to the precedent Century For in the Apostles time that they had then Liturgies known Offices consisting of Prayers and Praises in use with them is easily Discerned from St Paul's Advice to the Romans Ch. 15. 6. which is with one Mind and one Mouth to Glorifie God by which Words that a Form is meant is more than intimated from his reprehending the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14. 26. Because in their publick Assemblies they had every one a Psalm that is to say a Manner or Form of his own which hindered Edification and bred Confusion and why not from that Act. 13. 2. where we read As they Ministred unto the Lord and Fasted the Holy Ghost said Minister'd 't is rendered but the Words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they were Liturgying that is because joyned with Fasting as they were performing Divine Service which it seems was this way For it further the Liturgy of St. James and the Liturgy of St. Mark used by the Cophti still and that of St. Peter used a long time in the Church of Rome are a strong Inforcement tho of them we can produce only some Fragments and broken Pieces For had they not had Offices would it not have been known and observed by after-Ages but the succeeding times give account of the contrary that they had 'T was not 300 Years after the Apostle's Days that the Council of Nice was and then there is great mention of them as you may see in Eusebius his fourth Book of the Life of Constantine who tells us there of Orationum Syngraphe a Book of Prayers and Liturgia Mystica so he calls it a Mystical Liturgy which Constantine the Emperor was present at And what is more common then in Ecclesiastical Writers to hear of the Liturgy of St. Hierome and of St. Ambrose and so of St. Basil and St. Chrysostom the last of which hath left it upon Record that in the Primitive Church among the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit one was the gift of making Prayers for the Church to use It seems the Gift of Prayer was not look'd upon then as a Faculty of making long and familiar Harangues to God as it hath been of late Years without Sense or Reason Look we moreover on the Canons of the Councils and we shall find them for us that of Carthage and that of Melevis so early It is the 23 Canon of the third Council of Carthage Quascunque sibi preces c. Let no Man use any Prayers that he hath made unless he first consult with the Brethren i. e. Fellow-Officers of the Church who were learned and well instructed More ample is that of Melevis which says as I find in Caranza Placuit ut preces quae probaetae fuerunt in Synodo ab omnibus Celebrentur It is our Will that Prayers only that are approved by a Synod be celebrated by all nec alia omnino dicentur in Ecclesia and that no other but those that are so approved by a Synod be said in the Church lest by chance any thing either through Ignorance or Carelesness be done against the Faith Well then that thus it was in the first 4 or 5 Centuries of the Church besides the Glimpses for it in Scripture Fathers and Councils Testifie And what that it hath been so ever since have we not the Consent of the Churches of all Ages we have look we which way we will either into the East or West Which being granted can we imagine that the Church hath continued so long even till these last Days in so gross an Error or can we think it fit to throw aside the way of the Universal Church in all Ages for a few Mens Sake that have Voluble Tongues Or is not rather the Custom and Practice of the Church of all Ages in stead of a Rate and perpetual Law they are Saravia's Words speaking in reference to Episcopacy which and the Liturgy must Live and Dye together Mos totius Ecclesiae est inviolabilis quaedam lex the Custom of the whole Church is an inviolable Law and which at peradventure so it ought to be esteemed yea to be kept and held inviolably by us For tho such a Custom or Constitution of the Church in Mr. Weemes his Words may not be Jus Divinum Divinè Divinum a Law that is properly and purely Divine as having no plain positive Command for it in the Scriptures yet it is Jus Divinum humanè Divinum of like Force and in a manner equally Divine with that for which there is a positive Law supposing still it be Universal It is quodam modo Divinum as Forbâ—sius in his Ierenicum says in some manner Divine as being founded in God's positive Law which commands us to obey our Superiors as them also to see that all things be done according to Rule and with all Decency and Order And surely we have more reason to believe that the Primitive Fathers would not stray from the Apostical Practice who could not but see what was done before them and would rather dye Martyrs then part with the least Truth then that the whole Church hath all along been deceived unto this present Day On this Argument stands Infant-Baptism the Observation of the Lord's Day Episcopacy and the like and to me it is prevalent before all that can be said against it by Novelists Common Prayer spoken of in the Epistles of Ignatius has more in it than a World of Arguments produced against what I affirm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see that ye all come together in one place let there be one Common Prayer among you one Mind one Hope in Love and Faith that is spotless I go upon such Grounds as these and nothing seems to me more Plain putting all together than that the use of Liturgy is not only Ancient but also Primitive and Apostolical Now 2ly that in ours there is no Spot or Blemish for which to be rejected I come next to prove And had I need say any thing to that Matter I know 't is accused of Popery But O ye holy Martyrs how came you to be so mistaken then as to dye thus in Defence of Popery and in Defiance of it at one and the same Instant Mr. John Hullier being burnt at the Stake with the Common-Prayer-Book in his Bosom But Oh! there is somewhat of the Mass Book in it I confess it There are the Creeds and some of the Hymns and Collects that are used by them and they have a Litany too But shall we abolish our Creeds the Nicene Athanasian and Apostolical because they have them as well as we and throw away our Collects and Litany because they have also Collects and a Litany Then away with the Christian Religion upon that like Score A weak Argument and very inconsequent Do we not know that if we reform Popery in what is amiss we do but as Christ did by the Jewish Euchologue and that that is true which
A SERMON Preach'd in the Cathedral Church at the Triennial VISITATION OF The Right Reverend Father in God SETH Lord Bishop of SARUM Chancellor of the GARTER By Samuel Fyler A. M. Rector of Stockton in the County of Willts Septemb. 13. 1680. LONDON Printed by E. T. and R. H. For Thomas Flesher at the Angel and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1682. To the Right Reverend Father in God Seth Lord Bishop of Sarum Chancellor of the Garter My Lord YOUR Command to Preach and your Incouragement to Print this Sermon have given me the Confidence thereunto to prefix your Name and more especially yours for that Respect you have to Truth Loyalty and Peace the Promoting of which is my sole Aim in casting this Mite into the Treasury of the Church I am fully satisfied it will meet with a multitude of Enemies because the Church hath many but I look on 't as a shame for that matter to concern my self after its Consecration by the Blood of so many Martyrs especially that Royal one King Charles the First who hath given us an Example not to be Paralell'd but in one only in that of our Blessed Saviour I pray God grant when his forty Years of Patience shall be expired and so long he waits to see if a People will Repent this Nation may not suffer for that Prodigious Wickedness as we have just Cause to Fear the like things that Jerusalem did for Crucifying Him But my Hope is it will not and that for this Reason because it was not the Clergy of the Church of England nor was it any thing in her Doctrine or Liturgy that brought our most Gracious and Religious King to the Block but Rebells Murderers Traytors Spirited by Achitophel's Chaplains who if they might have had Leave given 'em would by this time near hand have Prayed all Christianity out of this into another World God Almighty preserve his Sacred Majesty that now is from the Divinity and Mercy of such Men and then I doubt not but he will ever as he hath done proceed to Protect that Liturgy joyfully which directs us to Pray for him so devoutly shewing it self in that Respect as well as many others to be truly Apostolical My Lord It would be Libellous for me to Recommend these things to your Wisdom and Care because 't is to move you to that which you already eminently do I shall only therefore Pray for your Lordships Health and that God would be pleased to continue his Blessings to the Church and to this whole Nation and so give off only begging the Honour to Subscribe my self Your Lordships Most Humble And Obedient Servant Samuel Fyler MATTHEW 6. 9. After this manner therefore Pray ye MAny are the Sins of England at this day which have even shaken and seem still to threaten the Remotion of the Candlestick from us which God avert Among the rest one and that a great one that stands in need of an Elijah a St. John Baptist another Word made Flesh to reform it I think I may truly say in the general and wretched Neglect and Contempt of God's Worship and Service some in all places almost refusing to come to his House to Worship him there Atheists and they that seperate others that come doing it 't is to be fear'd for Fashion's sake only like the Jews of whom God complains by his Prophet drawing nigh with their Lips while their Hearts are far from him And I wish this were all to be said but the more 's the Pitty the Service bears the Blame Men are Schismatical and Faulty and then that they may excuse themselves they are ready to say God is not serv'd after the right and due manner What an heavy Charge this is to our spotless Mother which was once look'd upon as the Beauty and Glory of all the Churches in Christendom is easie to say but the Mischief is to wipe it off is not so easie I question whether the Spirit of Prophesie or a Voice from Heaven will do the turn such is the Prejudice men have taken against so Excellent and Holy a thing as the â—hurches Service is For the Remotion of which I wish the weight of so great a Task were laid on abler Shoulders of one that 〈◊〉 sufficient for these things but however I â—hall offer to the Châ—â—â—â—es Corban as I am able as appearing here purâ—ly in Obedience and Duty in Performance of which if I do any thing acceptably I shall hold my self very well Content as having no other Aim then to serve the interest of the Church which I pray God continue unto us with Truth and Peace In pursuance of this Design now as it is but rational that I should pitch on some Words of Christ himself he being the Churches Lawgiver as well as Saviour therefore call'd not only the High Priest but also the great Apostle of our Profession so I have accordingly done For these Words that I have read are a part of that divine Law which he delivered on the Mount Monti Sinaitico superstructo as Dr. Hamond in his Book against Dalleus about Confirmation say's built not by but upon the top of Mount Sinai whereby he would intimate that he intended not the Abolition of the Law of Moses and of solemn Services then in use but only the Reformation and Perfection of them as 't is true he did not And here I take my rise on which to build my insuing Discourse For that this is the full design of our blessed Saviour in this Sermon of his not to destroy put aside Typicals what was well set before but to reform what was amiss by reason either of the false Glosses or ungrounded Traditions and Practices of the Scribes and Pharisees that sate at that time in Moses Chair will appear in all its parts as you may see both in the precedent and also in the present Chapter In the precedent when he speaks to the Letter of the Law in this where he speaks to the main parts of God's Worship as particularly to Fasting Almsgiving and Prayer For 't is not Fasting he Condemns in any but doing it as Hypocrites for Ostentation and Shew nor is Almsgiving blamed by him but gâ—vâ—ng of Alms with sound of Trump and to be seen of men So for Prayer we are to account that his end was at no hand to tâ—ke away a publick Service or Liturgy-way used by them in those days in their Prayer-places and Synagogues no in that the Jews had a Liturgy a set known manner of Service then consisting of Tehillim and Tephillim Praises and Prayers which that they had Mr. Gregory makes appear too evidently to be denyed this he disapproves not there is nothing to that purpose to be gathered from this Prayer of his or any Circumstance therein or thereabouts 'T is true as it relates to the Pharisees so their Battologies and their making long Prayers and that openly in the corners of the Streets for a shew and in pretext of Holiness
they would have a Publick and Perpetual Service also if not why the Temple called an House of Prayer for all People by our Saviour himself and by God's Prophet before him And now does not this Justifie yea does it not commend unto us the Wisdom and Conseience of the Church we live in it does exceedingly In regard she hath taken Care that God should be so Worshipped and Served as he ought to be Publickly Solemnly Perpetually with Confessions and Prayers with Thanksgivings and Hymns as becomes the Majesty of him who dwells in the highest Heavens as to his Glory and yet condescends to dwell in earthly Houses in respect of his gracious Presence that there Sinners may seek his Face and find him Did I say justifie Surely the Church could not perform its Trust else if it did not so if it left I mean God's Worship to be performed at Random or otherwise then in the most Solemn Manner it could imaginably be If it did not propose him to be served by all People with most perfect Prayers and highest Praises that we may do God's Will on Earth as they viz. the Angels in Heaven do as far as our Imperfections will permit us that is as near as we can For she is not only to look to the Duty or the Act of Prayer but also to its Matter and Form and all its Circumstances that they be according to the Will of her Master And for that she hath done so O! that we could see our Happiness That we have such a constant publick Service That we know whither to go that we may meet our God! whither to come that we may seek his Face where to be that we may have Fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ that we may pertake of his Presence sit at Table and Eat and Drink with him even at his own House which is an House of Prayer for all People And let us not be unthankful for so great a Blessing the greatest Blessing that we can wish to our selves or that Heaven could possibly bestow upon us since our Saviour Christ and the Holy Ghost came down thence As Phinchas's Wife did by the Ark of the Testament I may give it the Title of the Glory of the Lord and if it should be taken from us as that was by the Philistin's how may we sigh out the same Words that she did at that time and say The Glory of the Lord is departed from Israel Without Stations the Jewish Proverb goes that is without Prayers the World would not consist nor would it indeed For these are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thimróth Gnashan the Incense-Clouds or Piliars of Smoak in the Book of Canticlâ—s that Christ is to be seen in the Saultie◠〈◊〉 to his Holy Cross which upholds the World with its four Parts it is true in the Spirit tho not in the Letter what the Jews assume to themselves as I have it from Buxtorâ—â— Tam nou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dus hic subsistâ—re sine Israelitis quam sine Aâ—re 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the World can no more subsist without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Pray as Jacob did for which he was calâ—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God then with â—t the Element of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the Morning and Evening Incense which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heaven from our Hâ—ly Places daily that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all we have for the keeping off of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Sword is not made drunk with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not look in at our Windows that our Land is not made an Akeldamah or a plow'd-up Field It is this that we owe our Plenty and our Peace to which through Christ is the Cause of all the Gracious Appearances of God to us You 'l find Luk. 1. That the Angel appeared to Zacharias at Incense-time v. 10. and v. 11. standing at the right Hand of the Altar of Incense a Type that of our Prayers now being offered to God at the time Accepted which is at the time of the Publick Congregation For this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gneth Râtsôn of which the Psalmist speaks the accepted Time or Time of Acceptation Therefore the Jews if they saw a Man neglecting the Times of Prayer at the Synagogues they call'd him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shôchên râng an ill Neighbour 't is render'd but it has a further Significancy for as Almighty â—od is called by Esay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shôkên Gnad one that Inhabits Eternity so did they understand by it that such a one was an Inhabitant of Wickedness that his Shekinah was Wickedness as if he dwelt in Puddles and Gutters and Sinks like that Essene Mr Godwin speaks of that being fallen accidentally into a Jakes rather then be pulled out by the Christians would keep his Sabbath there And Let them consider this who separate from the Service of the Church that refuse to be there at the acceptable Times where God is ready to hear and is night to all them that call upon him For what I have said as it justifies the Church so does it condemn them as much that disregard and decry its Constitutions and Appointments that scoff at and make light of its Prayers and Litanies that choose their own way of serving God as Micah in the Book of Judges who of his stolen Money made a graven Image and a molten Image an Ephod and a Teraphim and got a sorry Levite to serve him for ten Shekels per Annum a suit of Apparel and a little Victuals and so had a Service of his own in his own House For so do they in part at least I mean our Sectaries they will serve God their own way the manner that likes them best or not at all They will not frequent God's House his Face they will not seek there but Worship their own Teraphim preferring before the Churches Constitutions their own Imaginations and Fancies as Michah his Graven and Molten Images all the while pretending that they are wiser then their Teachers those Spiritual Guides to whom God hath committed the Care of their Souls as if God would not soonest be heard in his own House and in Forms of Prayer wisely and discreetly made after the Pattern that is here given us by Christ And here My second Point comes to hand the Modus of this Act or the Qualification of our Saviour's Injunction After this manner Pray ye What this Manner is I shall not be long in declaring it 's plain I need not The Pattern as you well know is our Lord 's own Prayer the Canon that which all our Prayers are to be ruled by So that after this manner imports as much as this comes to that our Prayers be both for Matter and Form such as that is That we may use a Form St. Luke is positive for it who says when ye Pray say thus and that the Matter be such as our Blessed Saviour directs to will be denyed I suppose by none that have their
shew some Token which of the two he best accepted This is done and what is the Event In the Morning forsooth because the Gregorian Missal was taken in pieces and scatter'd the Leaves of it here and there over the Church and that of St. Ambrose lay whole on the Altar this they conclude was Divinitùs a Token that the one was to be used all the World o're and the other only at Millan A pleasant thing this is it not And why all this adoe what is the Reason 'T is Conjectured only for the Sake of that one Word Figura in the Canon of St. Ambrose for that he calls the Scrament the Figure only of the Body and Blood of our Lord. So that 't was then we conceive and in Gregory the Seventh's Days of late Date at least that the Worshipping of the Host as God came in and together with it the Propitiatory Sacrifice instead of the Eucharistical Oblation and Invocation of Saints in lieu of an honorable Commemoration of them If so then Antiquity will not bear them out Nor will the great Boast of the Popes Infallibility neither for for that matter Mr. Crackanthrop tells us with undeniable Evidence that Vigilius in the fifth General Council of Constantinople was curst for Nestorianism Much less will the great Pretence of Universal Headship since besides this Story of Vigilius we are satisfy'd by S. Isidorus that Petrus de Lunâ alias Benedict the thirteenth was deposed by the Council of Constance as Eugenius afterwards by the Council of Basil We for our parts know assuredly that Christ is Head of his Church and we are well assured also that he is Infallible truly and he hath taught us other things then they do to give Divine Worship and to Pray to God only to our Father which is in Heaven and therefore the Council of Trent must Pardon us if we accept not of its Definitions but separate from the Church of Rome's Communion For since they bind us to Pray otherwise then our Saviour does to the Host to Saints and Angels to the Virgin Mary as a Mediatrix betwixt God and Us and the Queen of Heaven I conclude that they tho for Form they may yet for Matter and Substance do not Pray after this manner Next come we to our Dissenters at home who deny all set Forms and are for Extemporay Effusion as if that were it that our Saviour would have by saying After this manner Pray ye because no Form or Book was to be seen before him are not these in the right I answer nor they neither if we speak in reference to the Publick and Solemn Service and Worship of God 1. Because Christ came not as I have already said to Abolish what was well set before but to Reform what was Faulty and Manifest it is that the Jewes had set Forms of Prayer 2. The more is it Confirmed because this Pattern given by him is a Form it self and as called by a Father Breviarium Evangelii an Epitomy of the Gospel so was it also a Collection or Epitomy of the Jewish Euchologue as we learn from Mr. Selden P. Fagius and others If we Consult the Criticks we may find from whence every Petition was taken viz. from Sepher-Hammustar and Sepher-Tephillim their Books of Tradition and Prayers 3. More yet for that set Forms were used by the Appointment of God himself as we may see Num. 6. 23. Where God says to Moses speak unto Aron and to his Sons saying on this wise shall ye Bless the Children of Israel saying unto them the Lord Bless thee and Keep thee the Lord make his Face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his Countenance upon thee and give thee Peace and they shall put my Name upon the Children of Israel and I will Bless them So again at the Removal of the Ark Num. 10. 35. Where when the Ark set forward the Prayer was Rise up Lord and let thine Enemies be scattered and when it rested again Return O Lord unto the many Thousands of Israel 4. Yet more because of our Saviour's own Example who in his Agony used the same Words three times over Let this Cup pass from me Besides 5. May I not justly argue from the Inconveniencies and Absurdities of Extemporary Prayers why not For they are great and many and such as may not be indured in the Solemn Worship of God in a publick Congregation For that which they which stand for it are so much against falls out unto them the stinting I mean of the Spirit they stint the People say what they will more by much then they are stinted by a Form of Prayer which they know before They are such also as leave the People to be imposed upon by an Humorist or a Madman or one that is Unorthodox or Heretical Yea they are Obnoxious to Nonsense and Blasphemy and in what can we hope to find Atonement if our very Prayers are Provocations Finally they are such as no Man present can assure himself that he can say Amen to as becomes most certainly such Prayers as we offer up to the great Majesty of Heaven Nor is it impertinent to question how all the Parishes in Christendom should be supplyed not to mention these things with Men of such rare and singular Ability's scarcely to be believed to be in the Apostles themselves but that they were indued with Inspiration from above And Inspiration I know no man but an absolute Fanatick will pretend to If any do then what becomes of that Question of St. Paul Are all Apostles sure enough all are not Apostles I shall demand from them that pretend to that that they shew me their Credentials from Heaven that they let me see the Cloven Tongues sitting upon their Heads that they let me hear them speak all Languages or make it appear that they have seen Christ out of Heaven as St. Paul did But in vain may we expect such things as these since John's latter Days are past and gone We are now an ordinary Ministry and Extraordinaries are put a Period to even as the Star that conducted the Wise Men went out at Jerusalem and as when the Children of Israel came to Canaan where they might Plow and Sow then did Mannah cease it was in its Infancy that the Church had the Teat put in her Mouth So 't is manifest I think that neither they at Rome nor our Dissenters at home do Pray after this manner It remains to be considered next whether we in our Church do And If I prove that a way of Liturgy such as we use is to Christ's Meaning agreeable and that there is nothing Unorthodox nothing Corrupt in ours that we do I conceive will not be denyed This therefore I shall indeavour to make good And For the first of these I shall not scruple to let alone what hath been already said to Appeal to the Practice of the Apostles themselves and also of all Churches since even
the Chariots of Israel and the Horse men thereof Could I see once a Congregation of such Devout persons met together as the Apostles were in one place and with one Accord in the Name of Christ what a Blessed spectacle would that be How might I affirm that I had seen God there the Angels present Christ himself in the midst And how would all their Hearts like the Angel that appeared â—â— Manoah ascend to Heaven in the â—lames of such 〈◊〉 Jacob's Vision again methinks it is another 〈◊〉 Angels ascending and descending upon the Rounds of this Ladder Sure enough it is not 〈◊〉 Goodness in our Prayers but want of Devotion in our selves 〈◊〉 all Men will I hope be perswaded to 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 and learn to have a due Regard to so Holy a thing as the Churches Service is That all that hear me may I shall propound to your Consideration the Conducement hereof to the Peace of the Church and to the Peace of the Kingdom we live in our Love to which next to God's Glory and Honour ought to outweigh in the Ballance all other things whatsoever And indeed 1. Highly will it make for the Peace of the Church by putting a Bar to Heresie and Schism For he that is for the Churches Prayers cannot be an Heretick Whereas take away this Hedg and Mound once who may not Bless the People as St. Cyprian complained heavily a Montanist a Donatist a Manichee I may add a Socinian an Anti-trinitarian and what not Then that 't is a Cure of Schism who does not see for what is it else that Keeps our Wounds open but an Evil Opinion of the Churches Service a Conceit with some that 't is Popish with others that 't is not according to the Manner prescribed by Christ And let me tell you that Schism as 't is a prodigious Evil having malign Influences on the World so 't is a great Sin also of the first Magnitude St. Cyprian equals it to offering Sacrifice to Idols and well does he for the Church is the Body of Christ and what a great Sin must that be to Rend and Tear in pieces his Holy and Sacred Body to Divide and Crumble into Factions the best and purest Societies that ever were or can be but of Saints in Heaven For which a Divine of our Church hath said that it were better those little things about which our Differences are were buryed deep in Eternal Silence at the very Bottom and Centre of the Earth than that the Peace of the Church should be disturbed by them But the Mischief is Schism is like Sheol semper Petax it is always Craving never Satisfyed The best Cure of this Malady that I know is a due Obedience to our Superiours together with a general Conformity to and Uniformity in the Worship and Service of God Highly also will it make for the Peace of the Kingdom of which we are all Members it being the main Expedient to bring back that Love that Unity that Concord and that Agreement that hath been so long banished from us by this Antecedent Difference in Opinion and Judgment about matters of Worship Whilst one is for this Sect another for that one for Episcopacy another for Presbytery some for a Liturgy others for none how can we expect that the Blessing of Peace should remain in our Borders Do we not rather make way by it for the Abomination that makes Desolate to come upon us I wish my Conjecture may prove Abortive but that it will be so unless God in Mercy by healing our Breaches and making up our Divisions put a stop to it â— may Predict I think without a Spirit of Prophecy 'T is what fills the Enemies of our Church with Hope and all her Friends with Fear And do I not hear you now sighing out these Words of the Prophet Is there no Balm in Gilead are there no Physicians there whâ— thâ—â— is not the Health of the Daughter of my People recovered In my Conceit I do and I say to it that there is Balm in Gilead blessed be God for it and there are store of Physicians there But to little purpose is it unless the Voice of Christ may be heard which calls upon the Shâ—â—â—mite to return unless they that Dissent and Separate would see their Errour once and go back by the same Steps they have gon astray to the Church which they forsook without Cause For tho I may not be bold to say of her as her Spouse of the Church invisible There is no Spot in her yet this I may and will say that there is none in her so great as to justifie a Separation from her Communion O that Men would listen and give Ear But what am I I will leave the Church to speak for her self I see her methinks standing at the side of her Altar with her Service Book in her Hand weeping bitterly and taking on heavily that her Children should depart and go away from her And what does she further do why she Beseeches she Conjures them for the Love they bear if not to her self to her Head and Husband and that in the Words of her Litany By the Mystery of his Holy Incarnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nativity and Circumâ—â—sion By his Baptism Fasting and 〈◊〉 by his Agony and bloody 〈◊〉 by his Cross and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pretious Death and 〈◊〉 and by the Glorious 〈◊〉 and Ascension that they would walk according to Rule and 〈…〉 same things That Dissenters will not heard 〈…〉 should be how quickly would 〈…〉 again even so as to give 〈…〉 Ezekiel which is Jehovah Shammah the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no more only a Word or two by way of Prayer or Vote that Almighty God would take the matter into his own Hand and work upon the Hearts of all the People of this Nation that they may yet be wise and see and understand what is for their own good learning to serve him one Way and with one Mind laying aside Division and Schism and indeavouring as they have one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace God of his infinite Mercy grant it that so our Church may continue in Tranquility our Nation abide in Quietness God's Service remain in its Purity God himself be Glorifyed and our Souls saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost three Persons and one God be ascribed as is most due by Angels and Men by us and all People all Honour and Glory both now and for evermore FINIS