Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	read_v	time_n	year_n	2,583	5	4.6005	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50383	Unity restor'd to the Church of England by John Mayer.	Mayer, John, 1583-1664.	1661 (1661)	Wing M1426; ESTC R28824	26,506	53

indued with reason more than the custome that hath heretofore been when our case was not like to that which now is As for the Ornaments as they are called wherein the Minster is injoyned to read and to use them in all his ministration Surplice and Cope viz. The Cope and Surplice and Hood because I hear that they shall no more be injoyned because of the scandal that hath been by them in most parts of the land I will say no more but this they are truly relicks of Popery although the Surplice hath been used very anciently yet not in the first century but altogether without ground in holy Scripture which commandeth to do only in the publick worship of God what he prescribeth without adding or detracting ought which holdeth as well under the N. T. as the old wherein vestments were indeed commanded to be used Deut. 12.32 by the Priests in their ministration about the Altar but now under the new that kind of service being at an end and a new which is spiritual being set up without peculiar vestments for which the Minister is left free as well as other men what was it but a reducing again of a ceremony antiquated long before into the Evangelical Church which was proper to the legal contrary to the Rule given by our Saviour The true worshippers of God John 4.20 shall worship him in spirit and in truth which is not yet so to be understood as if no regard was to be had to externals for we must worship God outwardly in the body also according to that O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our maker and a man praying or Prophesying with his head covered that is having his hat on his head as when he is only amongst his fellowes for not doing this outward reverence to Christ his head who is in a special manner present in the congregation thus reverencing him lesse than the head of the Kingdome where he liveth dishonoureth his head Cor. 11. and for garments to be worn by the Minister in his ministration that which is most decent may be injoyned for all things must be done decently and in order and if by our governours in the Church a black Gown which hath been proper to a Minister be judged most decent and a peculiar kind of Cloak whereby he may in all places be known from other men and reverenced accordingly what are any that are inferiours to take exceptions thereto and likewise if they inhibet the Clergy from wearing long hair which the Apostle saith is a shame for any man to wear and require that they shew no levity and in their own apparrel by wearing light colours but dark which shewes gravety not in following vain fashions of the time Zeph. 1.8 which shewes exceeding great levity which ought to be reproved by the Minister and threatned Reading of the Scriptures as by Zephany even in the Kings Children For Reading of the holy Scriptures in the Church before preaching there is something which is justly excepted against viz. both the appointing of Chapters to be read out of Apocry phal Books as Esdras the book of Wisdom and of Tobit c. and those not a few but 60 at the least in the year wherein they say that the Service book which now we have is altered from the first appointed in the year of Edward 6. in which were none but canonical Scriptures appointed to be read and that in all Churches the Ministers are required to read Chapters both in the Old and New Testament appointed by the daies of the month which though it may be well in Churches or Chappels where service is said every day yet if the Minister in every parochial Church keepeth himself to this order he shall not in many years by reading the Chapters appointed for the Lords dayes read most of the Chapters of the Bible but passe them over continually And forasmuch as now there is preaching in every Church of the Gospel of Jesus Christ sometimes upon Gospels somtimes upon Epistles this is but an adding of an unnecessary labour to the wearying of the preacher before he commeth to his greatest labour Wherefore His Majesty and the Councel of the Land in whose power only it is are to be desired to see these things amended also And lastly because it is an offence to some Reading of prayers indeed not so commendable in a Minister to read prayers there was not any such thing done in Israel of old for nothing was read in the congregation but Scripture and as for praying and praysing of God it was don memoriter by the Minister Nehe. 8. the saying of the prayers set forth in the Book of Common Prayer without book by the Minister would be enjoyned that comming from his spirit immediately as if they were his own both he himselfe and the whole Congregation may be the better affected therewith and such as know not how to pray by hearing them often so said may be stirred up to learn them by heart also and make use of them or some of them in private which how shall they be put on to do if the Minister himself cannot say them but by the book to read a prayer made by others cannot be praying by the spirit as all praying in the Congregation ought to be but then may one be said to pray by the spirit when he hath laid up the prayer to be uttered in his heart and from thence immediately brings it forth being affected with it as if it were of his own conceiving If it shall be counted sufficient for a Minister to read prayers in the Congregation when his sight groweth dim or he cannot see or the Sky be overcast with darknesse how shall he be able to go on in praying if it be said every one hath not so good a memory I answer He that giveth himself to praying upon paines taking shall attain to a memory snfficient for this and so all Ministers after the example of the Apostles ought to do Act. 6. or else they are not worthy of the Ministry as for the praying in the Pulpit if so much time hath been spent in praying before it will not be requisite now for the Preacher to spend much time in praying again but after a short prayer made for the assistance of Gods holy Spirit and for a blessing to fall immediately to the work of preaching Matt. 5. Luke 4. For when Christ preached in the Mount and in Nazareth we read of spending time in preaching but not in praying and likewise of the Apostle Peters saying much when the people were assembled together to hear him Act. 2. Act. 10. by way of preaching only and of Paul neither do I find that any of the Ancient Doctors of the Church when they stood up to preach did otherwise As for the ten commandements rehersing every Lords day in the house of God to make all

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. 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