your Honours as ye would have God to be in his worship and his blessing upon it and upon you and us in a perfect hatred of that menstruous Cloth and Garment spotted with the flesh to cast it out and all the rest as Carcases of abominable things but withall we intreat you to set the Masters of the Wardrobe on packing with them It is observed as a custom among the Papists that they bury their Prelates in all their Pontifical robes of which a learned Divine tells us he could give no reason except they meant they should do service when they were dead that had never done any thing alive If your Honours will lap up the Prelates in the Sear-cloth of their own Surplices and intomb them in the Tabernacle of the Service-book imbalmed with the strange ointment of their own Ceremonies and bury them under the Oake that is in oblivion Gen. 35.2 Verse 5. Jos 2.9 as Jacob did the Idols of his family and as our neighbours and brethren have done with the l ke stuffe then the fear of you shall be upon all your enemies and the child that is to come shall blesse God for you CHAP. XI The Objections NOw we come in the last place to remove some Objections which we shall shew to be of no great weight and therefore we use the fewer words Object 1 The first is from the antiquity of the Service-book to which Doctor Hall Sect. and others have received an answer by Smâ—ctymnuus but say it had Antiquity without truth it were no better than a custome of error Et nullum tempus occurrit Deo there is no prescription to the King of Kings Object 2 The second Objection Many good men have used it and liked it well for answer Testimonia humana non faciunt fidem Sect. Mans approbation is not current of it self but as it buts upon the faithfull witness otherwise it is an inartificial argument as Logicians call it the Patriarches used and did many things that were not approveable some good Kings of Judah as Amaziah and Johosaphat tooke not a way the High places 1 King 14 41 22 3. 2 King 18.4 to 9. were they any whit the better for that yea the suffering of them is set up as the Kings fault it were better to follow Hezekiah that took them away Master Wommock alleadgeth for the Service book that Rome is not demolished in the first day so we alleadge against it that good men in mending times did either see as far as their Horizon or at least as they durst So we have more light and are set upon their shoulders therefore it is both sin and shame for us not to see more and do more than they did Hebeziah did more than Jehosaphat and Josiah more than they both Thirdly Object 3 it is objected that it hath many good things in it that is answered already Sect. the Alcoran and Talmud have many good things in them yea the Apocrypha Books have many excellent truths in them are they therefore to be presented in Gods worship The fourth objection is from a more convenient course of correctings Object 4 of it than of cashiering of it For answer what King or Sect. State did ever yet thrive in moyling and toyling themselves to make clean the Popes leprous stuff to bring it into the worship of God but all that ever prospered in that work made utter exterpation Popes will be content to hear of reformaon and give order for it to their Cardinals but they are joyned to their Idols Hos 4 17. and God speaks of Epâ—raim let them alone Secondlâ— this is not Gods course in reforming of his House as the rubbish of the Leprous house was to be cast out into an unclean place as hath been said so polluted pieces of Idolatrous Service Rev. 14.13 are not to be brought by any cleansing into the House of God God commandeth his people to throw down the Altars of the Canaanite where under Altars are comprehended all other abominations they were not to set a new trim upon any of them but because they obeyed not the Lord they smatted for it Blessed be God who hath put it into your hearts to strike at Altars Railes Pictures Crosses and all the Popish Idols Judg 2.2 we are in good hope you will not leave a Popish Relique in the â—and neither in Church or Street and then we may be sure there shall no Canaanite dwell in our Land this scraping and picking that Master Wommock speaks of will be no better than paring of the nayles and shaving of the hair which as the Great Turke said of his Army will quickly grow again yea and grow again the faster too good medicines in natural things may be extracted out of rancke poysons but so cannot pure worship out of things polluted being mans inventions Esa 30 22 therefore the Prophet Esay tells us that nothing will serve but the casting away of the polluted thing not cleansing of it Object 5 The fifth and last Objection is from Acts of Parliament Sect. which the Service-book-men make their staff of their confidence and yet in truth being well tryed it shall be found that they abuse the state and consciences of men most grosly Doctor Hall and others strike much on that string as Parliamentary Acts peremptory establishment yet they make but very harsh Musique A man would think that Doctor Hall being a learned Divine would first have laid this worship of Liturgy in the â—allance of the Sactuary and tryed the weight of it there and if it had proved too light as surely it would then to have counted it a piacle against God and man to offer to make up the weigh with humane Lawes Iâ— is not unworthy your remembrance how one of the latter brood of the Scotish Prelates alledging or rather mis-alledging before our late Soveraign King James some Act of Parliament for the establishing and maintenance of the Prelacy the King asked a Noble man being by being a great Legist an Officer of State what he thought of those Acts The Noble-man replyed That it went never well with them since their Church-men laboured to be more versed in the Acts of Parliament than in the Acts of the Apostles But to the matter for all this cry we are more than half consident they shall have but little wooll for the Service-booke from the Acts of State when they are well looked into We know not any colour of confirmation for the Service-book 1 Eliz. c 7. except that Stature prefixed to it which how little it maketh for it let the words of the Statute testifie of which we shall set down those that are most pertinent for it is needless to write them all In the fifth and sixth years of King Edward the sixth an Act was made for the establishing of a Book called The Book of Common-Prayer the which was repealedâ—n the first year of Queen Mary which Statute of repeal was made voyd
close to the sense of the Service-book because it is from their own Mass-book and gives this as a reason why Michael is painted fighting with a Dragon both Opinion and Reason are of the like weight Now from things without colour of Ground what colour or ground is there for that speech in the end of the Magnificat O Ananias Azarias and Mizael Praise the Lord If this was the Prayer of these men when they were alive what sense or reason that we should speak to them being dead more than to others For Popish Tenents Sect. look that Prayer at the Burial of the Dead That we with this our Brother and all other our Brethren departed in the true Faith of thy holy Name may have our perfect Consummation and Bliss both in Body and Soul First here every one Buried is a faithful Brother which cannot be said of every one no not in the Judgement of Charity It is true indeed That the Priest of Newgate bid the poor Condemned Thieves provide Money for their Burial and they needed not doubt of their Salvation Again the words are an express Prayer and tyed to be said by the Minister Now for the Ceremonies having place in Gods Worship and being mans device must needs be Idols or Idolatrous Actions Quicquid praeter mandatum est Idolum Whatsoever is placed in Gods Worship without the Commandement of God is an Idol for none hath power to Ordain or Place a Ceremony in Christ his Church but himself who is King of it For instance whereof there is a remarkable place amongst many Numb 15.39 And it shall be unto you for a Fringe that ye may look upon it and remember all the Commandements of the Lord and do them and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes after which you use to go a Whoring where Observe both the Ceremony and Signification to be from Gods own Appointment And further every device of man in Gods Worship is to be avoided but against those there are divers Treatises never Answered nor like to be yet it shall not be amiss by one indissolvable Argument to put all the Defenders of the Ceremonies to it which is this That which is mans Device and hath been an Idol in Gods Worship must of necessity be an Idol still in the Worship of God But the Ceremonies mentioned in the Service-book have been Idols in Gods Worship as Cross Surplice c. Ergo they must be Idols still in the Worship of God The Proof of the former Proposition is from instance of Abrahams Grove Gen. 21.33 but being abused to Idolatry as 2 King 17.10 Jerem. 51.2 Isa 57.5 then God forbiddeth his People the usage of it because it was an Idol yea commanded to destroy it Deut. 12.13 The latter Proposition none can deny Here we may add the foul Abuses of the Sacraments as Baptism and the Lords Supper and that Jewish Popish Instrtution of Churching of Women called Purisication that bastardly piece of Confirmation the particular Enoâ—mities whereof we need not stand upon they are so well known especially to your Honours which is a part of our happiness Again the Treatise would be too large yet we would not have the Lent Fast forgotten which the Patrons of our Liturgie make a Religious Fast 2 Part of Homil. of Fast Anno quinto Elizab. C. quint. abusing places of Scripture by mis-application of Scriptures as Joel 2.12 Mat. 6.16 2 Cor. 6.2 Mat. 4.10 clear contrary to the Law and indisputable Prerogative of God the Homilies appointed by the Law of the Land the most and best Reformed Churches the harmony of Confessions none siding with them in it but Papists and Popishly affected Now we come to Touch Sect. and but to touch upon the foppish and foolish things in the Book besides the foolish and sensless Translations of some Psalms pressed by the Service-book as Psal 58.9 Psal 68.30 which would be too large to set down and canvafs What can be said for those Tautologies and Battoligies used in the Service-book as Lord have Mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us the very Popish Kyreileison Christaleison condemned Matth. 6.7 the word Battology here condemned cometh as the learned observe from one Bactus a ridiculous Poet repeating the same words or verses often and so Christ forbideth a vain repetition of words or phrases and the better the words are the more grievous is the sin so the vain repetition in Prayer is most odious of all both the heathenish and Popish Battologies are struck dead at one blow saith Master Cartwright for mumbling up the same prayers again and again and can these repetitions of ours being the very same in English go scot-free One foppery more for we cannot name them all namely that mutual salutation between Priest and People in these words The Lord be with you and with thy spirit which Doctor Boyce girding at the Novellists takes upon him to defend from Ruth 24. with many invictive strains with other matter to little purpose is it a good Argument from salutation in civil conversment to fall a saluting one another in the worship of God Luke 10.4 2 King 4.29 if our Lord and Saviour forbad his Disciples to salute any in the way so far as it might be any impediment to his service like unto that of Elisha the Prophet how much less will Christ admit salutations in the middest of his Service It seems their devotion is very hot that falleth to tosse a salutation whilest they are upon Gods Worship Hence is that apish trick in the Northern parts that all the Women especially in coming into the Church make a courtesie to the Priest Dr. Boyce for further confirmation citeth the Liturgy of James Chrysostome and Basil but all know as hath been said that they who are acquainted with this subject know these Liturgies to be as Apocryphal as the subject the Dr. Lib. 2. de Missa c. 16. Lib. de Scrip. Eccles fol. 51. confesseth upon the report of Bellarmine that Tritenhemius writ a whole book upon Dominus Vobiscum in which are many fruitless questions and so we are sure the thing it self is fruitless CHAP. V. Of the Letany VVE come now to the last piece of the matter of the Lyturgie but not the least sinful but rather the most offensive Namely the Letany not a stump or a limb of Dagon but the head of the Masse-book appointed to he said on Sundayes Wednesdayes and Fridayes yea and at other times if the Ordinary appoint it of this it may truly be said as one said of the Pharisees sin that it was either the sin of the Holy Ghost Tossan in Mat. 12. Canon 15 or a sin very nigh it so the Letany is either blasphemy or very nigh blasphemy upon these dayes one of every house must be present setting a note of some preheminency both upon these week dayes and the Service yea from the Etymologie of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
devised by men in Gods worship which if the Papists were cleared saith one from the grossest of their Idolatry and Paganism would condemne them and will not the retainment and maintenance exceedingly condemne us that profess we are come out of Babel To these Rites and Ceremonies saith the same Author as to that spotted Profession of Popery Dr. Willet we should not conform our selves neither in use nor opinion but decline in all things the very shadow and shew of them What can be said more emphatically to the purpose As God is to be admired in the least of his Creatures as well as in the greatest saith a Father Ita mente Christo dedita c. Hier. Ep. Nepotian So a mind devoted to Christ doth as well take heed of small faults as of great especially in Gods worship The Hypocritical and Idolatrous Jewes are not only rebuked and threatned for eating of Swines flesh contrary to the Law but also that the Broth was found in their vessels Austin comparing the ten Plagues of Egypt Isa 65.4 with the ten Commandements tells us that the turning of the water into blood Quest 4.5 doth signifie the corrupting of divine worship by humane and carnal Inventions of flesh and blood The Service-book and Ceremonies being such we have grounds to desire and your Honours to grant as we conceive ejectionem firmam against them both Sarah by Gods appointment wills Abraham to cast out Hagar and Ishmael the Bond-woman and her Son Gen 21 10. and why the Mother with the Son for it seems she offended not Yes it seemeth as the Learned do observe she was as Abetter of her Sons evil so the Service-book and the Prelates the Cup and the Cover the Mother and the Son should be cast out together That Riddle of the Snow and the Water may well be applyed to them Mater me genuit mater quoque gignitur ex me My Mother brought forth me and is brought forth by me That proud Hierarchical humor in Austin the first brought in the Lyturgy and that Lyturgy hath brought out and hath kept up to this day the Hierarchy If Christ be King of and in his Church in a more glorious and eminential way as who dare deny it in word though too many do deny it in deed then consequently without all controversie he must appoint his own Officers Government and Service Now there is nothing more inculcated and laid home in the Book of God than Christs Kingly Office to which all are subject and it is subject to none We will but cite some few places of many Psal 2.6 I have set or anoynted saith God my King upon Zion the mountain of my Holiness by which he meaneth his Church Whence a learned godly Minister delivered within these few dayes that as Christ set up his Church so it is his to provide for it To appoint and no others Offices and Officers and all religious Service or Worship to which we are only to submit and to none others Another Testimony from the Prophet Esay shall suffice Esay 9.6 Vnto us a child is born and a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his Name shall be called Wonderful c. now if God never took off this government from Christ his shoulders nor Christ never gave it up nor all the powers of heaven earth and hell be able to shake it then first it must follow as the Spirit speaketh that of the encrease of his government there must be no end Vers 7. Secondly it is every way as good by consequence That he will have no Service or Worship but of his own Appointment Porphyrius who was a great Necromancer as Eusebius witnesseth doth tell us among other things Lib. 5. de Praep. Evang c. 6. That the Devils themselves whom he calls Gods signifie unto their especial servants the Magitians Quibus rebus c. with what things they are made to appear what is to be offered unto them what dayes they should choose and what signes and Images they should make Lib. 1. de Civit. Dei c. 16 Which Assertion Austin confirmeth Non potuit nisi ipsis primis docentibus disci quid quisque illorum appetat vel quid exhorreat it could never be learned but by their Teaching meaning the Devils what every one of them desireth and what they abhor Since the Devil then loves to be Gods Ape in every thing and his highest Menial servants account it nothing but reason that he should prescribe Orders in his own House and appoint what Service and Ceremonies therein as he pleaseth shall not the King of kings and Lord of lords and only he appoint how and by what means he will be served in his own House this is the reason why the Service of God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasonable service for so we translate it which might be more emphatically rendered sincere service unmixed service according to the Word for so the Original Word signifieth as the Apostle Peter calls the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Epist c. 2.2 the sincere milk of the Word Now to draw to an end we are forced in the bulk to exceed our intention We crave leave further of your Honors to bind our Desires with Three strong Motives for effecting of the Work namely from Example or Pattern for doing of it from danger if it be not done and from the universal Covenant binding every one in his place to the doing of it CHAP. IX I. Of the Pattern FOR the first as the Apostle willeth to shew our selves to others Patterns of all good works and words we should make others good Examples matter of our Imitation Tit. 2.7 brevius iter per exempla quam per praecepta Pattern is a more compendious way than Precept Good Examples from Gods People have the force of a general Rule to apply All the Reformed Churches when God turned them from darkness to light they expelled the Prelates as the Officers of the Kingdom of darkness and the Popish Liturgy as a false Worship and work of darkness To pass France the Low-Countries Geneva the Palatinate and others be pleased to cast your eye upon our Neighbour Nation of Scotland who have neither left root nor branch of Prelate or Popish Liturgie and have not we the same Reasons to reject both It is an infallible Rule both in Divinity and Polity both in Church and Common-Wealth Pareus in c. 11. ad Rom. p. 1114. Vbi sunt similes causa circumstantiae ibi locum habet exemplum where there are the like Causes and Circumstances there Example takes place the Causes why they cast both out were their offensiveness to Christ his Church King and State and hath ever Nation been so prejudiced in all these particulars as we have been And have we not been and are partly yet environed with a mantle wall of evil Circumstances as the Prelates aggravation of their Cruelty
but these dregs of Popery now in controversie and the hurtful Hierarchy one of these upholding another a godly and famous Minister preaching to the banished beyond Seas in Queen Maries time that Gods anger was mâ—ch provoked against England for slackness to reform when they had time place and power and so it was indeed for he cast back that partial reformation into the flames of Antichristian tyranny gave many up unto fearful Apostacy Further the good man said it stood them upon to look to it and to be circumspect for fear of after-claps meaning that a partial reformation would not serve God will never indure as hath been said the post and threshold of Baal and his to stand together the like more fully was delivered by Master Rogers that honourable Proto-Martyr in his daies when the Gospel should be established in England if the King â—ome of Antichrist were not utterly cashiâ—red and total reformation made in Gods worship that our persecution should be greater and our trial hotter than in the daies when he and others suffered Iâ— we will not remove that which is an abomination to God as this Book is proved to be it is just with God to cast us away One more of this kind from a Peer of this Land who on his death-bed cried Wo to England because they turned all their Religion into policy dangerous experience hath taught us the truth of these predictions for from that halting reformation after Queen Maries death wherein we pleased our selves with Agrippa his almost in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a little the Babylonian and Edomites Prelates and Jesuites under the favour of their Canons Act 26.28 got at length such footing and made such head for Popery Arminianisme and that especially by causing the Nilus of that Service-book to swell and heating the furnace of persecution that Religion and Policy the two twiâ—s of Gods favour were grown like to Archimedes his tomb so over-grown with thorns Tulâ—y Cap. 12.14 that it could not be found yea the woman in the Revelation was brought again unto that straight as to think on nothing but of flight to the wilderness And further how nigh were our nighbours and brechren the Scots to the pits brink of ruine both of Religion and State and that by remitting of these Synoâ—ial Prelates and the Trojan-horse the Service-book to enter out of which if God had not beaten the brains 1 Sam 20. â— we were like to have hâ—d a new Babylonish captivity yea we may both truly say with David There was but a step betwixt us and death had not God set in as a present help in our distress Psal 12.3 and raâ—sâ—d you others the men of his right hand in the very neck of need our enemies as the Psalmist hath it had swallowâ—d us up alive As we are gone thus far with the danger past Sect. and partly present so we desire your honours leave to present the appearance as we conceive of future danger and that partly to the Church and State in general and partly more particular to yourselves if this service-Service-book be not removed to make both these dangers more visible let us compare our presentment with the ninth Position of Sions ples in these words If the Hierarchy be not removed and the Scepter of Christs Government namely Discipline advanced to its place there can be no healing of our sore no taking up of our controversie with God yea our desolations by his rarest judgements are like to be the astonishment of all Nations As the parts of the Position are soundly proved so the same may be said of the Service-book and the very same Arguments concerning our danger will serve the one as well as the other wherefore we intreat your Honours to review the Position and its proofs the Hierarchy and the Service-book are resembled already to Mother and Child so may they be two twins begotten and born of Pride and Superstition nursed and brought up in the lap of Covetousnesse these twins are born together live together and must dye together a great Judge returning from the Circuit of the Emperours service and hearing his wife to be alive replyed si vivat iâ—lâ—i morior ego if she live I am dead so if they live we mean their callings then our life may prove worse than death God will bear with many sins in a people professing Christ but with keeping Christ out of his Throne by intruding Officers and a superstitious worship he will not bear especially of a long continuance but will be avenged of such a people if they be as the Apple of his eye witnesse Samuels speech to the Israelites who besides their desiring a King before the Lords time were faulty in many other things as appeareth verse the 20. yet he telleth them If they and their King will follow the Lord they should both continue for that is the best reading where by following the Lord 1 Sam. 12.14 15 20 25. is meant especially the serving of him according to his will but if they should turn aside from following the Lord in a corrupt way of his worship then the hand of the Lord should be against them Verse 17 as it had been against their Fathers yea they should be consumed both they and their King and as Samuel to terrifie them called for thunder and rain so we have felt both thunder and rain Judgement yet mixt with Mercy both from the mediate and immediate hand of God and do feel it at this present and to the end we should clear his House of corrupt worship The yoak of the Philistims was never removed from the neck of the Israelites till they put away their strange Gods and Ashtaroth their special Idol 1 Sam 7.3 4 c. But when their humiliation was joyned with Reformation then the Lord gave not onely deliverance but also Victory over and freedom from their enemies II. From the danger of not doing A word now of the particular Danger Sect whereof we make bold to give you notice as God hath honoured you in calling you to be the Reformers of Church and State Cap. 4.19 so the work is great as Nehemiah said and the danger proportionable if it be neglected When God putteth his select Servants upon high employments whether they be Magistrates or Ministers knowing best their weakness and the many impediments he puts them on ever anon to be couragious Josh 1.9 Jer. 1.17 not to fear or be afraid and the ground of all is Have not I commanded you So the Lord giveth the Prophet Jeremy a charge to sâ—eak all that the Lord should command and backeth it with a threatning Be not dismayed at their faces lest I confound thee both the Hebrew and the Septuagint hath it Lest I make thee afraid Saul his disobedience in sparing Agag and the fat of the cattel notwithstanding all his fair pretexts with the fearful punishment inflicted by God upon him