Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	form_n	prayer_n	use_v	4,815	5	5.9954	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26945	The judgment of Mr. Baxter concerning ceremonies and conformity with a short reflection upon a scandalous pamphlet intituled, A proposition for the safety and happiness of the king and kingdom : in a letter to a gentleman of the House of Commons.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.; Gentleman of the House of Commons.	1667 (1667)	Wing B1290; ESTC R5453	5,194	18

there is no Law there is no Transgression And yet I have heard very Reverend men answer this That it is enough that it is not commanded though not forbidden Which is plainly to deny both Scripture and Civil Principles Now for the Minor That a stinted Liturgy is not forbidden we need no other proof than that no Prohibition can be produced Argument 6. If it be lawful for the People to use a stinted Form of words in Publick Prayer then is it in it self lawful for the Pastors but it is lawful for the People for the Pastors prayer which they must pray over with him and not onely hear it is a stinted Form to them even as much as if he had learnt it out of a Book They are to follow him in his Method and Words as if it were a book-Book-Prayer Argument 7. It is lawful to use a Form in Preaching therefore a stinted Liturgy is lawful 1. Because Preaching is a part of that Liturgy 2. Because the reason is the same for Prayer as for that in the main Argument 8. That which hath been the practice of the Church in Scripture-times and down to this day and is yet the practice of almost all the Churches of Christ on earth is not like to be unlawful but such is the use of some stinted forms of Publick Service therefore c. That it was so in the Jews Church and approved by Christ I have shewed That it hath been of ancient use in the Church since Christ and is at this day in use in Africk Asia Europe even among the Reformed Churches in France Holland Geneva c. is so well known that I think I need not stand to prove it yea those few that seem to disuse it do yet use it in Psalms and other parts of Worship As for the Common-Prayer it self I never rejected it because it was a Form nor thought it simply unlawful because it was such a Form but have made use of it and would do again in the like case Of Ceremonies The Ceremonies controverted among us were especially The Surplice the Gesture of Kneeling in receiving the Lords Supper the Ring in Marriage Laying the hand on the Book in taking an Oath the Organs and Church-Musick Holy-dayes Altars Rails and the Cross in Baptism Of the Surplice Some decent Habit is necessary either the Magistrate or the Minister himself or the Associated Pastors must determine what I think neither Magistrate nor Synod should do any more than hinder Undecency But yet if they do more and tye all to One Habit and suppose it were an undecent Habit yet this is but an imprudent use of Power It is a thing within the Magistrates reach he doth not an aliene work but his own work amiss and therefore the thing in it self being lawful I would obey him and use that garment if I could not be dispensed with Yea though Secondarily the Whiteness be to signifie Purity and so it be made a teaching sign yet would I obey Of Kneeling at the Sacrament But yet as sinfully as this Gesture was imposed for my part I did obey the Imposers and would do if it were to do again rather than disturbe the Peace of the Church or be deprived of its Communion For God having made some Gesture necessary and confined me to none but left it to Humane Determination I shall submit to Magistrates in their proper work even when they miss it in the manner I am not sure that Christ intended the example of himself and his Apostles as obligatory to us that shall succeed I am sure it proves sitting lawful but I am not sure that it proves it necessary though very convenient But I am sure he hath commanded me Obedience and Peace Of the Ring in Marriage And for the Ring in Marriage I see no reason to scruple the lawfulness of it For though the Papists make a Sacrament of Marriage yet we have no reason to take it for any Ordinance of Divine Worship any more than the solemnizing of a Contract between a Prince and People All things are sanctified and pure to the pure Of Organs and Church Musick And for Organs or other Instruments of Musick in Gods Worship they being a Help partly Natural and partly Artificial to the exhilerating of the spirits for the praise of God I know no argument to prove them simply unlawful but what would prove a Cup of wine unlawful or the tune and meeter and melody of singing unlawful Of Holy-Dayes Nor for my part do I make any scruple to keep a Day in Remembrance of any Eminent Servant of Christ or Martyr to praise God for their Doctrine or Example and honour their Memorial But the hardest part of the Question is whether it be lawful to keep Days in celebrating the Memorial of Christs Nativity Circumcision Fasting Transfiguration Ascension and such like And yet for all this I am resolved if I live where such Holy-days as these are observed to censure no man for observing them nor would I deny them Liberty to follow their judgments if I had the power of their liberties provided they use not reproach and violence to others and seek not to deprive them of their Liberties Yea more I would not onely give men their Liberty in this but if I lived under a Government that peremptorily commanded it I would observe the outward rest of such a Holi-day and I would preach on it and joyn with the Assemblies in Gods Worship on it Yea I would thus observe the Day rather than offend a weak Brother or hinder any mans salvation much more rather than I would make any division in the Church Of Altars and Rails And for the next Ceremony the Name and form of an Altar no doubt it is a thing indifferent whether the Table stand this way or that way and the Primitive Churches used commonly the names of Sacrifice and Altar and Priest and I think lawfully for my part I shall not be he that shall condemn them I conceive that the dislike of these things in England the form and name of an Altar and the Rails about it was not as if they were simply evil Whether we shall receive the Lords Supper at a Table or in our seats and whether the Table shall be of wood or stone whether it shall be round or long or square whether it shall stand in the East or West-end of the Temple or in the middle whether it shall have Rails or no Rails All these are left to Humane Prudence Of the Cross in Baptism But of all our Ceremonies there is none that I have more suspected to be simply unlawful than the Cross in Baptism Yet I dare not peremptorily say that it is unlawful nor will I condemn either Antients or Moderns that use it nor will I make any disturbance in the Church about it more than my own forbearance will make I presume not to censure them that judge it lawful but onely give the Reasons that make me doubt and rather think it to be unlawful though still with a suspicion of my own understanding Ambros contr Symmach Unus quis que patienter ferat si non extor que atur Imperatori quod moleste ferret si ei extor quere cuperet Imperator FINIS P. 18 19. P. 6. Disp. 4. P. 361. Disp 5. P. 400 P. 400. P. 401. Ibid. P. 423. P. 424. P. 396. P. 398. Disp 4. P. 358. P. 359. P. 361. P. 364. P. 421. P. 409. P. 409. P. 411. P. 411. P. 412 * In point of Lawfulness For Conveniency is according to several accidents P. 412 413. P. 416. P. 417. Ibid. Ibid. P. 401 402. P. 417. P. 418.

THE JUDGMENT OF Mr. BAXTER CONCERNING CEREMONIES AND CONFORMITY WITH A SHORT REFLECTION upon a Scandalous Pamphlet Intituled A Proposition for the Safety and Happiness of the KING and KINGDOM IN A LETTER to a GENTLEMAN of the House of Commons LONDON Printed for R. Jenaway in the Year 1667 SIR I Suppose the Pamphlet which you sent mee was designed rather to let me see the Impudence of this Licentious Age than to draw me into the Impertinence of Answering it The Lameness of the Style the Sence and the Coherence but especially the Weakness of what he calls Arguments make me ashamed to deal with such an Adversary Yet in running it over I could not but observe this one Confession It is not the Dignity of the Bishops their Lordships and Revenues It is not their Cathedrals Organs and their Divine Service in what State and Magnificence they please It is not Common Prayer no nor any Ceremony of the Church whatsoever for all its significancy if it be but a circumstance of Worship and no more that could hinder most of the Sober Nonconformists to come over to you but it is these Declarations Subscriptions and Oaths which you impose on them in your Acts. Now though I think it no hard matter to make it appear that these Declarations Subscriptions and Oaths contain nothing in them but what is absolutely necessary to the Safety of the Church and State and that those men who refuse to make such Acknowledgments and Engagements are utterly unfit to be intrusted with the Cure of Souls and the office of Preaching to the People which like other good things as it is excellent in the Use so is it no less dangerous in the Abuse Yet supposing for once that these Oaths and Subscriptions were as unlawful as they would have the World believe What is this to those that are not required to Subscribe or Swear Is not this a plain Acknowledgement that notwithstanding all these Clamors against the Governours and the Ceremonies of the Church yet there is indeed no just ground of separating from either since no Swearing or Subscription is required of the Multitude of which they so much boast and whose Cause they pretend to plead Of these by their own Confession as many as are Judicious and Sober may come over and Conform So that we have only a few Factious Men that call themselves Ministers that make all this Noise as if for their sakes the KING and PARLIAMENT must undoe all that they have done for the Restoring of Religion and good Order in the Church and preserving Peace in the State and because the City and the Ships have been lately burnt these Men that are well skilled in blowing Coals must have leave to set the whole Kingdome in a Flame The Worthy Gentlemen of your House will I hope consider this Which that you may not look upon only as an unwary word dropt from a loose Pen I shall add for Confirmation what I long since observed in a Book written by a great Rabbie of that Tribe under the Title of Five Disputations of Church Government and Worship Printed at London 1659. A time when he could have but small encouragement to say more than be thought in this matter THE JUDGMENT OF Mr. BAXTER CONCERNING CEREMONIES AND CONFORMITY THose Modes or Circumstances of Worship which are Necessary in Genere but left undetermined by God in Specie are left by God to humane Prudential Determination else an Impossibility should be necessary But many such there are that are Necessary in Genere but left undetermined of God in Specie therefore many such are left to humane Prudential Determination § 5. Yet it is in the Power of man to determine of such Modes and Circumstances as are necessary to the performance of that Worship which God hath instituted in his Word and therefore lawful Governors may in such Cases bind us by their Commands 1. It is left to humane Determination what Place the Publick Assemblies shall be held in 2. It is left to man to determine of the Time of Holy Duties except only where God hath determined of it already 3. It is left to the Determination of humane Prudence what Utensils to employ about the Publick Worship of God Here therefore we must thus conclude 1. That every misordering of such great affairs is the sin of them that do it 2. But yet that the Subject is not exempted from Obedience by every such mistake of the Governor but by some he is § 67. If the mischoosing of such Circumstances by Church-Governors be but an Inconvenience and do not destroy the Ordinance it self or frustrate the Ends of it we are to obey 1. For he is the Judge of his own work and not we 2. The thing is not sinful though inconvenient 3. Obedience is commanded to our lawful Governors We must obey in all things lawful And when we do obey in a Case of Miscommanding it is not a doing evil that good may come of it as some do misconceive but it is only a submitting to that which is ill commanded but not evil in him that doth submit It is the Determiner that is the cause of the Inconvenience and not the Obeyer Nor is it inconvenient for me to Obey though it be worse perhaps to him that Commandeth While he sinneth in Commanding he may make it my Duty to Obey § 6. Dist 4. We must distinguish between Ceremonies imposed by a Lawful Magistrate or Church-Governors and such as are imposed by Usurpers or Men without Authority § 25. Prop. 12. It may be very sinful to command some Ceremonies which may lawfully yea must in Duty be used by the Subject when they are commanded § 27. Prop. 14. Yet certain things that are commonly called Ceremonies may lawfully be used in the Church upon Humane Imposition and when it is not against the Law of God no person should disobey the Commands of their Lawful Governors in such things Of set-Set-Forms and the Book of Common-Prayer Prop. 1. A Stinted Liturgy is in it self Lawful 2. A Stinted Liturgy in some parts of Publick Service is ordinarily necessary 3. In the parts where it is not of Necessity it may not onely be submitted to but desired when the Peace of the Church requireth it 7. The safest way of Composing such a Publick Form is to take it all for Matter and Words out of the Holy Scriptures 8. Yet is not this of such Necessity but that we may joyn in it or use it if the Form of Words be not from Scripture Prop. 1. A Stinted Liturgie is in it self Lawful This is thus proved Argument 1. That which is not directly or consequentially forbidden by God remaineth lawful A stinted Liturgy is not directly or consequentially forbidden by God therefore it remaineth lawful The Major is undoubted because nothing but a Prohibition can make a thing unlawful Sin is a transgression of a Law where