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book_n	good_a	read_v	write_v	2,874	5	5.1956	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82002	A sober and temperate discourse, concerning the interest of words in prayer, the just antiquity and pedigree of liturgies, or forms of prayer in churches : with a view of the state of the church, when they were first composed, or imposed. Together with a discovery of the weakness of the grounds upon which they were first brought in, or upon which Bishop Gawden hath lately discoursed, the necessity of a liturgie, or the inconveniency of altering the English liturgie, the utility of church musick, and the lawfulness of ceremonies : in which are mixed reasons justifying those godly ministers, who forbear the use of the Common-prayer, against the late out-cryes of the said bishop. / By H.D. M.A.	H. D. (Henry Dawbeny); Collinges, John, 1623-1690, attributed name.	1661 (1661)	Wing D449; Thomason E1086_14; ESTC R208152	100,305	119

but evil hearts saith Tertullian Nor must our Brethren be scandalized because we will not gratifie them vuith the use of our liberty as vvell as others whom they judge interior to them in knowledge wisdom worldly station c. we can appeal to God that our hearts are sincerely troubled when vve hear of any single person in our Parishes scandalized for our omissions in the case provided they be such as are guilty of no profaneness in their lives the offence of open profane and debauched drunkards swearers cursers blasphemers unclean persons doth not so much trouble us and we dare not say but that there are some such though they be not the fortieth part of those that are zealous against us in this case But what shall we what can we do in the case for these good and sober Brethren 13. Whiles we judge the thing in it self not lawful cannot do it let who will be offended and that will be granted by all and vve have found some of our Brethren who wish vve would do it yet so ingenuous as to beseech us not for their sakes to wound our consciences But suppose we did think it in it self and in all circumstances indifferent that we might or might not do it we profess we should still be at a loss as the case stands for these of our Brethren whom we love and honour how to gratifie them We suppose it think the thing indifferent it may be two or three or ten of our Brethren think it so too and for uniformity desire we would do it possibly twenty thirty fourty others of our people whom vve see walking close with God they think it unlawfull and vvith tears beseech us not to do it They are not humorously offended but they tell us why they think it unlawful They cannot bring their hearts up to be equally affected with a read prayer as with one spoken from the immediate dictates of the heart they cannot think it lawful for us to use Modes of worship formerly used in an idolatrous service they cannot judge it lawful for the Magistrate to command any part in a thing indifferent in the vvorship of God vvhich manifestly is scandalous to any considerable number of sober Christians they think the Law of God concerning scandalizing the weak concerns Magistrates as vvell as others and that it is of the same nature with any other Moral Law not to be superseded by any humane power VVhat shall we do in this case Doubtless in all reason if it appear to us but indifferent we are bound to abstain by vertue of the command of God And our Brethren who would have us do the thing if they acknowledge the thing indifferent must yield to their weaker Brethren who are tied up from yielding to them because they think the thing unlawful 14. The sum is this God hath commanded us in things as to their own nature indifferent relating to his worship to do nothing by which our Brother may be grieved stumbled Rom. 14.21 or made weak The matter for the omission of which the Bishop of Exeter so severely censureth us is a thing in its own nature at best but indifferent we plainly see that should we hearken to our Diocesan diverse for whom our consciences tell us Christ died would be stumbled offended and made weak VVe conceive that the Law of Scandal concerns the Magistrate as well as the Subject And therefore supposing a command in that case which yet we see not vve humbly conceive our selves obliged not to disobey the Commands of the great God of Heaven and Earth Aquinas saith that Propter scandalum etiam bona spiritualia sunt pro tempore occultanda vel differenda And Hierom. of old determined Dimittendum propter scandalum omne quod potest praetermitti salvâ triplici Veritate Vi●ae Justitiae Doctrinae 15. We conclude that we judge our Bre●hren very uneven in their censuring of us for disobedience to Laws in this case of the Common-prayer when they do the same thing themselves for which they so charge us singing Anthemes and Songs c. and using Rites and Forms of Prayer in Cathedrals expresly contrary to the Statute 1 Eliz. 2. and whiles the present Vice-chan of Cambridge without any Law of England or Statute of the University or Ca●on or any colour of Law and expresly contrary to his Majesties Declaration and contrary to all conscience and reason could dispense with his conscience in usurping an arbitrary power to the open prejudice of so many of His Majesties Subjects in their children to stop fifty commencers from commencing because at 24. hours warning they could not find in their consciences to subscribe to the lawfulness of the Common prayer and the book of Consecration and to the 39. Articles which none can with a good conscience subscribe but he who hath distinctly read over the Book of Common-prayer V. Art 35.36 and the Book of Consecration who hath distinctly read over both the Books of Homilies and is well studied in the point of Ceremonies how else shall be own art 34. and in the controversie of Church Government v. art 36. yea and indeed in the whole body of Divinity which none can presume of bo●es of 18. and 19. years of age nay how many Batchelours and Drs. in Divinity never read them yet all these must the Questionists subscribe and be forced to it by the arbitrary power of the Vice-chancellour expresly contrary to His Majesties Declaration what Authority he hath since procured as to the future and by what acts we know not but we are sure vvhen he did this he had no such Yet Godly Ministers that dare not read the Liturgie must be by these men whispered as the onely men this are disobedient to the Law and upon that account giving just scandal to Magistrates and opposing their Authority But there is a God that judgeth the Earth to whose decision we humbly leave this matter in question singing the 43. Psalm FINIS ERRATA PAg. 10. and in many other place r. Liturgy Liturgies Liturgical for Lyturgy Lyturgyes Lyturgicall p. 12 l. 15. r. yet they might be their Liturgies is of no value p. 13. l. 14. r. This Synod in which c. p. 24. l. 15. r. Salvo In the argument of the 5th Ch. r. the insufficiency of the Ministers of the Church p. 41 l. 23. r. But in those c. ib. l. 37. r. what doth not become p. 46. l. 9. r. Numina Pag. 71. l. antepenuit r. Plugentile p. 81. l. 29. r. in spiritu p. 83. l. 15. r. Fauburdum p. 84. l. 30. and in the margin there r. Chrastovius p. 87. l. 3. after Harangue dele of Discourse p. 89. r. new ceremonies p. 96. l. 8. r. or become affines Idololatriae p. 32. l. 2. r. Majestatis p. 97. l. 22. r. amoris timoris

he was can fetch no higher authority for Lyturgies than Arnobius who lived 306. Athanasius who flourished 330. Hierom who lived 385. Victor Uticensis who lived 480. nor any plain proof from any of these Only some of these spoke of Books of the Christians ubi summons oratur Deus so Arnobius Sacros Scripturarum Libros so Athanasius Liber Hymnorum Mysteriorum so Hierom. Libros cunctos Domini so Uticensis We cannot but conclude that at this time there were no service-Service-Books made directing Forms of Prayer though possibly Basil Chrysostom Ambrose and others might write some Prayers to help some weak Christians which they might transcribe Duranti Rationale c. 2. l. 5. X. But what need we any further Testimony than is given by one as zealous for Lyturgies Rituals and other Ceremonies as ever lived in the world it is that of Durantus in his Rationale Divinorum Officiorum l. 5. c. 1. Durantus having ingeniously confessed what none can without great impudence deny that neither Christ nor his Apostles used any prescribed Forms but the Lords Prayer and the Creed nor doth or can he or any other say a word to prove they used them tels us that in suceeding times because the Church was rent by Heresies Theodosius who lived about the year 380 intreated Pope Damasus That some Ecclesiastical Office or Lyturgy as we call it might be made by some Eccelsiastical Catholick person upon which Pope Damasus commanded Hierom who was then in Bethlehem with Paula Eustochium and other Virgins to abide there and make a Lyturgy for the Churches because he was well skill'd in Hebrew Greek Chaldee and Latine which he obediently did He appointed how much of the Psalmes should be read each day in the week he also ordered the reading of the Gaspels and Epistles out of the Old and New Testament When he had done it he sent it to Rome it was approved by Pope Damasus and made a Rule and Damasus had the honour of the work because it was done at his Command Gelasius who lived 490. and was Pope and Gregorius Magnus who lived 600 years after Christ added Prayers and Songs the Lessons and the Gospels Ambrose Gelasius and Gregory saith he added the Gradualia Tractus Allelujah other Doctors of the Church added other parts Thus far Durantus XI He fetcheth the Original of Lyturgies from Theodosius but how probably let the Reader judge who shall consider that this good Emperor was Emperor but 17 years that in that time he convened that great and venerable Council of Constantinople where were 150 worthy persons Now let any judge how probable it was that this Emperor should never propose the business to these for their Canons are only about grave and necessary things and send to Pope Damasus about this He was a man too much acquianted with the efficacy of fervent Prayer to restrain it Nor indeed doth Durantus say that he caused any Prayers to be made all that he saith Hierom did was the appointing an Order of reading the Scriptures XII We must therefore go a little further than Theodosius his time Nuda ab initio omnia sompliciter Mysteria a Christo tradita apud Apostolos erant De Inventor cerum l. 5. c. 11. c. saith Polydore Virgil One Pope after this time brought in one piece of the Lyturgy another brought in another Coelestinus brought in the Introitus Missa Damafus the Confession Gregory the Responds and indeed till Gregories time there was no considerable use of it nor any imposing of it This was near upon 600 years after Christ XIII Pope Gregory is usually said to be the worst of all the Bishops of Rome that preceded him though the best of those that followed him a man of no great Learning for he confesseth himself in one of his Epistles that he understood no Greek not blameless for Morals for he was accused before Mauritius the Emperor for the murder of one Malchus Indeed the Protestant Writers make good use of him for his Testimony about some Points viz. that about the Scriptures Images but chiefly in the question about the Head of the Church Ep. l. 7. c. 194. XIV The truth of the Story is Two great Councils having before determined the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Bishop of Rome equal only allowing to the latter the empty Title of the Bishop of the first Seat John Patriarch of Constantinople was not able to endure that and so upon the Point though both refused the Title yet both strove to act the part of an Universal Bishop The Patriarch had the advantage of Gregory because the Empire being then in the East the Emperors Seat was at Constantinople Greg. ep l 4. Ep. 75.76 which caused divers Epistles between Mauritius and Gregory yet extant in Gregories workes Mauritius in the heat of this Contest was basely murdered by Phocas one of his Captains who was by the Souldiers made Emperor v. Greg. Epist l. 11. c. 36 43 44. Gregory tending the Interest of his Sea writes a most unworthy Letter to the Empress fawning upon that vile Murderer and beseeching him to favour Sr. Peters Successor and to remember who said Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church Soon after this Gregory dies but before he died he had made a Lyturgy if we may believe Pamelius he made a Lectionary or Calendar directing Scriptures to be read in order an Antiphonary directing the Responds for Priests and People and an Order for administring the Sacraments Others think the two latter were made after but however these reached no further than Gregories power the Extent of which was at this time but short and harrow 15. Sabinianus was Pope immediatly after Gregory he lived but six Moneths Boniface succeeded him he also fell in with Phocas the Murderer of his Master and the Patriarch of Constantinople being now out of favour with Phocas because he could not flatter him in his horrid wickednesses and cruelties Phocas deserts him and gives Boniface what he asked the Title of Universal Bishop This was about the year 605. And now he might pretend some authority to impose his Service-Book XVI But yet he did little exept in Germany for the Lombards continual quarrels with the Emperors till the year 800. much hindred the Popes power all that time they lay close at home all this while encreased in superstition and the sottishness and ignorance of their Clergy encreased but in Jurisdiction they did little Only taking advantages one while favouring the Emperors other while the Lombards they added by the favour of both to St. Peters Patrimony by all wicked acts imaginable to be read at large in Mornayes Mysterium Iniquitatis and in many other Books XVII But about the year 800. Charles the Great being come to the Empire who was a vertuous and noble Prince only highly addicted to the Sea of Rome Adrian was then Pope the Emperor was a great Favourer of him he confirmed to