Week is divided into two Parts six Days to labour which many seem not to take notice of the seventh is the Sabbath to keep it holy After this are heaped one upon another Sentences which have no Connexion with themselves nor Relation to the present Occasion the thing therein most plain is that the People ought to make Provision for the Minister and that is pressed in five Paragraphs something indeed is afterwards said for the Poor but the gathering is for fear of missing made before the Communion when without Diversion People ought wholly to be taken up with Meditation upon that high Mystery it were more proper after the Action to gather But mention is made of Offering Days a Device at first of the Popish Clergy to satisfie their Covetousness so that every Man and Woman shall pay to the Curate the due and accustomed Offerings which is a meer unhandsome Trade in the Church as if one should say there is such a Rate set upon the holy Sacrament which must be paid before you receive it for it is said there after which done that is the Money laid down and not before the Priest shall say that is shall go on this tendeth to neither Decency Order or Edification rather to Scandal If our blessed Saviour was upon Earth here now as much as as ever he would have Cause to turn out many who make Simony and Merchandise in and about the Church Matth. 2.12 Joh. 14 15 16. as he did formerly But to go on in the following Prayer a third time mention is made for the King We as much as they can be are for praying for Kings and Superiour Powers but every thing ought to have its Time and Place if you will observe Order and Decency once is enough afterwards our Thoughts ought to be taken up with higher things with the King of Kings Before the Confession in the Rubrick a Difference is made between the Minister and the Priest 't is said the Confession shall be read by one of the Ministers or the Priest himself By the Minister may be is understood the Reader or the Clark under the same Name here is another Office in the Church different from the Priest's Thus in Convents and Monasteries Papists have Fathers and Brothers Moncks and serving Fryers for these to do what the others think to be below themselves and the Drudgery Then the Dialogue between Priest and People is not very proper it might be done without Dialogue Of two Prayer just before the receiving of the Communion one is to be said or read for every thing is but reading kneeling the other standing why in a different Posture After the Prayer the Minister may rise and consecrate In the Glory be to God on high is said thrice in the same Words thou that takest away the Sins of the World c. In the Lord's Prayer such Repetitions are not to be found if it be in relation to the most holy and blessed Trinity we have other Ways to do it than with such Repetitions Last of all there is this Clause and yearly at Easter every Parishioner shall reckon with his Parson Vicar or Curate no such Distinction in Scripture or his or their Deputy or Deputies and pay to him or them all Ecclesiastical Duties a Sabbath and Easter Day very improper to give in and cast up Accounts a Day or two before or after might be fitter but this I must not insist upon to come to more material things We now must come to publick Baptism and I cannot forbear taking notice of a thing in the very Beginning It is not convenient Baptism should be administred but upon Sundays or other Holy Days Here Holy Days so called are equal with the Sabbath or Lord's Day when a Difference ought to be made between What God hath instituted and what Men have invented this strikes at the Morality of the Sabbath wherof the keeping is a Precept of the first Table so that Men may as well murder commit Adultery steal even take the Name of God in vain as to break the Sabbath Whosoever makes no Scruple to break it will make no Conscience of any thing in Religion The Questions asked of Godfathers and Godmothers with their Answers in the Child's Name are unbecoming so holy and so serious a Matter to say to forsake the Devil c. to believe and to desire to be baptized by the Mouth of those who without special Grace cannot do it for themselves a Child who can neither hear nor speak is destitute of the Use of Reason 't is a manner of jesting with and profaning that holy Sacrament Then followes the aerial Sign of the Cross on the Forehead which one may accidentally happen to make when he puts Flies out of his Face this Sign saith the Priest is made in Token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the Faith of Christ and this as good as the Godfathers Promise to forsake the Devil for he is positive he shall not be ashamed Something that followeth we except against namely these Children be regenerate and grasted c. which is repeated in the following Prayer We yield thee hearty Thanks that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant with thy holy Spirit c. Somewhat lower I shall give my Reasons last of all 't is said the Minister shall command here is a Magisterial and I thought it had been but a Ministerial Authority that the Children be brought to the Bishop to be confirmed of him c. This makes Confirmation an Appendix to the Sacraments as if it had not perfectly been administered but something had remained to be added to it In the manner of Administration of private Baptism are some things which I observed before This private Baptism seems with Papists to argue an absolute Necessity of the Sacrament which we deny when Men have done what they can to bring the Child to Baptism and God through Sickness Death or otherwise alloweth it not then Men must submit to his holy Will other things there are which in the following Head I shall take farther notice of This Point of Confirmation is that which followeth next at the Beginning of the Rubrick is something that needs being explained for though the Words be clear the Sence is not these are the Words to the end that Confirmation may be ministred to the more edifying of such as shall receive it according to St. Paul 's Doctrine who teacheth c. This seems to intimate as if Confirmation were according to St. Paul's doctrine but no such thing as this Confirmation is to be read in his Epistles Prayer and laying on of the Hands may profitably be used upon Children but such an Act needs not to be called Confirmation which Papists make a Sacrament of and use it to the same purpose Last of all this is said he any Man shall koow for truth that it is certain by God's Word that Children being baptized have all things necessary for
instead of adorning them as pretended broken Unity under the Notion of settling Uniformity All which mischiefs might easily be prevented if they would be prevailed to lay them aside They are inconvenient conveniency is esteemed when a thing after the consideration of all circumstances is found at least to bring with it more Good than Evil but our Ceremonies by Experience have brought more Evil than Good They can do hurt saith Beza but no good God knows saith Foxe they be the cause of much blindness and strife amongst Men they have been and still are notoriously abused unto Superstition The sum of the second Commandment is that in the Worship of God or Ceremonies thereabouts we are to devise nothing of our own head or borrow any thing of Heathenish or Idolatrous Rites our Ceremonies have an aptness to provoke to Superstition and Idolatry in Popish Countreys the Cross is an Idol Now as God hath forbidden to sowe the Field with mingled Seed Levit. 19.19 so in the Church there ought to be no mixture of Humane Inventions with God's Institutions Ceremonies borrowed from Idolaters such are Papists are vicious and superstitious Worship therefore not to be borrowed of them The Jews by God's Command Levit. 18.3 were not to live according to the Laws and Examples of other Nations The words of Pelicanus upon the place are remarkable God saith he by this one Law would have them cast away and abhor whatsoever in Worship had pleased the Gentiles much more care ought Christians to have of this who being taught to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth ought first and last to have abhorred the idle unreasonable and deceitful Forms and Rites of Idolaters which if the ancient Bishops had well considered the Church had never been pestered with so many prophane Rites and base Ceremonies by which it came to pass that some Christians differ little from Gentiles save in the Names of their Idols This is home and to the purpose this was commanded for detestation of Idolatry because Idolaters did so the Israelites may not do so In Ceremonies we must strictly hold to the Word of God least we transgress either in number or in form And the like Command is given in two several places of the New Testament 2 Cor. 6 14. Rev. 18.4 to shew we are bound to the same under the Gospel as they were under the Law nay God therein looks narrowly into the things that seems the least only that they should not be like the Heathens Ye shall not round the Corners of your Head Levit. 19.27 neither shalt thou mar the Corners of thy Beard We are commanded to keep our selves from Idols 1 John 5.21 and from Idolatry and Appearances of it or to have any thing to do with what hath been or is abused to Idolatry Such as I said before are our Ceremonies and so because unprofitable unnecessary dangerous hurtful and inconvenient ought to be abolished But this is not all they are unlawful because Will-Worship which is so expresly forbidden in the Word of God Deut. 4.2 which we must never add to nor diminish from God commanded Moses Heb. 8.5 See that thou make all things according to the Pattern shewed to thee in the Mount The true Worship is that appointed by God and the false is that not appointed by God for there is but two kinds of Worship First True and Good Secondly False and Evil That is the same which he hath commanded This is that which he hath not commanded and certainly Man's Inventions he hath not commanded but forbidden Tertullian saith That is forbidden which is not permitted That is we must account that not to be permitted by the Word against which any reasons out of the Word may be given though there be no particular Word against it Though there were free-will Offerings whence they would set up Will-Worship yet they were to be of such things as were manifestly known to be prescribed by God's revealed Will and so not the Offering but the undertaking of it at such a time or in such a measure was left unto the free Choice of Men according to occasion 'T is no Will-Worship to pray thrice or seven times a day to Preach once twice or thrice on sabbath-Sabbath-day to Pray and Preach are necessary Duties but how often that comes under the necessary Circumstances of God's Worship as to Time and Place Prayer is expressly allowed by God's Word and the determination of it as to this or that time is to be ruled by Reason and these are the things which fall under that 1 Cor. 14. Such things are allowed as accessary parts of outward Worship but not such as Cross or Surplice Now all Humane Ceremonies imposed and observed as parts of God's Worship are unlawful and this is the true question We must Ceremonise saith Pelicanus only according to God's Word and Vrsin all feigned Worship is forbidden all Worship which is not of God but is set up by Men when Worship or Honour is feigned to be done to the true God in some work which he hath not enjoyned And Zanchi saith We may not Worship God with any other Worship though it be in the kind of External and Ceremonial than that which he hath required in the Holy Scripture to be worshipped by us These Ceremonies are Superstitious and this makes them also unlawful Now saith Vrsin Superstition is that which addeth Humane Inventions to Divine Precept 'T is a Will-Worship which is more than is appointed by the Law of God On Acts 17.4 saith Dr. Fulk And Perkins saith On the second Command Superstition is Worship of God without his Commandment they cannot wipe off the imputation of Superstition seeing they judge them necessary in their use though indifferent in their nature Thus a Minister may not read without a Surplice nor Baptise without the Sign of the Cross but their Superstition appeareth the more in that they make them to be significant Ceremonies which we shall have farther occasion to speak of They divide their Ceremonies into single and double and threefold the former are those whose use is only for Decency and Order the others serve also for Edification by some profitable signification but if all circumstances belonging to Time Place Persons Instruments of sacred Actions be sacred significant Ceremonies then not only the Clock but the leaden Weights of it not only the Ground which they do stand upon but also the Rushes by occasion strewed upon it the Besom the Minister's Black Cap or Perriwig his Beard c. shall be holy significant dumb and speaking Ceremonies dumb because unprofitable speaking idly in such a place When an Image of the blessed Virgin spake to Bernard in the Church Good morrow Bernard good morrow he answered O Madam you forget your Sex it is not lawful for a Woman to speak in the Church Just so should be silenced our idle significant Ceremonies the more because the Gospel is the
their Salvation and be undoubtedly saved Nothing more Positive than this can be said upon a Matter In the two foregoing Heads something there was to this purpose to say it once should have been enough but twice is too much again to say as if by Baptism the Child had been infallibly adopted c. for our Lord Jesus doth not deny his Grace and Mercy to such Infants this is too positive how can he tell it One may charitably believe it yet not be true the same Caution must be observed in the Exhortation following doubt ye not therefore but do earnestly believe that c. If this was by way of prayer as we beseech thee to regenerate to receive into the Number of thy Children this Child c. or if it was said we charitably believe it would be well but to say so peremptorily that it is certain by the Word of God but no such thing in the Word of God on the contrary this sets up two Popish Errors first Necessity of Baptism to Salvation as if one could not be saved without it hence they exclude from Heaven Children that die without Baptism the second Errour that the visible Sign doth confer the invisible Grace so that whosoever is baptized opere operato is thereby regenerated Whosoever eats the Bread and drinks the Wine eats and drinks the Body and Blood of Christ There are good Rules set in the Rubrick about Matrimony as asking of the Banes three several Sundays c which well observed would prevent abundance of Mischief by unlawful Marriages in the Words and Form it may be well till the Ceremony of the Ring put upon the fourth Finger of the Woman by the Man after it had been laid upon the Book with the Money due to the Minister and Clark indeed amids the Celebration 't is very undecent to bring in Money which might better be done before or after the Blessing but they will make sure of their Fees Then the Words spoken when the Ring is put upon the Finger With this Ring I thee wed with my Body I thee Worship c. are unbecoming that holy and solemn Institution it seems the Ring is made essential to the Marriage then joyning together the right Hands why the right rather than the left called that of the Heart The Minister may pronounce the Words but plighting the Troth and joyning of Hands are idle Ceremonies too much like a Play whether or not they be significant though necessary for the Minister as the Ground of his declaring them Husband and Wife The saying or singing a Psalm when going to the Communion Table then the Answers after it even the Communion at that time is not very proper neither repeating the Prayer after what was said in the Beginning that Marriage signifieth unto us the mystical Union of Christ with his Church All Forms of that Nature must be short full and becoming the Gravity and Majesty of the Ordinance Concerning the Visitation of the sick those Answers at the Beginning do much smell of the Popish Priest who hardly goes about any Part of his Office but always hath with him his Clark to answer at Mass and elsewhere Surely upon this Occasion it should be left to the Prudence of the Minister to use his Gift of Prayer according to the Nature of the Disease to the Shortness or Length of it and the Temper and Condition he finds the Patient in by Discourse and Conversation first with Comfort and Exhortations suitable with that State he finds him in and after with Prayer 't is strange that upon such Occasions a Minister should be only doctus in libro and very sad he can or must not pray comfort a Patient nor hardly preach or execute any other Part of his Ministry without Book then 't is not possible to pen a Prayer that at all times and Places can reach every Patients Case The special Confession required of the Patient is too much like Popery but the following Absolution of the Priest is very strange amongst Protestants specially these Words and by the Authority committed to me I absolve thee from all thy Sins Upon Condition of Repentance a Minister may declare a Sinner absolved but not absolve him these are the very Words used by Popish Priests by Christ's Authority committed to me how hard is it to walk upon the burning Coales and not burn his Feet And though the following Prayer be very good and fit for the Occasion yet after a positive Absolution of all Sins it is preposterous and had been better placed before Now to see a Minister coming into a sick Man's Room with a Book in his Hand is the true Posture of a Popish Priest upon such an occasion stinted to it About the Burial of the Dead We ought upon this account to be very shy not to do any thing seeming to favour Popish Errors about the dead The Truth is what in that and some other things we do we have taken it from them A Sermon is what in such an Occasion may be allowed or a general Discourse about Mortality and Preparation for Death but we exceed and go too far as first for the Minister to meet the Body at 〈◊〉 certain Place then for him and his Clark perfectly after the Popish Way to sing either into the Church or towards the Grave the Words therein set down then when they are come to the Grave for Priest and Clark to sing another Tune The Word sing is expressed then a third one while the Earth is cast upon the Body afterwards a fourth Scene all too far and beyond the Modesty and Simplicity upon such an Occasion to be used Of churching of Women Upon this Occasion Thanks to God may be returned but not in that Formal Way which we retain from Popery and which they had from the Jewish Purification all which kind of Ceremonies ought to be abstained from That Law lasted until John and in the Time of the Apostles did wear off by degrees but an ill Circumstance is mentionen last of all still there is Money in the Case the Woman must offer accustomed Offerings not to God but to the Minister God must be satisfied with Thanks but the Priest must have Money this indeed is to make a House of Merchandise of the Church I should also have taken notice how in the foregoing Answers Repetitions ought to be avoided things follow one another with little Relation or hardly any Connexion All this was extracted out of a prayer-book printed in 1645 but in that now used which was published in Charles II's Days we find some Alterations yet something more than in the Former In the preface are contained some uncharitable and unjust Reflections against Nonconformists called Men given to Change who always discovered a greater Regard to their own private Fancies and Interests than to that Duty they owe to the publick and at the latter End they are called Men of factious peevish and perverse Spirits a very hard