about the time of the Jews destruction Gamâ—liel and his Sanhedrim added a nineteenth Prayer and after him others so that at length the daily service grew to an 100 Prayers That it is likely that the Pagans come to use their set Forms in their Sacrifice also and perhaps the Mahumedans too by the example of the Jewish Church for which he there referres the Reader to many Books of the Learned I conceive the authoritie of this Gentleman hath not been despised by the House of Commons and the Assemblers when it hath chanced to agree with their designes or interest and therefore I have thus farre as an Argument ad homines insisted on it Sect. 16 3. The not onely practice but precept of Christ in the New Testament who did not only use himself a set form of words in prayer three times together using the same words Matth. 26. 44. and upon the Crosse in the same manner praying in the Psalmists words onely changed into the Syriack dialect which was then the vulgar but also commanded the use of those very words of his perfect form which it seems he meant not onely as a pattern but a form it self as the Standard weight is not only the measure of all weights but may it self be used Luke 11. 2. when you pray say Our Father c. which precept no man can with a good conscience ever obey that holds all set forms necessary to be cast out of the Church Sect. 17 4. The practice not onely of John the Baptist who taught his disciples to pray Luke 11. 1. which occasioned Christs Disciples to demand and him to give them a form of Prayer but especially of the Apostles of which we find intimations 1. Cor. 14. 26. When you come together every one of you hath a Psalm which sure referres to some of the Psalms of David or Asaph used then ordinarily in their devotions and that as even now I said authorized by the example of Christ himself upon the Crosse who it is thought repeated the whole 22. Psalm it is certain the first verse of it My God my God why hast thou for saken me and so certainly a set form and that of Prayer too of which thanksgivings and Praises are a part But because every one had his severall Psalm it is therefore reprehended by the Apostle as tending to confusion and by that consequence S. Pauls judgement is thence deducible for the joyning of all in the same form as being the onely course tending to edification in the end of that verse and then sure 't would be hard that that which the Apostle conceived the onely course for edifying should now be necessarie to be turn'd out of the Church as contrary to edification Farther yet 't is clear by text that the Apostles when they met together to holy duties such are Fasting Prayer receiving the Sacrament continued very long time sometimes a whole day together This being too much to be alwayes continued in the Church and unsuteable to every mans businesse is said to have been the occasion that S. James first made choice of some speciall Prayers most frequently by them used which was after called his Liturgie which or some other in the disguise of that the Greek Church still use on solemn dayes This also being of the longest for every dayes use St Basil is said to have shortned and that again St Chrisostome how certain these reports are I shall not take upon me to affirm but onely adde that the Greek Church who are most likely to know the truth of it by their records do retain all these three Liturgies and would loudly laugh at any man that should make doubt whether St James St Basil and St Chrysostome were not the Authours of them 2. That the judgement of that Church if they are deceived also and may not be thought worthy to be heeded by our Assemblers is yet an argument of great authoritie to any prudent man if not that these Liturgies were purely the same with those which were written by that Apostle and those holy men yet that there were such things as Liturgies of their penning The like might be added of that short form of St Peters which alone they say was used in the Roman Church for a great while till after by some Popes it was augmented and the same of St Marks Liturgy I am sure St Augustine speaking of some forms retained in the Church and still to be found in our Liturgie particularly that of Sursum corda Lift up your hearts c. faith that they are verba ab ipsis Apostolorum temporibus petita words fetcht from the times of the Apostles which supposes that they did use such Forms And for that particular mentioned by St Augustine it is agreeable to the Constitutions of the Apostles l. 8. c. 16. which collection if it be not so ancient as it pretends doth yet imitate Apostolicall antiquity and so in St James's and Basils and Chrysostomes Liturgy in the same words with our Book as farre as to the word bounden and for many other such particular Forms used by us we find them in Cyril of Jerusalems Catechisme one of the ancientest Authours we have and then that it should be necessary for the Church to turn out what the Apostles had thus brought into it will not easily be made good by our Assemblers Sect. 18 Fifthly The practice of the Universall Church from that time to this which is so notorious to any that is conversant in the writings of the Ancient Fathers and of which so many testimonies are gathered together for many mens satisfaction by Cassander and other writers of the Liturgica that 't were a reproach to the Reader to detain or importune him with testimonies of that nature To omit the practice of Constantine who prescribed a form for his Souldiers a Copy of which we have in Euseb de vit Const l. 4. c. 20. I shall onely mention two grand testimonies for set Forms one in the 23 Canon of the third Councell of Carthage Quascunque sibipreces aliquis describet noniis utatur â—ise priùs oas cum instructioribus fratribus contulerit No man may use any Prayers which he hath made unlesse he first consult with other learneder Christians about theÌ„ And the other more punctuall Concil Milev c. 12. Placuit ut precesquae probatae fuerintin Concilio ab omnibus celebrentur Nec alia omninò dicaÌ„tur in Ecclesia nisi quae à prudentioribus tractantur vel comprobatae in Synode fuerint no fortè aliquid contra fidem aut per ignorantiam aut per minus studium sit compositum It was resolv'd on that the Prayers that were approv'd in the Councell should be used by all that no other should be said in the Church but those that had been weighed by the more prudent or approv'd in a Synod lest any thing either through ignorance or negligence should be doÌ„ne against the Faith Instead of such Citations and because
whatsoever argument is brought from that Topick of Ecclesiasticall tradition is now presently defamed with the title of Popish and Antichristian because forsooth Antichrist was a working early in the Apostles time and every thing that we have not a mind to in antiquity must needs be one of those works I shall rather choose to mention another as a more convincing argument ad homines and that is Sect. 19 Sixthly The judgement and practice of the Reformed in other Kingdomes even Calvin himself in severall ample testimonies one in his Notes upon Psal 20. 1. another in his Epistle to the Protector I shall not give my self licence to transcribe these or multiply more such Testimonies onely for the honour not onely of Liturgie in generall but particularly of our Liturgie 't will be worth remembring that Gilbertus a German many yeers since in a book of his propounds our Book of prayer for a sample of the Forms of the ancient Church And for the purity of it through Reformation that Crâ—nmer procured the King Edwards common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book to be translated into Latin sent it to Bucer required his judgement of it who answer'd that there was nothing in it but what was taken out of the word of God or which was not against it commodeÌ„ acceptum being taken in a good sence some things indeed saith he quae nisi quis c. unlesse they be interpreted with Candor may seem not so agreeable to the word of God which unquiet men may wrest uâ—te matter of contention As may be seen at large in Bucers Scripta Anglicana Upon this occasion this Book of King Edwards was again survey'd and in those particulars that were Subject to such Cavills corrected After which time the quarrels about that Book were generally with the Papists not so much with the opposite extreame and therefore John Ould in Queen Maries dayes wrote against them in defence of it and of the King Edwards Reformation And Cranmer made a challenge that if he might be permitted by the Queen to take to him P. Martyr and foure or five more they would enter the lists with any Papists living and defend the Common-Prayer-Book to be perfectly agreeable to the Word of God and the same in effect which had been for 1500 yeers in the Church of Christ This for the reputation of the Book Then for the fruit and benefit that by the use of it redounded to Christians take an essay by Mr John Hullier Fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge who was Martyr'd in Queen Maries dayes Ann. 1557. and being at the stake among many other books that were thrown into the fire to him it hapned that a Common-Prayer-Book fell between his hands which he joyfully receiving opened and read till the flame and smoke suffered him not to see any more and then he fell to prayer holding his hands up to heaven and the book betwixt his arms next his heart thanking God for that mercy in sending him it the relation is Mr Foxes and from thence the plea authentick that the tree that bare wholsome fruit should not be cut down by the law Deut. 10. 20. even when Warre was to be made on a City and as Maimon addes l. de Idol though it were worshipt for an Idoll and if that which was then of so dear esteem be now so necessary to be cast our it is an ill indication of the times into which we are fallen Sect. 20 Seventhly The reasons on which the very Heathens themselves took up the same practice which was universall it seems through all the world more Catholick then the Church it self To this purpose beside those Authors which Mr Selden refers to I shall onely adde these three testimonies first of Plato l. 7. de leg where he commands that what ever Prayers or Hymnes the Poets composed to the Gods they should first shew them to the Priests as if they were in a manner leprous till then before they publisht them leâ—t they should ask evil things in stead of good an infirmity that these dayes are very subject unto The second in Thucyd. l. 6. p. 434. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Set forms for severall occasions and a common joynt sending them up to heaven The third in Alexander ab Alex. l. 4 c. 17. that the Gentiles read their Prayers out of a Book before their Sacrifices Nè quid praeposterè dicatur aliquis ex scriptâ— praeire ad verbum referre solitus est That the work might not be done proposterously Which two reasons of theirs the one lest they should stray in the matter of their Prayers the other lest offend in the manner may passe for Christian reasons as seasonable with us as they were among them And no necessitie that those reasons should be despised by us neither Sect. 21 Eightly The irrationall concludings or shortnesse of discourse of those which are against set forms especially in two things the first observed by D. Preston whose memory is I hope not lost among these Assemblers and made use of in a Printed work of his to the confuting of them That while they in opposition to set Forms require the Minister to conceive a Prayer for the Congregation they observe not that the whole Congregation is by that means as much stinted and bound to a set Form to wit of those words which the Minister conceives as if he read them out of a book 2. That the persons with whom we have now to deal though they will not prescribe any Form of Prayer yet venture to prescribe the matter of it in these words pag. 14. the Minister is to call upon the Lord to this effect Now why the prescription of the matter is not the stinting of the Spirit as well as the form of words unlesse the Spirit like the Heathen Mercury be the God of eloquence and be thought to deal in the words onely or why the promise of dabitur in illâ horâ it shall be given you in that houre should not be as full a promise for matter as for expressions especially when that Text forbids care or provision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely how but what they should speak and the promise is peculiarly for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it shall be given you what you shall speak and this is it that is attributed to the Spirit v. 20. from whence if I should conclude that the holy Ghost taught the Disciples onely the matter of their answer and they themselves were left to put it in form of words there is nothing in that Text against that assertion and that it was so in their penning of the New Testament many probable Arguments might be produced if it were now seasonable and consequently why the prescribing of one should not be unreasonable in them that condemne all prescribing of the other I confesse is one of those things which my charity hath made me willing to impute to the shortnesse of discourse because I am unwilling to
the turning God and Christ and all the Articles of the Creed out of mens brains also and not as yet it is onely out of their hearts what is the necessitie of doing it will not so easily be resolved even by him that hath imbibed the Assemblers principles unlesse it be to gratifie the Separatists who are profest deniers of one Article that of the Holy Catholick Church resolving the end and the effect of the Holy Ghosts descent to have been onely to constitute particular Congregations and none else As for the great pattern of the Presbyterians the practice of Geneva or Scotland that appears by Knocks Common Prayer Book to have allowed a set form of Confession of Faith and designed it for the publick use as the first thing in that Booke of Prayers though the truth is the Apostles or other ancient Creeds being set aside one of the Geneva forming is fain to supply the place of them which yet by the setting the severall parts of the Apostles Creed in the margent both there and in the order of Baptisme appears rather to be an interpretation of it and so still the Separatists must be the onely men in the Church fit to be considered or else apparently there is no such Politicall necessitie of this neither Sect. 34 For the fifth thing the so frequent repetition of the Lords Prayer and Prayers for the King in our Service this account may be briefly given of it For the former that in our Common-Prayer Book there be severall Services for severall occasions of the Sacraments c. for severall dayes as the Letany for severall times in the day not onely Morning and Evening but one part to be said earlier in the morning and then toward noone a return to another part as the ancient Primitives had three Services in a forenoon 1. that for the Catechumeni consisting of Prayers Psalms and Readings then a 2. for the Penitents such as our Letany and a 3. for the Fideles the Faithfull our Communion Service and even that which is assigned to one time so discontinued by Psalms and Hymnes and Lessons that it becomes in a manner two Services clearly two times of Prayer Now our Saviour commanding when you pray say our Father we have accordingly so assigned it to be once repeated in every such part of Service and I remember to have heard one of the gravest and most reverend men of the Assembly being asked his opinion about the use of the Lords Prayer to have answer'd to this purpose God forbid that I should ever be upon my knees in Prayer and rise up without adding Christs form to my imperfect petitions And whereas this Directory is so bountifull as to recommend this Praier to be used in the Praiers of the Church and yet so wary as but to recommend it it is thereby confest that it is lawfull to retain a set Form for that is surely so and then the often using of a lawfull thing will not make it unlawfull but withall that Christs command in point of his Service shall no more oblige to obedience then the commands of men for if it did this would be more then recommended And now why that which may say they commendably must say we necessarily in obedience to Christ be used in the Prayers of the Church and being repeated oftner then once shall be usefull to him who was not come at the first saying or may be said more attentively by him who had before been too negligent should be necessary to be used but once when all mens zeal or understanding of so divine a Forme or perhaps presence at that part of the Service shall not necessarily go along with it I leave to more subtle Diuiners to instruct us This I am sure of that God hath made a peculiar promise to importunity in Prayer to a coming often to him on the same errand and Luk. 18. 5. by a phrase in the Parable seems to say that he that comes oft to God in this manner will at length force him to shame if he do not grant his Petition for that is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And from thence the Fathers use a bold phrase in their Liturgies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I put thee to shame i. e. importune thee Basil in Liturg and in the Psaltery of the Greek Church which hath many Prayers mixt with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlesse thy own goodnesse put thee to shame c. Now that this will not be subject to the censure of vain repetitions Mat. 6. 7. which is the onely exception made against it if the example of David Psal 136. be not sufficient to authorize the repeating any Form often which is as faultlesse as that was might largely be evidenced 1. by the nature of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used which both Hesychius and Suidas apply to another matter and explain it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long idle unseasonable forms such as Battus used in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his long-winded Hymns so full of Tautologies which Munster therefore rendreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not multiply words unprofitably or unseasonably 2. by the customes of the Heathens which Christ there referres to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 use not c. as the Heathens and which are evident in their writers especially their Tragedians where 't is plain that their manner was to sound or chant for many houres together some few empty words to the honour of their Gods such the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their Bacchanals from the noise of which they were call'd Evantes such in Sophocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and especially in the Virgins Chorus of Aeschylus's Tragedy called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where there are near an hundred verses made up of meer Tautologies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and an enumeration of the severall names of the Gods with unsignificant noises added to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and within two verses the same again and much more of the same stile Two notable examples of this Heathenish custome the Scripture affords us one 1. Kings 18. 26. where the Prophets of Baal from morning till noon cry O Baal hear us and it follows they cryed with a loud voice and cut themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their custome or rites that loud crying the same words so long together was as much a heathenish rite as the cutting of themselves The other of Ephesians Acts 19. 34. who are affirm'd to have cryed with one voice for two houres space 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great is Diana of the Ephesians and 3. by the designed end that Christ observes of that heathen custome 1. that they may be heard by that long noise for which Elias scoâ—â—es them 1. Kings 18. 27. Cry aloud perhaps your God is a talking or a pursuing c. 2. that their Petitions may be more intelligible to their
us to observe in them who place the worship of God especially in hearing have extorted thus much from us which may be usefull to give us a due valuation of Sermon and Prayer the former as a duty of a Christian the latter a duty too and an elicite act a prime speciall part of worship also Sect. 11 And whereas ' â—is added that the Liturgie by many is made no better then an Idol 1. That is a speech of great cunning but withall of great uncharitablenesse cunning in setting the words so cautiously thus not an Idoll but no better then as they that will rayl but would not pay for it whose fear doth moderate the petulancy of their spleen and covetousnesse keep them from letting any thing fall that the Law may take hold of are wont to do and yet withall signifying as odiously as if it had been made an Idoll indeed Whereas the plain literall sense of the words if it be taken will be this that an Idoll is not worse then our Common-Prayer Book is to many or that it is used by many as ill as an Idol is wont to be used which is then the most bitter peice of uncharitablenes if not grounded on certain knowledge and that impossible to be had by others as could be imagined The truth is this Directory hath now proved that there is a true sense of these words the Compilers of which have demonstrated themselves to be those many that have made our Liturgie no better then an Idoll have dealt with it as the good Kings did with the abominations of the Heathens brake it in peices ground it to powder thrown the dust of it into the Brook for abolition is the plain sence for which that is the metaphor But then a 'T is possible the calme meaning of those odious words is no more then this that many have given this an estimation higher then it deserves If any such there be I desire not to be their advocate having to my task onely the vindication of it's just esteem but yet cannot resist the temptation which prompts me to return to you that some men ar neer the golden mean as the Assemblers have said the like of Preaching though not exprest it in so large a Declamatory figure and I shall ask whether you have not possibly given them some occasion to do so as great perhaps as hath been given you to passe this sentence on on them at least now confirmed them in so doing by applying or appropriating to the Preaching of the word in the Modern notion of it and as in your Directory it is distinguisht from reading of the Scriptures the title which St Paul gives to the Gospel of Christ saying that it is the Power of God unto Salvation and one of the greatest and most excellent works of the Ministry of the Gospel p. 27 which former clause of power of Cod. c. though it be most truly affirmed by S. Paul of their Preaching the Gospel and also truly applied or accommodated to that Preaching or interpreting of Scripture which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the due application of the Scripture rule to particular cases yet is it not true in universum of all that is now adayes call'd Preaching much of that kind being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a mortiferous poysonous savour not to them that perish but to the most Christian auditory it meets with And that the railing of every Pulpit Rabshakeh the speaking evil of Dignities c. should be stiled the power of God to Salvation I have little temptation to believe And whether the latter clause be true also I refer you to S. Aug. Ep. 108. ad Honorat where speaking of damages that come to the people by the absence of the Minister and consequently of necessaria Ministeria the speciall usefull necessary acts of the Ministry he names the Sacraments and receiving of Penitents and giving of comfort to them but mentions neither Praying nor Preaching in that place I shall adde no more but that some have on these and the like grounds been tempted to say that you idolize Preaching because you attribute so much to any the worst kind of that above what others have conceived to be its due proportion And yet we hope you think not fit to abolish Preaching on that suggestion and consequently that it will be as unjust to abolish Liturgy on the like though it should be prov'd a true one this being clearly the fault of Men end not of Liturgy as that even now of the Lycaonians and not of Paul especially when the many which are affirmed to have thus offended by Idolizing the Liturgy are said to be ignorant and superstitious whose faults errors and imprudencies if they may prove matter sufficient for such a sentence may also rob us of all the treasures we have of our Bibles Souls also For thus hath the Gospel been used as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or charm and that is but little better then an Idol and so have some persons been had in admiration and beleeved as if they were infallible and so in a manner Idoliz'd also and that this should be a capitall crime in them that were thus admired would be a new peice of severitie that few of Draco's Laws could parallel Sect. 12 The next charge which is an appendant proof of this is that the People pleasing themselves in their presence at that Service and their Lip-labour in bearing a part in it have thereby hardned themselves in their ignorance and carelesnesse of saving knowledge and true piety To this I answer 1. That 't is no fault to be so pleased with presence at that service the congregation of many Saints is to any a pleasing company and therefore if it were immediate to and inseparable from the Liturgy would not be a charge against it nor in any probability hinder but advance the desire and acquisition of saving knowledge and true piety which is there proposed to all that are present at the Liturgy But if the phrase signifie being pleased with the bare presence or the being present and doing nothing of that they come for as the lip labour seems to denote the hard labour of the lip and not joyning any zeal or intention of the heart it is but then an uncharitable censure again if it be not upon certain knowledge and if it be 't is as incident to that order of the Directories proposing as to the Liturgy One may please himself with a bare presence at Sermon and either sleep it out or think on some worldly matter one may say all or most of the Ministers Prayer after him and sigh and groan at every period and satisfie himself that this is a gallant work of piety but truly I would be unwilling to be he that should passe this censure on any whose heart I did not know for sure it is not necessary that any man should leave his heart at home when his body is
Authority From which these things will be worth observing 1. That the very body of it is a set form of Prayer and so no Superstition in set forms 2. That their publishing it by authority is the prescribing of that form and so 't is lawfull to prescribe such forms 3. That the title of Supply of Prayer proveth that some there are to whom such supplies are necessary and so a Directory not sufficient for all And 4. That its being agreeable to the Directory Or as it is word for word form'd out of it the Directory turn'd into a Prayer sheweth that out of the Directory a Prayer may easily first be made and then constantly used and so the Minister ever after continue as idle without exercising that gift as under our Liturgy is pretended and so here under pretence of supplying the ships all such idle Mariners in the ship of the Church are supplied also which it seems was foreseen at the writing that preface to the Directory where they say the Minister may if need be have from them some help and furniture 5. That the Preface to this new Work entitled A reason of this work containeth many other things which tend as much to the retracting their former work as Judas's throwing back the money did to his repentance Sect. 2 As 1. That there are thousands of Ships belonging to this Kingdom which have not Ministers with them to guide them in Prayer and therefore either use the Common prayer or no Prayer at all This shews the nature of that fact of those which without any objection mention'd against any Prayer in that book which was the onely help for the devotion of many thousands left them for some moneths to perfect irreligion and Atheisme and not praying at all And besides these ships which they here confesse how many Land-companies be there in the same condition how many thousand families which have no Minister in them of which number the House of Commons was alwayes wont to be one and the House of Lords since the Bishops were removed from thence and to deal plainly how many Ministers will there alwayes be in England and Wales for sure your care for the Vniversities is not so great as to be likely to work Miracles which will not have skill or Power or gift which you please of conceiving Prayers as they ought to do and therefore let me impart to you the thoughts of many prudent men since the news of your Directory and abolition of our Liturgie that it would prove a most expedite way to bring in Atheisme and this it seems you do already discern and confesse in the next words that the no prayer at all which succeeded the abolishing of the Liturgie is rather to make them Heathers then Christians and hath left the Lords day without any mark of pietie or devotion a sad and most considerable truth which some persons ought to lament with a wounded bleeding conscience the longest day of their life and therefore we aâ—e apt to beleeve your charity to be more extensive then the title of that book enlarges it and that it hath designed this supply not onely to those ships but to all other in the like want of our Liturgie Your onely blame in this particular hath been that you would not be so ingenuous as Judas and some others that have soon retracted their precipitous action and confest they did so and made restitution presently while you rather then you will to rescue men from heathenisme caused by your abolition restore the Book again and confesse you have sinned in condemning an innocent Liturgie will appoint some Assembler to compile a poor sorry pitteous form of his own of which I will appeal to your greatest flatterer if it be not so low that it cannot come into any tearms of comparison or competition with those forms already prescribed in our Book and so still you justifie your errour even while you confesse it Sect. 3 Secondly that 't is now hoped that 't will be no grief of heart to full Christians if the thirsty drink out of cisterns when themselves drink out of fountains c. which is the speciall part of that ground on which we have first formed and now labour'd to preserve our Liturgie on purpose that weak Ministers may not be forced to betray their weaknesse that they that have not the gift of Prayer as even in the Apostles time there were divers gifts and all Ministers had not promise to succeed in all but one in one another in anothers gift by the same spirit may have the help of these common gifts and standing treasures of Prayer in the Church and because there be so many of these kinds to be lookt for in a Church that those which are able to pray as they ought without a form may yet in publick submit to be thus restrain'd to the use of so excellent a form thus set before them rather then others should be thus adventur'd to their own temerity or incur the reproach of being thought not able and then this providing for the weak both Minister and People will not now I hope be charged on the Liturgie by those who hope their supply of Prayer will be no grief to others Sect. 4 Thirdly That these Prayers being enlivened and sent up by the spirit in him that prayeth may be lively Prayers and acceptable to him who is a Spirit and accepts of service in spirit and truth Where 1. it appears by that confession that as the place that speaks of worshipping in spirit and truth is not of any force against set praiers so neither is that either of the Spirits helping our infirmities belonging as it is here confest most truly to the zeal and fervor and intensenes of devotâ—â—â—â—nfused by the Spirit and not to the words wherein the addresse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which if the Spirit may not infuse also in the use of our Liturgy and assist a Minister and Congregation in the Church as well and as effectually as a company of Marâ—mers in a ship I shall then confesse that the Directory first and then this Supply may be allow'd to turn it out of the Church Sect. 5 Lastly That in truth though Praiers come never so new even from the Spirit in one that is a guide in Prayer if the Spirit do not quicken and enliven that Prayer in the hearer that follows him it is to him but a dead form and a very carcase of Prayer which words being really what they say a truth a perfect truth and more soberly spoken then all or any period in the Preface to the Directory I shall oppose against that whole Act of abolition as a ground of confutation of the principall part of it and shall onely adde my desire that it be considered what Prayers are most likely to be thus quickned and enlivened by the Spirit in the hearer those that he is master of and understands and knows he may joyn in or those which depend wholly
the last yeer was in any reason to be accounted prooemicall and preparatory to some farther degree of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or disorder and to be attended by the abolltion of the Liturgy in the beginning of this new yeer Episcopacy and Liturgie being like the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Aegyptians this Daughter to attend that Mother as among the Barbarians when their Prince died some of the noblest were constantly to beare him company out of the World not to mourn for but to die with him A thing that the People of this Kingdom could never have been imagined lowe or servile enough to beare or endure I am sure within few yeers they that sate at the stern of action conceived so and therefore were fain by Declaration to disavow all such intentioÌ„n of violence till by such other assayes and practises and experiments they were found to be satis ad servitutem parati sufficiently prepared for any thing that was servile almost uncapable of the benefit or relief of a Jubilee like the slave in Exodus that would not go out free but required to be bored thorow the eare by his Master to be a slave for ever Sect. 7 Sixtly That it is one profest act of Gods secret wisdom to make such trials as this of mens fidelity and sence and acknowledgement of his so long indulged favours to see who will sincerely mourn for the departing of the glory from Israel whether there be not some that with the Captive Trojan Woman in Homer who wept so passionately at the fall of Patrocluâ— but made that publick losse the season to prowre out their private grifes are sensible of those sufferings of the Church onely wherein their interests are involved and more neerly concerned whether not some that count the invasion of the Revenues of the Church a Sacriledge a calamity and unparallell'd but think the abolition of the Liturgie unconsiderable a veniall sin and misery whether that wherein Gods glory is joyned with any secular interest of our own that which makes the separation betwixt Christ and Mammon may be allowed any expression of our passion or zeal i. e. in effect whether we powre out one drop for Christ in all this deluge of tears or whether like uncompounded selflovers whose onely centre and principle of motion is ourselves we have passion to no spectacle but what the looking glasse presents to us with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making God the pretâ—nce and apology for that kindness which is paid and powered 〈◊〉 â—nto another shrine For of this there is no doubt that of â—ll the changes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 designed and offered to authority there is none for which flesh and blood passions and interests of men can allow to â—ree a sufâ—rage so regertlesse a consent as this of the abolition of the Liturgie The sâ—uggishnesse of ungifted men the onely thing that is affirmed to be concerned in or to gaine by it is perfectly mistaken as shall a non appear and were there not a God in Heaven the care of whose honour obliged us to endeavour the preservation of it were not a future growth of Atheisme and Prophanenesse the feared consequent of such abolition and notorious experience ready to avow the justnesse of this feare I have reason to be confident that no Advocate would offer Libell no Disputer put in exception against this present Directory I am privy to my own sence that I should not I have rather reason to impute it to my selfe that the want of any such carnall motive to stir me up to this defence might be the cause that I so long deferr'd to undertake it and perhaps should have done so longer if any man else had appear'd in that argument And therefore unlesse it be strange for men when there be so many tempters abroad to be permitted to temptations sure Gods yeilding to this act of the importunity of Satan who hath desired in this new way to explore many will not be strange neither Sect. 8 Lastly that our so long abuse of this so continued a mercy our want of diligence in assembling our selves together the too ordinarie fault of too many of the best of us our generall scandalous unexcusable disobedience to the commands of our Church which requires that service to be used constantly in publike every day the vanity of prurient tongues and itching eares which are still thirsting news and variety but above all the want of ardor and fervency in the performance of this prescribed service the admitting of all secular company I meane worldly thoughts into its presence preferring all secular businesse before it the generall irreverence and indifference in the celebrations may well be thought to have incouraged Satan to his expetivit to the preferring his petition to God and his importunity at length to have provoked God to deliver up our Liturgy to him and his ministers to oppose and maligne to calumniate and defame and at last to gaine the countenance of an Ordinance to condemne and execute it as at this day The Lord be mercifull to them that have yeilded to be instrumentall to that great destroyer in this businesse Sect. 9 I have thus far laboured to presse home that part of St. Peters exhortation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to think the calamity strange which hath befallen this Church in this matter on no other purpose but to discharge that duty which we owe to Gods secret providence of observing the visible worke of it that discerning our selves to be under his afflicting hand we may I. Joyn in the use of all probable means to remove so sad a pressure by humbling our selves and reforming those sins which have fitted us for this captivity then 2. that we may compassionate and pardon and blesse and pray for those whose hands have been used in the execution of this vengeance and reproach upon the land and Lastly That we may endeavour if it be possible to disabuse and rectifie those who are capable by more light of safer resolutions To which purpose these following animadversions being design'd in the bowels of compassion to my infatuated Countrey-men and out of a sincere single desire that our sins may have some end or allay though our miseries have not and therefore framed in such a manner as I conceived might prove most usefull by being most proportionable to them who stood most in need of them without any oblation provided for any other shrine any civility for the more curious Reader are here offered to thee to be dealt with as thou desirest to be treated at that last dreadfull tribunall which sure then will be with acceptation of pardon and with that Charity the but just return to that which mixt this antidote for thee which will cover a multitude of sins CHAP. I. IN the Ordinance prefixt to the Directory being almost wholly made up of forms of Repeal there are onely two things worthy of any stay or consideration Sect. 1 1. The motives upon which the
Houses of Parliament have been inclined to think it necessary to abolish the Book of Common-Prayer and establish the Directory and those are specified to be three First the consideration of the manifold inconveniences that have risen by the Book in this Kingdom 2. The resolution according to their Covenant to reform Religion according to the word of God and the best reformed Churches 3. Their having consulted with the Learned and Pious and Reverend Divines to that purpose from whence they conclude it necessary to abolish the Book Sect. 2 To this conclusion inferr'd upon these premises I shall confidently make this return 1. That the conclusion is as illogicall as any that any Assembly of wise men have ever acknowledged themselves to be guilty of no one of the three Motives being severally of strength to bear such a superstructure and therefore all together being as unfufficient for if the conclusion were onely of the prudence or expedience of taking it away somewhat might be pretended for that inference from the premises supposing them true But when 't is of necessity and that twise repeated and so not casually fallen from them there must then be somewhat of precept divine in the premises to induce that necessity or else it will never be induced for I shall suppose it granted by them with whom I now dispute that nothing is necessary in the worship of God but what God hath prescribed the necessity of precept being the onely one that can have place in this matter and the necessitas medii being most improper to be here pleaded But that there is no such direct precept so much as pretended to by those three motives it is clear and as clear that all together do not amount to an interpretative precept For that a lawfull thing though prest with manifold inconveniences should be removed is no where commanded the lawfull Magistrate but left to his prudence to judge whether there be not conveniences on the other side which may counterballance those inconveniences much lesse is it commanded the inferiour Courts in despight of King and standing Law For what ever of expedience and so of prudence might be supposed to interpose that may be sufficient to incline a Wise Magistrate to make a Law but not any else either to â—surp the power of a Law-maker or to do any thing contrary to establish'd Laws there being nothing that can justifie the least disobedience of Subjects to their Prince or the Laws of the Kingdom but that obligation to that one superiour Law of that higher Prince our Father which is in heaven which being supposed 't is not all the resolutions and Covenants in the world that can make it lawfull for any so to disobey much lesse necessary any more then the saying Corban in the Gospel iâ—e pretending a vow will free the Childe from the obligation of honouring or relieving his Father or then Herod's vow made it lawfull to cut off the head of John the Baptist and then how far the consultation with those Divines may induce that necessity will upon the same ground also be manifest to any especially that shall remember with what caution that Assembly was by the Houses admitted to consult and with what restraints on them and professions that they were call'd onely to be advisers when they were required but not to conclude any thing either by a generall concurrence or by that of a Major part any farther then the reasons which they should offer them might preuail with them to which purpose it was so ordered that if any one man dissented from the rest of their Divines his opinion and reasons were as much to be represented to the Houses as that other of the rest of the Assembly Sect. 3 By this I conceive it appears that I have not quarrell'd causelesly with the Logick of this conclusion the premises pretending at most but motives of expedience and so as unable to infer a necessity as a Topicall argument is to demonstrate or a particular to induce an universall That which I would in charity guesse of this matter as the cause of this mistake is my not groundlesse suspicion that when the Presbyterians had prepared the premises the Independents framed the conclusion the former of these joyning at last with the other in a resolution of taking away the Book but onely on prudentiall considerations not out of Conscience of the unlawfulnesse and proportionably setting down those reasons but prudentiall reasons and the latter though restrained from putting conscience into the premises yet stealing it secretly into the conclusion and so each deceiving and being deceived by each-other I am not sure that my conjecture is right in this particular yet have I a reason to insert it I Because I find in many places of the Directory certain footsteps of this kind of composition and complyance and mixture of those so distant sorts of Reformers 2. Because the Presbyterians which have formerly appeared both in other and in this Kingdom whose copy these present reformers of that party have transcribed have constantly avowed the lawfulnesse of Liturgy and so cannot affirm any necessity of abolishing witnesse Calvin himself whom we shall anon have occasion to produce and the practice of the Church of Geneva and neerer to our selves witnesse those foure classes which in Q. Elizabeths dayes had set themselves up in this Kingdom These had made complaint to the Lord Burleigh against our Liturgy and entertained hopes of obtaining his favour in that businesse about the yeer 1585. he demanded of them whether they desired the taking away of all Liturgy they answered no he then required them to make a better such as they would desire to have setled in the stead of this The first Classis did accordingly frame a new one somewhat according to the Geneva form But this the second Classis disliked and altered in 600 particulars that again had the fate to be quarrell'd by the third Classis and what the third resolved on by the fourth and the dissenting of those Brethren as the Division of tongues at Babel was a fair means to keep that Tower then from advancing any higher Nay even for our neighbours of Scotland themselves what ever some of them of late have thought fit to do since they became Covenanteers in animosity perhaps and opposition to that terrible mormo the Liturgy sent to them from hence we know that they were Presbyterians formerly without seeing any necessity of abolishing Liturgy Sect. 4 'T is no news to tell you that Mr Knox wrote a Liturgy wherein there is frequent mention of the dayes of Common Prayer and among many other particulars these ensuing worthy your remark 1. Plain undisguised confessions of such faults which this age though as notoriously guilty of as they will not put into publick forms or leave upon record against themselves as That for the pleasure and defence of the French they had violated their Faith oft breaking the leagues of unity and