the Churches that it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and them to lay upon them no greater burden than necessary things imposing them because antecedently necessary for that is given as the reason of their selection and imposition and not only making unnecessary things necessary by imposition for then the Imposition had been unnecessary though it was not a simple unchangeable necessity yet it was a necessity by accident pro tempore loco antecedent to the imposition of that assembly Seeing then such things commend us not to God and if you use them at least you are not the better Sin not against Christ by sinning against your brethren 1 Cor. 8. 8 9 11 12. much more take heed of forcing them to sin Wee have presumed to bee thus plain and large in shewing you some of our Reasons for your consent to the necessary abatement of things unnecessary to the Consciences of your Brethren In the conclusion wee beseech you to compare with these the Reasons that can move you to deny us these requests If you will needs use such things your selves will it gain you so much to force them upon others as will answer all the foresaid Inconveniences Will it cost you as dear to grant this Liberty or abate these things as the Imposition will cost your Brethren and you O how easily how safely how cheaply yea with what commodity and delight may you now make this Nation happy in granting your Brethren these requests If you say that others will bee still unsatisfied and you shall never know when you have done Wee answer 1. The cause of the Non-conformists hath been long ago stated at the troubles at Frank-ford and having continued still the same you have no reason to suspect them of any considerable change 2. Grant us but the freedome that Christ and his Apostles left unto the Churches use necessary things as necessary and unnecessary as unnecessary and charitably bear with the infirmities of the weak and tolerate the tolerable while they live peaceably and then you will know when you have done And for the intolerable wee beg not your Toleration Wee intercede for those that have Christ for their Intercessor in the Highest Wee know when all 's done there will bee Heresies 1 Cor. 11. 19. There will bee self-lovers covetous bousters proud blasphemers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more than of God having a form of godliness while they deny the power 2 Tim. 3. 2 3 4. There will bee filthy dreamers that defile the Flesh despise Dominion speak evil of dignities Jud. 8. And many will follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth will be evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 2. It is not these for whom wee are Petitioners But for those that are faithful to God and the King that fear offending that agree with you in all things necessary to Salvation and the common union of Beleevers and that you are like to see at Christs right hand who will finally justifie them and take them to his glory If you suppose us in all this to have Pleaded our own cause Wee hope wee are not such as are intolerable in the Ministry or communion of the Church if you suppose us to Plead the cause of others wee hope you will accept our desires as impartial when it is supposed the persons differ from us as well as from you Wee have now faithfully and not unnecessarily or unreasonably spread before you the Case of thousands of the upright of the Land Wee have proposed honest and safe remedies for our present distractions and the preventing of the feared increase Wee humbly beg your Favourable Interpretation of our plain and earnest language which the urgency of the Cause commands and your consent to these our necessary requests which if you grant us you will engage us to thankfulness to God and you and to imploy our faculties and interests with Alacrity to assist you for the common peace But if you reject our suit which God forbid Wee shall commit all to him that judgeth Righteously and wait in hope for the blessed day of Universal Judgement when the Lord of Hosts their strong redeemer shall throughly plead his peoples cause and execute Judgement for them and bring them forth into the light and they shall behold his Righteousness In the mean time wee will bear the indignation of the Lord because wee have sinned against him Come Lord Jesus Come quickly Amen THE REFORMATION OF THE LITURGY Presented to the Right Reverend Bishops by the Divines appointed by His Majesties Commission to treat with them about the Alteration of it Right Reverend HAVING already given you our judgement of several things in the Book of Common-Prayer and our desires for the altering of some parts of it leaving the rest unaltered wee here tender you some of the said Alterations which in our former Paper wee shewed to bee needful and some Additional Forms in Scripture Phrase as neer as wee well could suited to the nature of the several parts of Worship The Texts are cited in the Margin to justifie partly the Matter and partly the Phrase If any be mis-applied which wee hope will not bee found wee shall be willing upon Information to retract such mis-application If some of the Prayers here offered seem of too great a length the substance of them being allowed wee shall upon conference and mutual consideration endeavour to contract them And whereas His Majesties Commission doth impower and authorize us To take into our Consideration the several Directions Rules and Forms of Prayer and things contained in the Book of Common-Prayer And further addeth When wee shall have drawn our Consultations to any Resolution and Determination which wee shall agree upon as needful or expedient to bee done for the altering diminishing or enlarging the Book of Common-Prayer or any part thereof c. Wee have here accordingly added some Rules or Directions as requisite to give light to the whole shewing when and how those several Prayers shall bee used But if any of those Rules or Directions upon debate shall bee judged by the Commissioners unnecessary or over long wee shall bee very ready to submit either to the Alteration or Omission of them And since wee for our parts do so freely profess not to insist on any thing now or formerly proposed which shall bee manifested to bee unmeet so wee humbly crave and hope for your consent to all the rest And that these Alterations and Additions now offered may finde your favourable interpretation and acceptance and may by our joynt consent bee presented to His Majesty to the end they may obtain his gracious Approbation And the several particulars thereof may bee inserted into the several respective places of the Liturgy to which they do belong and left to the Ministers choice to use the one
Thanksgiving for the Deliverance of Women in Childe-bearing WEE return thée thanks Most Gracious God That thou hast heard our Prayers for this thy hand-maid and hast béen her helpin the time of her necessity and delivered her from her fears and sorrows death and life are in thy power thou killest and thou makest alive thou bringest down to the grave and thou bringest up Thou makest the Barren to keep house to bée a ioyful Mother of Children Wée thank thée that thou hast given thy servant to see the fruit of her Womb and that thou hast brought her again to thy Holy assembly to go with the multitude to thy house and worship thee with the voyce of ioy and praise that shée may enter into thy gates with thanksgiving and into thy Court with praise and wée may all bée thankful to thée on her behalf and speak good of thy Name Thou art good O Lord to all and thy tender mercies are over all thy works thou preserveit them that love thée thou raisest up them that are vowed down thou fulfillest the desire of them that fear thée thou also dost hear their cry and save them command thy blessing yet upon thy servant and her off-spring Let her not forget thée and thy mercies but let her devote the life which thou hast given her to thy service and educate her off-spring as a Holy séed in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and as thou hast said that thy scurse is in the house of the wicked but thou blessest the habitation of the just let her and her house serve thée and let holiness to the Lord bée written upon all wherewith thou blessest her Let her make thée her refuge and habitation Give her the ornament of a méek and quiet spirit which in thy sight is of great price let her not love the world nor minde Earthly things but use the world as not abusing of it Seeing the time is short and the fashion of this world passeth away Restore her Soul and lead her in the paths of righteousness though shée must walk through the valley of the shaddow of death let her fear no evil Let thy goodness and mercy follow her all the daies of her life and let her dwell for ever in thy Glorious presence Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen If the Childe bee dead those passage which imply its living must be omitted and if the Woman bee such as the Church hath cause to judge ungodly the Thanksgiving must bee in words more agreeable to her condition if any bee used Of Pastoral Discipline Publick Confession Absolution and Exclusion from the Holy Communion of the Church THe Recital of the Curses are said in the Book of Common Prayer to bee instead of the godly discipline of the primitive Church till it can bee restored again which is much to bee wished which is the putting of notorious sinners to open Penitence His Majesties Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical affairs determineth that all publick diligence bee used for the instruction and reformation of Scandalous offenders whom the Minister shall not suffer to partake of the Lords Table until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty lives provided there bee place for due appeals to Superiour Powers And the law of Christ commandeth if thy Brother trespass against thee go and tell him his faults between him and thee alone if hee shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother but if hee will not hear thee then take to thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may bee Established and if hee shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if hee shall neglect to hear the Church let him bee unto thee as a Heathen man or as a publican Mat. 18. 15 16 17. And it is the office of the Pastors of the several Congregations not only to teach the people in General and guide them in the Celebration of the publick Worship but also to over-see them and watch over each member of their flock particularly to preserve them from Errours Heresies Divisions and other sins defending the truth confuting gain-sayers and seducers instructing the Ignorant exciting the Negligent incourageing the Despondent comforting the Afflicted confirming the weak rebuking and admonishing the disorderly and scandalous and directing all according to their needs in the matters of their Salvation and the people in such needs should have ordinary recourse to them as the officers of Christ for guidance and resolution of their doubts and for assistance in making their salvation sure and in proving maintaining or restoring the peace of their consciences and spiritual comfort If therefore any member of the Church bee a scandalous sinner and the Crime bee either notorious or fully proved let the Pastor admonish him and set before him the particular command of God which hee transgresseth the supream Authority of God which hee despiseth the promises and mercies which hee treadeth under foot and the curse and dreadful condemnation which hee draweth upon himself let this bee done with great compassion and tender love to the offenders soul and with gravity reverent and serious importunity as beseemeth men imployed on the behalf of God for the saving of a soul and yet with judgement and cautelous prudence not taking that for sin which is no sin nor that for a gross and scandalous sin which is but an ordinary humane frailty not dealing as unreverently with a Superiour as with an inferiour nor making that publick which should bee concealed nor reproving before others when it should bee done more secretly nor speaking unseasonably to those who through drink or passion are incapable of the benefit nor yet offending by bashfulness or the fear of man or lukewarmness negligence or slighting over great offences on the other extream Prudence also requireth them to bee cautelous of over-medling where the Magistrates honour or concernment or the Churches unity or peace or the reputation of others or the interest of their Ministry requireth them to forbear These Cautions observed If the scandalous offenders continue impeâ—itent or unreformed after due admonitions and patience let the Pastor in the Congregation when hee is present rebuke him before all that the Church may sufficiently disown the Crime and others may see the odiousness danger of the sin But let this also bee with the love and seriousness and prudence before mentioned If the offender in obstinacy will not bee there the Pastor may open the crime before the Congregation And present or absent in case hee remain impenitent if the case will bear so long delay it is convenient that the Pastor publickly pray for his conviction and repentance that hee may bee Saved And this hee may do one or two or three or more daies as the nature of the case and prudence shall direct him If during these means for his Recovery after the proof of the Crime there
estéem other better than himself and let all men know that wée are Christs Disciples by our fervent love to one another Let us be heartily and entirely thy Subjects beléeving that thou art just and the Rewarder of them that diligently séek thée kéep us from Atheism Idolatry and Disobedience from Infidelity Ungodliness and Sensuality from Security Presumption and Despair Let us study to please thée in all things Let thy Law bée written in our hearts and let us delight to do thy Will Let our Faith and Lives be ruled by thy Word which is able to make us wise unto Salvation let us love it search it and understand it and meditate in it day and night Let us not please our selves or other men against thee nor be led by the wisdome or desires of the World and Flesh nor regard lying vanities nor through carelesness rashness or presumption offend thée As all Nations must be judged by thée let them be ruled by thy Laws and not make them void by mens traditions nor worship thée in vain teaching for Doctrine the Commandments of men But what ever thou commandest let them take héed to do it Let them add nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom Let us not take thy holy Name in vain but use it in truth and reverence Kéep us from all Blasphemy Perjury Prophane swearing from lying before the God of Truth and from contempt and forgetfulness of thy presence from false unworthy unreverent thoughts or spéeches of God and holy things and from neglecting or abusing thy holy Word and Worship Help us to kéep holy thy Day in remembrance of the blessed work of our Redemption and reverently to attend thée in Publick Worship and obediently to receive thy Word and fervently to call upon thy Name and to delight our selves in Thanksgiving and joyful Praises to thy Holiness in the Communion of thy Saints and let us carefully sée that our housholds and all within our gates do serve thée and not abuse thy holy Day Have mercy on the Kings and Rulers of the Earth that they may escape the Temptations of Worldly Greatness Honours and Prosperity which would captivate them to the flesh and draw their hearts from thée thy Laws and Waies and would engage them against thée and thy Servants And as they are thy Ministers and Magistracy is thine Ordinance sanctifie and dispose them to be Nursing Fathers to thy Church to own thy Interest and Rule for thée Especially have mercy on thy Servant Charls our King illuminate and sanctifie him by thy holy Spirit that above all things hée may séek thy Glory the increase of Faith and Obedience to thy Laws and may rule us as being thy Minister for good not to be a terrour to good Works but to Evil that under him wée may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Have mercy upon all the Royal Family the Lords of the Counsel and all the Nobility the Judges and Magistrates of these Lands Cause them to fear thee and to be Eminent in Sobriety Righteousness and Godliness to protect the Innocent and be a terrour to the Wicked hating Injustice Covetousness and Pride Let every soul be subject to the Higher Powers and not resist Let them obey the King and all that are in Authority under him not onely for wrath but for conscience sake as knowing that they rule by thée and for thée Give all the Churches able holy faithful Pastors and cause them laboriously to preach and rightly to divide the Word of truth to féed thy People with Knowledge and lead them in the way of Faith and Love of Holiness and Peace and to watch for their souls as those that must give account over-seeing and ruling them not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind not as being Lords over thy Heritage but as the Servants of all and Ensamples to the Flock That when the chief Pastor shall appear they may receive a Crown of Glory Let the Congregations know those that have the ruling of them and are over them in the Lord that labour among them preaching to them the Word of God Let them submissively and obediently hear and esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and account them worthy of double honour Let Parents bring up their Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord diligently teaching them thy Word talking of it when they are in their house and when they walk by the way when they lye down and when they rise up that they may know their Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier in the daies of their youth And cause Children to hear love honour and obey their Parents that they may have the blessing of thine especial Promise unto such Let Husbands love their Wives and prudently guide them in knowledge and holiness And let Wives love honour and obey their Husbands as méet helpers to them Let Masters rule their Servants in Holiness and mercy remembring they have a Master in Heaven and let Servants reverently singly and willingly bée obedient and do service to their Masters as to the Lord from him expecting their reward Kéep us from Murder Uiolence and all injury to our neighbours life or health from malice cursing reviling and unadvised Anger Let us not resist evil with evil but forbear one another and not give place to wrath Kéep us from Adultery Fornication and all uncleanness and the occasions and appearances thereof Let us take care as becometh saints that they bée not immodestly named among us and that no Corrupt Communication procéed out of our Mouths Kéep us from Chambering and wantonness from lustfull thoughts and all immodest attire behaviour looks and actions Kéep us from Theft and Oppression and any way wronging our Nieghbour in his Propriety and Estate Kéep us from False witness-bearing lying and deceiving from slandering backbiting unjust uncharitable censuring or reproaching from all perverting of justice and wronging the reputation of our Neighbour and from all consent or desire of such wrongs Kéep us from Envy and from coveting any thing that is our Neighbours to his wrong and from séeking our own or drawing to our selves to the Injury of his welfare but let us love our Neighbours as our selves and do to others as wée would they should do to us Teach us to love Christ and his holy Image in his Members with a dear and special love and to love our Enemies and pray for them that hate and persecute us and to do good to all as wée are able but Especially to them of the Houshold of faith Cause us with patience to submit to all the Disposals of thy Will and wait thy End and to love the demonstrations of thy Holiness and iustice though grievous to the Flesh and kéep us from Impatient Murmurings and discontent and Arrogant reasoning against thy Will Give us