Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	people_n	read_v	scripture_n	3,073	5	5.7739	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44741	A letter of friendly admonition to a divine of the Synod, upon occasion of a sermon preached by him, Octob. 18, 1647 together, with certaine quæres presented to the Synod : wherein the maine objections against the Common-prayer set forth in the preface to the late Directory are examined : together, with other acts that have been done against the suffering party of this kingdome : and the answer of the Synod desired thereunto / by a hearty wel-wisher to truth & peace, T.W.	T. W.; Halifax, George Savile, Marquis of, 1633-1695.	1647 (1647)	Wing H310; ESTC R14726	12,807	25

Directory in the same order with the Quaeres unto which divers of them are directed But Secondly to make some amends for this errour I have here afforded thee the draught of the preface to the Directory where thou hast the severall objections thereof against the Common Prayer which are pointed at and called to a reckoning in some of the Quaeres especially in the 7 8 9 10 11 12 c. unto the 26. Together with some other particular passages of the Directory it selfe concerning Buriall of the Dead and Holy-dayes which are touched upon therein If any shall desire farther to know why I have not gone through with other passages of the Directory I answer with the proverb that hast makes wast and withall some regard was to bee had of the volume in such a time when people are so easily frighted from a Booke by the Bulke of it But if I finde that the further prosecution thereof shall bee desired from so weake and rude a hand as mine is I shall be willing to make up what hath beene wanting ere it be long In the meane time honest Reader His mere mecum read deliberately and judge impartially and the Lord who is the God of wisedome and Peace fill thee full of the riches of his spirituall wisedome and restore Peace unto us in these poore distracted Kingdomes Farewell The Preface TO THE DIRECTORY IN the beginning of the blessed Reformation our wise and pious Ancestors tooke care to set forth an Order for Redresse of many things which they then by the Word discovered to bee Vaine Erroneous Superstitious and Idolatrous in the Publique Worship of God This occasioned many Godly and Learned men to rejoyce much in the Booke of Common-Prayer at that time set forth Because the Masse and the rest of the Latine-Service being removed the Publique Worship was celebrated in our owne Tongue many of the common People also received benefit by hearing the Scriptures read in their owne Language which formerly were unto them as a Booke that is sealed Howbeit long and sad Experience hath made it manifest That the Leiturgie used in the Church of England notwithstanding all the paines and Religious intentions of the Compilers of it hath proved an offence not onely to many of the Godly at home but also to the Reformed Churches abroad For not to speake of urging the Reading of all the Prayers which very greatly increased the burden of it the many unprofitable and burdensome Ceremonies contained in it have occasioned much mischiefe as well by disquieting the Consciences of many godly Ministers and people who could not yield unto them as by depriving them of the Ordinances of God which they might not enjoy without conforming or Subscribing to those Ceremonies Sundry good Christians have beene by meanes thereof kept from the Lords Table and divers able and faithfull Ministers debarred from the exercise of their Ministery to the endangering of many thousand Soules in a time of such scarcity of faithfull Pastors and spoiled of their livelyhood to the undoing of them and their Families Prelates and their Faction have laboured to raise the Estimation of it to such an height as if there were no other Worship or way of Worship of God amongst us but onely the Service-Booke to the great hinderance of the Preaching of the Word and in some places especially of late to the justling of it out as unnecessary or at best as farre inferiour to the Reading of Common Prayer which was made no better than an Idol by many Ignorant and Superstitious People who pleasing themselves in their presence at that Service and their Lip-labour in bearing a part in it have thereby hardened themselves in their ignorance and carelessenesse of saving Knowledge and true Piety In the meane time Papists boasted that the Booke was a compliance with them in a great part of their Service and so were not a little confirmed in their Superstition and Idolatry expecting rather our returne to them than endeavouring the Reformation of themselves In which expectation they were of late very much incouraged when upon the pretended warrantablenesse of imposing of the former Ceremonies new ones were daily obtruded upon the Church Adde hereunto which was not foreseene but since hath come to passe that the Leiturgie hath been a great meanes as on the one hand to make increase an idle and unedifying Ministery which contented it selfe with set Formes made to their hands by others without putting forth themselves to exercise the gift of Prayer with which our Lord Jesus Christ pleaseth to furnish all his Servants whom hee cals to that office so on the other side it hath beene and ever would be if continued a matter of endlesse strife and contention in the Church and a snare both to many godly and faithfull Ministers who have beene persecuted and silenced upon that occasion and to others of hopefull parts many of which have been and more still would be diverted from al thoughts of the Ministery to other studies especially in these latter times wherein God vouchsafeth to his people more and better meanes for the discovery of Errour and Superstition and for attaining of knowledge in the mysteries of godlinesse and gifts in Preaching and Prayer Vpon these and many the like weighty considerations in reference to the whole Booke in generall and because of divers particulars contained in it not from any love to Novelty or intention to disparage our first Reformers of whom wee are perswaded that were they now alive they would joyne with us in this worke and whom wee acknowledge as Excellent Instruments raised by God to begin the purging and building of his House and desire they may be had of us and Posterity in everlasting Remembrance with thankfulnesse and honour but that we may in some measure answer the gracious Providence of God which at this time calleth upon us for further Reformation and may satisfie our owne Consciences and answer the expectation of other Reformed Churches and the desires of many of the godly among our selves and with all give some publique Testimony of our indeavours for Vniformity in Divine Worship which we have promised in our Solemne League and Covenant We have after earnest and frequent calling upon the Name of God and after much Consultation not with flesh and bloud but with his holy Word resolved to lay aside the former Leiturgie with the many Rites and Ceremonies formerly used in the Worship of God And have agreed upon this following Directory for all the parts of Publique Worship at ordinary and extraordinary Times Wherein our care hath beene to hold forth such things as are of Divine Institution in every Ordinance and other things we have indeavoured to set forth according to the Rules of Christian Prudence agreeable to the generall Rules of the Word of God Our meaning therein being onely that the generall heads the sense and scope of the Prayers and other parts of Publique Worship being knowne to all there may be a