of this present Parliament thus to order this great business touching Episcopacy Oh how easily might each Bishop do his work in his Diocess by going to preach sometimes in one Church and sometime in another all over his Diocess to the stirring up both of Presbyters and People to Godliness and what love and reverence would it procure in all men toward them and quell Sects and Factions in the Church whereas heretofore whilst Bishops sate idly at home priding themselves in their Lordly greatness as if they were so advanced to live as the Rich man in the Gospel when his fruits were encreased in eating and drinking and making merry being for zeale to the Truth most cold but very hot for superstitious ceremonies comming as near to the Popish Church as they could they have been hated as the Pope and despised and been the occasions of great Schisms and divisions in the Church of Christ although not so much breaking out as since Episcopacy was put down in these three Kingdomes but lying before us as fire covered over with Embers And hitherto of Episcopal Govenment For touching Archishops I finde no ground at all in the holy Scriptures and the Bishop of Rome was the first that ever took upon him the title of Archbishop then of Oecumenical Bishop anno Dom. 119. as Platina saith inviting all such as suffered wrong in any place to come unto him and he would relieve them and Higinus a successor of his spends a great part of one of his Epistles in magnifying the Bishops of Rome as those that are Princes over other Bishops and so do most of the Bishops of that Sea and Marcus Antonius de Dominis who was himselfe Archbishop of Spalato in his Book entituled De Repub. Christiana sheweth that Bishops only are of Apostolical institution but not Archbishops Now to proceed to speak of the book of Common Prayer That there should be such a book The Book of Common Prayer and thereby an uniform proceeding in all Churches in this Kingdom I suppose it will be granted on all hands unless by such as are transported by zeal without knowledge and Calvin himself is for the Ministers using of one and the same form of prayer in the publick place and his reasons are very good First because the prayers and thanksgiving there offered are not the Ministers only but of the whole Congregation and therefore ought to be such prayers and praises as the people by continual hearing are well acquainted withall and ready to say a men unto whereas if the Minister be permitted to offer up prayers in publick of his owne conception he may happily offer up such Petitions sometimes as his own phantasie leadeth him to that all the people will not say amen unto and it may not peradventure be good for them to join with him therein lest by so doing they be drawn in some petitions that tend to Heresie being for its prevailing for this being considered of of old by the Councel of Bracca a Decree was thereby made against any Ministers using a Prayer in the publick place which was not first seen by the Councel and allowed Secondly Because every Preacher is not alike guided by the Spirit of God in praying but some supposing that the excellency of praying lieth in long praying will draw out their prayers in publick to halfe an houre or an hour or more at a time till all or most of their hearers have their spirits tyred and have their affections made to fag which if they do the Ministers praying is nothing to them but rather is turned into an occasion of offending God as all saying of prayers without lifting up the heart is and this long praying is so far from having any ground in Scripture as that what is written there makes against it because when Christ taught his Disciples to pray Math. 6. he prescribed a short form and condemned long praying in many words and repetitions of the same things as vain babling Math. 23. and hereby upbraided the Pharisees hypocritical praying that they devoured Widdows houses and for a colour made long prayers and the Preacher saith God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth Eccles 5.2 therefore let thy words be few And both Chrisostom Augustine are for compendious praying and not drawing a Prayer out to a great length by using many words for to this end Chrisostom speaks against those that think to be heard the rather if they make a Prayer consisting of a thousand lines And Augustine adviseth to make short prayers and often that they who join in prayer with thee may be able to keep their hearts lifted up all the time and this may serve to beat down the course which now generally takes with the people in most places that he hath the most excellent gift in prayer that stands longest in making his prayers Others there are who prefer humane eloquence in praying and therefore fill their prayers with Flowers of Rhetorick to the pleasing of the ears of the Hearers which is a way that neither Christ the Prophets or Apostles have ever gone in in praying lastly some Ministers have so poor a faculty in conceiving a Prayer that they are not able without an help to do this duty in so good a manner as it ought to be done Thus to such as will be moved by Reason it is apparent that there should be in our Churches forms of godly Prayers and Thanksgivings to be commonly used by all Ministers and sometimes of prayers proper to the present occasion if there be plague or pestilence or other infectious diseases in the land if there be danger by the sword of the enemy or by Civil Wars if there be famine or unseasonable weather too much rain or drought blasts or mildew thunder lightning or tempests or murrein amongst Cattel of many of which Solomon speaks in his Divine Prayer at the dedication of the Temple which he built Touching Prayers commonly to be used every Lords day they must begin with confession of sins and praying for pardon and mortification of sin in us and for faith to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and grace to lead holy and new lives and for a blessing upon the Word wherein the Congregation is then to be excercised in reading and hearing thereof that all may give diligent attention unto it hear it with fear and trembling and lay it up in their hearts as Mary did and live alwayes in obedince to it in all things and in praying we must remember all men the people of all Countries and Nations such as already hold the true Faith who are the Church of Christ that they may be preserved from all their enemies and established as upon a Rock against which the gates of Hell may not prevail but fall as Dagon did before the Ark and such as know not Christ that they may speedily be converted and that to this end the true light may rise up unto them and the Christians who
are Idolaters may be undeceived and turn from deifying of the Bishop of Rome unto us whom they for our being against him count Hereticks and that the ancient People of God the Jewes may have the vail taken away from their eies that they may see into the end of the Law Christ Jesus and believe 2 Cor. 3. and be saved as the Apostle Paul saith that they shall then we ought to pray for Kings and Magistrates under whom we live and for the Ministry of the Word for all such as are afflicted whether within our Land or without that be our brethren being sorry for their sufferings as for our owne Thus for publick Prayers For Thansgivings they are also to be made commonly 1 Tim. 2. first for gracious and godly Kings when such are set over us and like Magistrates under them for the light of the Gospel shining amongst us by the Preachers thereof beseeching the Lord of the Harvest from time to time to send forth Labourers into his Harvest We ought also to have Thanksgivings for Rain and fruitfull Seasons for deliverance from Plague Pestilence or Famine for Victory over our Enemies and Cessation of War which hath been in our Land and particularly for Women preserved from the great danger of Child-birth when God hath made themable to come again to his house to give him thanks as we ought to pray for them that are labouring with child and for such as we have in their dangerous sicknesses prayed for when they are restored to health again and if we look into our Book of Common prayer injoyned every Minister to use in his Church under a great penalty by statute Law made 10. common- The book of Common-Prayer of Elizabeth we shall find therein formed a Common Prayer prescribed in confessing of our sins and in all the particulars beforegoing so pious and effectual as any that can be conceived that only which can by any that are conscientious be excepted against is so great a multitude of prayers to the tiring of the spirits both of the Minister and people although for the most part they be but short yet being so many and some often repeated the saying of them all cannot but be a wearinesse to most men whose devotion is but weak and therefore it were to be wished that his Majesty and his great Councel would refer the amending of this fault to some Godly judicious Divines in whom there is no prejudice against a reformation herein as there is in some who are so addicted to our Liturgy as it is that they say it cannot by all the Divines in England be amended which I grant is true for the matter and form of these Prayers but for the multiplicity and repetitions it must needs be yeelded for the reasons aforegoing that the Book may be amended to the better liking of the whole Nation for when the reading of all these Prayers was injoyned there were but few able Preachers in England but abundance of Churches and Parishes to meet there to offer up their Prayers to Almighty God and to hear his holy word read and taught insomuch as that in most Churches Sermons were seldom preached but only Divine Service said and some homily read in the forenoon and in the afternoon only Divine Service said wherefore that a competent time might be spent both times the Liturgy used of old before the Reformation of Religion when in most Churches they came only to hear Masse was translated into our mother tongue that which was Idolatrous being left out so appointed to be used in all Churches with the prayers therein contained being so good and effectual could not but be a commendable way for that time but now thanks be to God the number of learned and able preachers being greatly increased who labour almost in every Church in preaching forenoon and afternoon it were too great a burthen to enjoyne them the reading of so many prayers an Epistle and Gospel beside Psalm and Chapters every forenoon and it would be too great tediousnesse to the people and wearying of their affections to the making of them to worship God with their bodies but not with their spirits which is vain for what difference between their praying Esay 9. that are so long and full of repetitions condemned in Scripture as Pharisaical and such a multitude of prayers and some again repeated being altogether as long as their own prayer yea doth it not come near to the superstitious devotion of the Papists who pray upon beads saying a great number of prayers at once thinking for the great multitude of them to be the more accepted before the Lord we have no hint given us in Holy Scriptures of multiplying many prayers when we come together in the publick place but of praying there together and then spending the greatest part of the time in reading and preaching the whole time for the most part in preaching and expounding the Scriptures For when at any time Christ came into a Synagogue on the Sabbath day we read of a lecture of the Law and the Prophets then Read and then of his Preaching but of Praying we read nothing at that time Luke 4. although there was certainly praying also for my house saith the Lord shall be called the house of Prayer and as he did so he gave Commission to all his Disciples to do saying Goe and teach all Nations Baptizing them c. But of saying any prayers before preaching he said nothing although the Apostles after his Ascension and other believers assembled together to pray Act. 1.14 and they again after the converting of 3000 continued together in teaching breaking Bread and prayer and many other passages there be which shew that there was Praying in the House of God as well as preaching But most time by far was spent in Preaching and Reading as appeares by Nehemiah 8. where first it is said That Ezra read in the Book of the Law before the people assembled together from Morning till Midday ver 3. Then he prayed all the people saying Amen ver 6. After which by other Ministers of the Lord the people were further instructed in it ve 8 All which considered who can stand yet for saying so many Prayers at every assembling together to the house of God And not acknowledge that the Book of Common Prayer hath need to be corrected by putting out the repetition of the Lords Prayer after the rehearsing of the Creed of the Apostles and then after the Letany which is a most excellent and general Prayer for all things and all persons that we should pray for concluding Morning-prayer with two Prayers only following and the three prayers for Good-Friday which is for the conversion of Jews Turks and other Infidels the versicles and repeating of the Lords Prayer there being left out Against Letay exceptions and the Prayer of the Kings Royal Progeny and Bishops Curates and People as being prayed for before in the
Unity Restor'd TO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND By JOHN MAYER D. D. Minister of the Church of Roydon in the County of Suffolk and Author of the Exposition of the Church Chatechism and the Comentary on the Old and New Testament contained in Six Volumes Matth. 5.9 Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Psalm 122.6 Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love her LONDON Printed for A. Rice and are to be sold by Book-sellers 1661. Unity Restor'd TO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND Matth. 5.9 Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Psalm 122.6 Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love her LONDON Printed for A. Rice and are to be sold by Book-sellers 1661. To the KING 's most Excellent Majesty CHARLES the Second of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith c. Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ MOst Gracious and dear Sovereign so soon as I saw Your Majesties Declaration of October 25. I could not but rejoice greatly for Your Care and holy Solicitude expressed therein and wisdome like the wisdom of Solomon about setling unity and uniformity in the Church of England and devising the means of effecting it And whereas some have in writing cast aspersions upon Your Sacred person I could not but be greatly grieved at it and to see how that notwithstanding this Your Majesties most serious profession to have inform'd your self what you could by consulting with many both grave and learned beyond Sea and of your own Land by what means most probably Vnity may be restored to the Churches under your Majesties Dominion yet may remain unsatisfied who although they are not reverse from Episcopal Government reformed yet at hearing of Suffragens and rural Deans they are much troubled as at Officers not formerly heard of either in the time of Queen Elizabeth King James Your Grandfather or of King Charles Your Father And as for the book of Common Prayer although the Prayers therein contained are most pithy and pious yet the multitude of them and often repetitions of some c. are offensive and above all the Ceremonies therein prescibed which they will never abide to see used although they be not urged upon them and so the seeds of dissention will still continue in our Churches which will in time spring up again the peace and unity desired will never be setled for to settle it must be as but on God so but one way under one Vice-gerent of God upon earth and that must be the best approved of by the word of God which being so and Your Majesties gracious inclination such that you have condescended so far as to consult with some of your own Subjects what way might be best to introduce Vnity about matters Ecclesiasticall which hath been so long wanting My Humble Sute unto your Majesty is that You would vouchsafe to cast Your favourable aspect upon this little book which I a Subject of yours as loyally affected to your Majesty as any other man have written in concurrence with Your Majesty in the earnest desire of Vnity to be restored to our divided Churches before the comming out of your Pious and Learned Declaration having no opportunity hitherto to present it to your Royall view being 78 years of age and full of grievous Diseases so as that I cannot Travell And in this little Book I hope your Majesty shall see good reason to be inclined to go the way therein pointed out to prevail for the restoring of Vnity so much desired and indeed so necessary to promote a setled and lasting peace which God grant unto us under Your Majesty Our Supream Head next unto Christ Jesus And to this end that you may live Usque ad miraculum gloriously reigning upon earth as you have been miraculously brought to this Throne of Your Fathers continuing constantly zealous for the propagation of the true Religion to the end of your days and finally be Crowned in Heaven with a never fading Crown of Glory Your Majesties most Humble and Obedient Subject and dayly Orator before the Throne of Grace IOHN MAYER How Vnity may be restored to the Church of England WE having now by God's singular blessing Unity restor'd to this our Commonwealth under one Head in whom for his gracious disposition and undoubted right to this Diadem we all agree What remains now so much to be desired as Vnity in our Churches also for want of which such bloudy dissentions hath been so long amongst us to the great disgrace of our most true reformed Religion and to the setting of these three Nations in a most fearfull Combustion Upon this consideration therefore I though the least able among many of my Brethren An. Dom. 60. Jacobus frater Domini fuit Episcopus Hierosolymitanus illo inter fecto Simeon Cleophae filius Hieronimus in Catalogo cap. 23. Marcus Praesul Alexandriae an 67. ibid. post Petrum linus Epist 2. Romae an 70. lib. 3. cap. 3. huic successit annacletus vel Cletus an 89. Crescentius Episcopus Moguntinis an 72. Euseb l. 3. c. 4. shall endeavour to shew my good will to restore this desirable Unity amongst us The main differences I suppose at this day are about Ecclesiasticall Government and the Liturgy or Book of Common Prayer For the first there will not be I perceive any great relucting against Episcopal Government because it hath so ancient and such pregnant proofe hereof is brought from holy Scripture and the practice of the Catholick Church ever since the Apostles dayes and whilst they lived and ordered the Government of the Church of Christ if we will give any credit to the most ancient and most credible History-Writers touching Church-matters But about their election to this high and weighty Office who are to govern herein and what power they ought to have above other Bishops or Presbyters their Brethren and what Assistants they ought to use in exercising their power and whether by any other means they ought to have power to punish notorious Offenders than by delivering them to Satan and not by imprisoning or any pecuniary punishment and whether a Bishop may deliver any over to Satan for any other cause but scandalous living or blaspheming and lastly whether there ought not to be a Bishop in every City and great Town that is for the more Churches therein as a City with the Villages about it and so large Diocesses to the putting both of Clergy and People to such tedious travell to have their Causes heard First touching the electing of a Bishop what better President can there be to follow than that of the first Assembly of Apostles and Believers Acts 1.23 being 120 to chuse one into the room of Judas who was chosen by praying first and propounding two known men amongst them and casting lots which was done by the Apostles and the whole congregation of Believers For let an Election be made