you make you perfect stablish 1 Pet. 5.10 strengthen settle you which is and shall bee the prayer of Your assured Friend and servant in Iesus Christ. L.W. FINIS An Appendix AND now by way of an Appendix I thinke it not amisse to set downe with what zeale and paines this Liturgy hath beene compiled with what thank fulnesse received and to what good purposes it hath been alleaged by good Protestants For the framing of it Wee read that those which were appointed by King Edward 6. and his Councell to compile the Common-Prayer-Booke Acts and Mon. printed Lond. 1631. vol. a. f. 660. had as well an eye and respect unto the most sincere and pure Christian Religion taught by the holy Scriptures as also to the usages of the Primitive Church * They did not make the Masse book their rule and it doth not symbolize so much with that Popish form as the Testament of Boza's translation doth with that of Rhemes and yet that is not a sufficient ground for us to dislike and reject it and so guided went on to draw and make one convenient and meet order rite and fashion of Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments to bee had and used within this his Realme of England and the dominions of the same Who after most godly and learned conferences through the aid of the Holy Ghost with one uniforme agreement did conclude set forth and deliver unto the Kings Highnesse a booke of Common Prayer c. which being exhibited by the King to the Lords and Commons in Parliament Novemb. 4. 2 Ed. ann 1548. they considering the godly prayers orders c. and the altering those things that were altered and retaining those things which were retained in the same as also the honour of God and great quietnesse which should by the grace of God ensue c. gave his Highnesse lowly and hearty thankes and prayed him it might be enacted c. And page 667. Col. 2. lin 20. In an answer to those insolent demands of the Rebels of Devonshire against this forme of Religion the King saith thus Whatsoever is therein ordered hath been long debated and consulted by many learned Bishops Doctors and other men of great learning in this Realm concluded In nothing was so much labour and time spent of late time nothing so fully ended Now that you may not doubt of the aime of the King and his Parliament consider 1. the Kings sincerity and constancie in that speech to the Rebels moving against an act of Parliament pag. 668. Col. 1. What is our power if Lawes should be thus neglected Yea what is your safety if Lawes be not kept And for his piety wee read of his purpose to abolish popish Religion and reforme the Church according to the word of God a Mortuo Henrico Rege Angliae Edoardus ejus filius de consilio tutorum maxime Edoardi Ducis somersetensis auurculi sui ac Thomae Cranmeri Archiepiscopi Cantuariensis to tius Anglie primatis pontisiciam religionem abolere ecclesias juxta verbum deireformare statuit Orat de vita obit Pet. Marrytis at his first entrance to the Crowne and his speech Act. Mon. p. 667. Col. 2. lin 51. discovereth his zeale in the execution If any wise saith he we could advance Gods honour more then we doe we would doe it And that the Parliament was zealous to cut off both root and branch of Popery that not so much as any shadow or footestep of it might remaine Wee may collect from letters sent by b In hoc Parliamento nisi valde fallimur veram Religionem restituetis Divirum profectò concilium nos vna Deum rogannus omnes ut nevestigium quidem papisticae fecis in ulla parte Religionis quaecunque illa fuerit amplius residear Thetrue subject to the Rebell preface the whole Vniversity of Cambridge to the Lord Marquesse of Northampton And as for the divines intrusted with the composing of it you heard before out of the booke of martyrs they had respect herein unto the most sincere and pure Christian Religion taught by the holy scriptures And how this should become guilty of so much poperie now that was so cleere and innocent then I cannot imagine unlesse wee have more zeale more knowledge take more paines and have a better touchstone then they had to try it If we descend to Qu Maries dayes The Archbishop of Canterbury assisted by Peter Martyr not guilty of the lest graine of poperie and some other offered to defend the doctrine of the booke of common Prayer both by Scriptures and c Act. Mon. vol. 3. p. 18. Doctors It should have needed no great defence if it had been so popish as is pretended Calvin to the Lord protector of England Quod ad formam precum Rituum Ecclesiarum valde probo ut certa illa extet a qua pastoribus in sua functione discedere non liceat To which I might adde the approbation of Bucer Grindall c. d See the Defensive vindication pa. 5.6.7.8 And it should seeme Qu. Mary and her adherents could not sympathize with it for in her dayes the act by which it was authorized was repealed and that with no great contentment to the Protestants if we may beleeue Q. Elizabeth of blessed memory and her Parliament which tells us it was taken away in the fift yeere of the raigne of Qu. Mary to the great decay of the due honour of God In the beginning of the Act for the vniformity of Common prayer bound up before the Booke of Common Prayer and discomfort to the professors of the truth of Christs Religion Whereupon it was againe established by Act of Parliament And King Iames of famous memorie tels us concerning this businesse We found mighty and vehement informations such as those in these present times supported with so weake and slender proofes as it appeareth unto us and our Councell that there was no cause why any change should have been at all in that which was most impugned the book of Common Prayer containing the forme of the publike service of God here established neither in the doctrine which appeared to be sincere nor in the formes and rites which were justified out of the practice of the primitive Church Notwithstanding wee thought meet that some smal things might rather be explained then changed not that the same might not very well have been borne with by men Read the proclamation for Authorizing c. before the Booke of Common Prayer who would have made a reasonable construction of them but for that in a matter concerning the service of God we were nice or rather jealous that the publike forme thereof should bee free not onely from blame but from suspition so as neither the common adversary should have
advantage to wrest ought therein contained to other sense then the Church of England intendeth nor any troublesome or ignorant person of this Church be able to take the least occasion of cavill against it Thus that oracle of wisedome And how should we thinke that service guilty of any known popery in King Edward 6. his time when wee find this clause in their Letany From the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities from all false doctrine c. good Lord deliver vs. And although this clause was left out in Queen Elizabeths time perhaps for avoyding of scandall yet in one of the prayers of our publike Service f wee still pray unto God to root out that Babylonish and Antichristian Sect and to cut off those Workers of Iniquity Prayer for the 5. of Novemb whose Religion is rebellion whose faith is faction c. And surely a Liturgy that directeth us to pray thus carries not a Pope in the belly of it But I should rather incline to the opinion of Mr. Burton that the Jnnovation alteration Mr. Burtons Apol. and dashing out of some of the prayers of our Liturgy was a signe of some dangerous plots to change the Orthodoxe Religion established in England and to bring in Romish superstition in the roome of it And to him I shall joyn this opinion of Mr. Prin concerning this Booke of Common Prayer In his Anti-arminianisme Mr. Prin his Anti-Arminian Edit 2. wherein seven Anti-Arminian Orthodox Tents are evidently proved their seven opposite Arminian once popish pelagian errours are manifestly disproved to be the ancient established undoubted doctrine of the Primitive and modern Church of England So in the title of his book Then alleadging the Booke of Common Prayer saith In this Booke of Common Prayer established by Act of Parliament in our Church there are sundry passages to prove these severall Anti-arminian positions See page 21 22 23 24 25 26. And concludes thus you see now by all these premises that these our Anti-arminian not their opposite Arminian assertions are the apparent and resolved doctrine of our Common Prayer Booke composed by the first Reformers of our Church who concurred wholly in opinion with us Therfore they must needs be the undoubted the established the received doctrines of our Church Thus that learned man where I desire the Reader at least to beleeve Mr. Prin of whom the world is so wel perswaded that he is not guilty of the least tang of Popery I say beleeve him that those which composed our Com. Prayer Booke concurred wholly in opinion with us and therfore wee need not have a suspition that they give us Rats-bane in our prayers To him I may adde a Booke put forth since the sitting of this honourable Parliament which I pray God to direct and prosper by Fran. Taylor B.D. Rector in Clapham in Surrey He gives the Book of common Prayer the first place amongst the Authentick Records of the Church as he cals them 't is dedicated to Sir Edward Dering and beares this title The faith of the Church of England concerning Gods worke on mans will wherein he proves all these severall points against the Arminians out of the prayers of our Liturgy Gods omnipotencie in our conversion Gods speciall grace Gods worke in Infants Giving of internall grace to men The internall effect of grace The Purification of the heart The externall effects of grace Gods governing us Gods preserving us in godlinesse and from sinne The progresse of the Begenerate Gods grants Other proofes he might have produced for our own insufficiency as the Collect for the second Sunday in Lent c. and likewise for the confirmation of almost all our Doctrines against Popish Arminian errors And indeed neither our Homilies nor our Articles are so good so inviolable evidences of the Churches doctrine as her prayers for we see what glosses and Coments both Papists and i Sancta clara Arminians k Mont. can make upon those of the first sort to countenance their assertions but 't is not possible any man should so befoole us out of our devotions as to make us beleeve we did not understand the sense and meaning of our prayers And therefore it were good Christian policy to retaine our formes of prayer though it were done only upon those grounds upon which saith Smectymnus i Answer to the Remon pag. 7. set and imposed forms were introduced which was not saith he how truly let the defence of the Remonstrance witnesse untill the time that the Arian and Pelagian heresies did invade the Church and then because those Heretikes did convey and spread their poyson in their formes of Prayer and Himnes the Church thought it convenient to restraine the liberty of making and using publike formes And for as much as too much poyson may be vented this way and in the opinion of some hath beene and is in these present times I should thinke it would not bee amisse to retaine the use of this Liturgy amongst us that it may be as a standard to regulate the rest of our devotions This booke hath beene accused of swearing often though many that have as good eares and have beene as diligent observers of it as others could never heare it but I never knew that it had beene convicted of perjury before that the testimony of it should now grow invalid amongst us But whether it be fit that that which hath beene alleaged so often as good evidence for our Doctrine in Queene Maries dayes against the Papists in our owne times against Arminians and Innovators whether it be fit I say that this without any fault committed for its owne part should now be arraigned at the Bar of life and death I will not say as our late Soveraigne does m upon the frivolous suggestions of any light spirit but upon so weake an accusation and be as it were condemned before it can be heard speak for it selfe whether this be justice I leave to every wise and indifferent Reader to consider But for my part I must say Amen to that curse that hath beene lately sealed by so very great Authority * Babilons downfall published by order of the honourable house of Commons Cursed shall hee be that removes the ancient Land-markes and let all the people say Amen What is the ancient Land-marke of England but our Lawes and Religion which containes as well facienda as credenda and hath as well the Liturgy as the Articles and Homilies for her Boundaries and therefore if any man shall remove this Land-marke cursed shall he be of the Lord cursed and let all the people say Amen And although the Author of that Booke intituled Christ on his Throne n Case 6. p. 23. thinkes it enough to startle Christians as he termes it that this is an extract out of Romes Latine Service yet hee might remember how himselfe seemes to unfold that command given us to come out of
they are no lesse free Yea therefore because they are free they doe with a free conscience abstaine Thus M. Calvin which speech of his if it were well considered and digested would put an end to the controversies about kneeling at the Sacrament and almost all other differences of that nature amongst us The other Author I promis'd is Doctor Saunderson * Serm. 1. Pet. 2.16 § 19. whose words are these This we must know that as it is injustice to condemne the innocent as well as it is injustice to cleare the guilty and both these are equally abominable to the Lord Prov. 17.15 So it is superstition to forbid that as sinfull which is in truth indifferent and therefore lawfull as well as it is superstition to enjoyne that as necessary which is in truth indifferent and therefore Arbitrary Doth that heavy woe in Esa 5.20 appertaine thinke ye to them onely that out of profanenesse call evill good and nothing at all concerne them that out of precisenesse call good evill Doth not he decline out of the way that turneth aside on the right hand as well as hee that turneth on the left They that positively make that to be sinne which the Law of God never made so to bee how can they bee excused from Symbolizing with the Pharisees and the Papists in making the narrow waies of God yet narrower then they are in a Mat. 15.9 1 Cor. 7.35 teaching for Doctrines mens precepts and casting b a snare upon the consciences of their brethren If our Church should presse things as farre and upon such grounds the one way as some forward spirits doe the other way if as they say it is a sin to kneele at the Communion and therefore we charge you upon your consciences not to doe it so the Church should say it is a sinne not to kneele and therefore wee require you upon your consciences to doe it and so in all other lawfull yet arbitrary ceremonies possibly then the Church could no more bee able to acquit her selfe from encroaching upon Christian liberty then they are that accuse her of it Which since they have done and she hath not shee is therefore free and themselves onely guilty Thus that judicious Divine solidly and moderately As I am of Peter Martyrs opinion on the one side a Ad Eccles Anglor ad finem loc com pag. 1099. Nec esse videtur christiana pietatis tantum audere ac velle consequi quantum per leges liceat for all things are lawfull 1 Cor. 6.12 Si quidem nonnanquam oportet fratrum causa but not for false brethrens sake de sure suo cedere praesertim in iis rebus quae pro indifferentibus habentur So on the other side I must hold with Calvin b Instit l. c. 19 §. 12. Habemus necessitatem vindicandae libertatis si per iniquas exactiones pseudo apostolorum ea infirmis in conscientijs periclitatur And never was Christian liberty in greater danger amongst us then now when not onely the crosse in baptisme the Surplisse receiving of the holy Communion kneeling c. but also * Nam ubi semelse in laqueum conjecernut conscientiae longum inextricabilem Labyrinthum ingrediuntur ut supra Gownes Cassocks long cloakes are reputed sinfull amongst us for pious worthy men are upbraided in the streets nay some are not spared in the time of divine service as if it were a sin and consequently a shame to weare them I am sure St. Paul teacheth another doctrine 1 Cor. 6.12 All things are lawfull unto me but all things are not expedient things indifferent are lawfull though they be not profitable All things are lawfull for me but I will not be brought under the power of any And I would faine have any man resolve me whether they be not equally in bondage under the power of things indifferent as well those that thinke it a sinne to use them as those that thinke it a sin to omit them Calvin affirmes against the Anabaptists that one maine use of politicall administration is Vt inter Christianos publica religionis facies existat And he tels us that there is some Authority requisite in the Governours of the Church that they may bee able to order it aright Whiles he disputes against the tyranny of popish prelats he saies Ibid. c. 10. § 6. Si veri essent Episcopi he would grant them Aliquid authoritatis non quantum sibi postulant sed quantum ad notitiam ecclesiae rite ordinandam requiritur And els where he tels us that some constitutions Ibid. 3. c. 19. § 15. quae ad spirituale regnum videntur pertinere legitimae habendae sunt ut dei verbo consentance The reason is sound why those rules of our superiours touching the use of things indifferent are to be obeyed In confes fidei c. 5. § 16. because as Beza saith Ejusmodi constitutiones quod attinet ad finem fundamentum nempe generale illud decorum quod nobis observandum praecipitur divinae sunt ac caelestes And although if we respect the speciall forme they are humane and mutable and doe not per se proprie obligare conscientiam yet Si quidem probae et justae sunt hactenus nos illis obligari ut ecclesiae aedificationi tedant offendiculum vitemus * Not those which are obedient to Authority but the refractory should be reputed scandalous See the imitation of Christ lib. 1. c. 9. Smectymnuus tels us many consciencious men have conformed to ceremonies upon this ground as supposing that Authority did not make them matters of worship but of order and decencie and thus they satisfied their consciences in answering those Texts Col. 2.20.21.22 Mat. 15.9 From whence we may gather thus much 1. That Authority may command 2. That consciencious men wil obey 3. That conscience may be satisfied about things indifferent And I hope this may satisfie the Reader Finis The Parallel Surveyed THere was a Booke brought lately to my hands bearing this Title A Parallel c. And though it be but a contingent line drawn over our Liturgy for he professes he doth not write against that * The Protestation Protested is mistaken that call it a parallel between the English Liturgie and the Masse book for it is the Scottish c. yet I make no question but I shall even by this find out the right Meridian of Gods pure worship without enclining to the East of Innovation or declining to the West the night of superstition The whole Booke I will reduce to three heads 1. Something 's that seeme to make against our Liturgie 2. Something 's that make for it 3. Some grosse errors and abuses discovered I shall answer and cleare the first sort of things take the benefit or advantage of the second and joyne with him in the condemnation of the third following the method of the Author And first of that which seemes to make against the
up I conceive the Ancients caused it so to be ordered for the dignity of the Gospell And the Church may for the like reason order that in the reading the Gospell should be ushered in with an Epistle 2. If the Author were put to that streight that he should have but one part of the new Testament I am perswaded that he would preferre the Gospel of our Saviour and yet I should have more charity in mee then to conclude in his words That hereby The Epistle was contumeliously debased but the Gospell superstitiously exalted Pag. 21. A second abuse is Pag. 20. and surely 't is a great one that the Acts Revelation c. are stiled Epistles and surely he abused the Scripture very much that said It was the Epistle of Almighty God sent to his Church The third abuse is Pag. 21. that never a full passage is read but a shred And I pray why Why because wee begin after the beginning of a Chapter And truly he might have said as much of a Chapter if he had pleased that it is but a shread though I dare not say so for all men know the holy Pen-men of the Scriptures did not divide their Writings into Chapters but it was done afterwards and we see that men have differed too in the division of them and I see no reason but any particular Church may appoint what portions of Scripture she thinks fittest to be read at severall times Now whereas he sayes there is not a full passage read because they cut off before the end of a Chapter I would faine have any man instance in any one Epistle or Gospel where the sense shuts not up as fully as the 21 Chapter of the Acts doth As for the Gospel in particular I say but two things 1. That hee may finde better reasons for the choise of them then conformity with Sarum if hee would take the paines to consult with Hooker who hath abundantly answered all cavels about the Liturgie 2. If there be any foolish superstitions in the heads of some men about the Gospel we must not so farre runne into prophanenesse as to make the Gospel guilty of it nor faulty for it for upon such grounds wee should shortly have cause to abandon our whole Bible as well as our Liturgie I think there is no man will speake against the Pag. 22. Creed which is produced in the next place except Jo. Turner would have his inserted in stead of that which was drawne up by a Councell Pag. 24. For the predication as he calls it or Sermon I think none can speake against it but Shelford and birds of the same feather that commonly sing the same note too Thus I have done with that which seemes to make against our Liturgie which perhaps the Author did not intend to such a purpose for in other parts of his book hee hath beene a good compurgator as I shall observe in the second place His whole book I may stile a perfect glasse in which we may see how cleane the face of our Liturgie is washed from all Popish superstitions how decently dressed Pag. 6. Wee may see to use his owne words how that black body that most mistie and dark piece is cleared And who can see this change from darknesse to light and not be thankfull In the first place He saith of the Homilies of the Church of England Pag. 26. they are most orthodox The same is said at the Assembly in Glasgow p. 88. and composed by the most sound Fathers of that English Church since the Reformation And why shal not the Liturgie composed by some and approved by others of them be of the same stamp Concerning the offertory Chap. 4. Page 31. He sayes that all the Rubricks in our English Liturgie hinder the abuse and misapplication of the almes of the people Pag. 33. The Church of England detesting this abuse offering up of the bread and wine plucked it up by the root put it far away from their book Pag. 36. But no wayes the English for in this place they passe the honour of the Saints they speake not of the benefit of the dead and the blessings they crave to the living have no reference at all to the oblation of bread and wine for they have plucked up by the root that pestiferous weed Pag. 43. Cap. 5. Pag. 43. Speaking of those peeces of the Canon whereby the consecration and oblation of the great Sacrifice as they call it is performed he saith This unhappy heart the English had pulled out that the serpent might never againe revive amongst them Pag. 44. Pag. 44. A Rubrick for consecration alone then had beene suspicious especially here where the English Pag. 44. yea no reformed Liturgie had any formes of consecration Note here hee acknowledgeth that there are reformed Liturgies besides ours Pag. 47. Pag. 47. When the prayer which stood here in the English Liturgie is some impediment in their way opposing their Popish consecration c. Pag. 50. The English book hath two sentences which crosse transubstantiation and are against the corporall presence in the elements Pag. 61. Cap. 6. Pag. 61. A Rubrick for oblation they the English have none The most of this prayer in the English is put after the Communion to be a thanksgiving and a spirituall sacrifice of praise to God for the blessings in the communion received Pag. 62. Pag. 62. These words Accept this our Sacrifice c. as in the English Liturgie they stand in a thanks-giving after the Communion have no such shew of a proper outward unbloody Sacrifice Pag. 75. The English avoid all these superstitions Cap. 7. Innocents rule Pag. 75. to say it The Lords prayer on the consecrate hostie they abhorre and put the prayer in a place where it cannot be possibly so abused Pag. 76. Pag. 76. The English have indeed this prayer That our bodies may be clensed by his body c. But in a place that puts it out of all suspition to wit before the consecration Pag. 82. Pag. 82. That golden sentence of the English Liturgie that served much to hinder what ever evill imagination people might have taken of a grosse corporall presence of Christs body and blood in the elements or on the Altar either from the words in hand or any other that golden saying Eate this in remembrance of me The Speech at Glasgow p. 60. For feare of Popish transubstantiation the English put to this sentence Drink this in remembrance c. These words of the Masse Vt fiat corpus sanguis whence all Papists this day conclude Transubstantiation the English put out of their booke for feare to further by them this heresie pag. 93. Pag. 93. The golden sentences of the English which here were put in as Antidotes to the venome of Transubstantiation Reader by this thou may'st see the great evils wherewith saith R. B. K. * In the Preface to his Parallel the English Liturgie hath afflicted both Church and State Surely that was one which hee speakes of pag. 47. That some of these prayers were an impediment in their way that compiled the Scotish Booke opposing their Popish consecration Me thinks our Liturgie might take up the words of our Saviour against his enemies Many good works have I shewed you for which of them doe you stone me Touching the third part which I made of the book a Discoverie of errours I shall heartily joyn in evidence with the Author and sue for Justice But yet I must professe that notwithstanding all that is demonstrated against it I can see no reason but that all those most abominable passages of the Masse may in good reason be refused and abhorred too by those that doe cordially embrace the English Liturgie Lord we beseech thee to keepe thy Church and household continually in thy true Religion that they which doe leane onely upon the hope of thy heavenly grace may evermore be defended by thy mighty power through Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS Errata Read through every page An Epistle to a private friend p. 6. l. 28 r. in this valley p. 23. l. 23. r. to be beaten p. 30. l. 36. r. ebullition p. 31 l. 13. r. affect In the Margin Pag. 10 r. Granad p. 13. r. in Domino