that can read English can doe as well as he And in this part of his Ministry he is in the same forme with those who were rendred odious in darker times by publick Authority The Bishop shall suffer no man to bee occupied in the Ministration of the Church which calleth himself by the idle name of a Reader in the Canons of 1571. §. 5. As a sacred and more effectual means In the Service and Worship of God Actions or Methods are for the nature of them according to what is there stated c. if it bee to effect immediately a Holy or Spiritual end or to prevent the like evil as in this case it is sacred and spiritual and whatsoever thing or action of this nature enjoyned by the Civil Magistrate falleth under the first Head as before and must have clear and evident Scripture-warrant nothing makes a thing holy and sacred but the Word and nothing will serve in it self to any spiritual end but what God appoints Principles and Fundamentals may be the matter of a Sermon as well as of a Catechisme the difference is only in the method and way this method and way is termed not only an ancient and good but a pious or holy way of instructing and designed as a special means for the propagating the Gospel and to prevent the growth of Ignorance Atheisme and Heresie and all this as distinct from preaching So it is not for the truthes or the matter sake only for that may bee the same in plaine preaching but in the method and way for although the people bee instructed in the same Principles and Fundamentals by way of preaching according to the Directory yet if he doe not instruct in this method and way and words hee shall be put by his Ministry and maintenance this being the nature of the imposition and the methods or matters some of our Brethren would have imposed it cannot bee judged of as any other thing but the imposition of a sacred means of help to the Service and Worship of God the Case thus stated and explained the Negative is asserted namely the unlawfulnesse of such impositions and how great an evil it is to bring us back again under stinted forms in any kind being so happily delivered from them and from those that kept these burdens upon us And for confirmation hereof let the following reasonings without prejudice be considered of CHAP. II. The first Argument Rites and Forms that have a stated use and to spiritual ends in the worship of God ought to have Scripture warrant for their establishment § 1. ALl Methods and forms prescribed to be received as a matter of Piety and for spiritual and speciall ends and advantages in the service of God ought to have express direction and warrant out of the Word of God This is one of the great truths our brethren the Non Conformists asserted in their age against humane oppositions and sealed it by their sore and great sufferings Which they have argued against from these Scriptures Deut. 16.21 Col. 2.20.23 Exod. 20.4 Esay 1.12 Matth. 13.19 Hebrew 3.4 5 6. Matthew 28.20 And by other Scriptures also they prove that not onely what is done against or contrary to the word but also what is done besides it Deuteronomy 4.2 Deut. 12.32 Prov. 30.6 Levit. 10.1 2 Sam. 7.7 Jer. 7.31 is unwarrantable That saying of Augustine is frequently urged by them sive de Christo sive de Ecclesia sive de quacumque alia re non dico si nos sed si Angelus de coelo vobis anuntiaverit preter quam quod in Scripturis accepistis anathema sit Dr. Reynolds a learned N. Conformist avouching these words makes this observation hee saith not contra quam sed preter quam so that Augustine thinketh not onely things which are contrary to the Word to bee unlawful but even those things also which are besides the word Doctor Reynolds confer with Hart. cap. 2. And in particular against the imposing 1 A form method or an external garb or way of worship to bee held constantly and not appointed in the Word We are not to think saith Mr. Cartwright Against Whitg lib. 1. p. 26 that in the word there is onely the substance of Religion c. and those things left out which should pertain to the form and fashion of it Those saith Mr. Bradshaw that have power to make peculiar forms of Religion and worship have power to invent a Religion and worship of their own and Page 29. and 30. True worship both for matter and manner ought to bee according to the prescript rule of Gods word onely Religio est vertus voluntatis ergo ut prolatio exterior sit vera debet procedere ex intensione pertinente ad religionem Neither hath any mortal man authority to frame according to his own conceit any form or fashion of Gods service and worship for the manner of worship also must be holy and not the matter onely and no man hath power to make any thing holy that God alloweth not by his word and Spirit In the discipline of Scotland as it was set forth Anno. 1560. As the Magistrate ought not to preach catechizing is a part * So termed by the assembly in their advice for Chur. Government English po Cerem pag. 139. out of Daneus of preaching so hee ought not to prescribe any rule how it should bee done but command the Ministers to observe the rule commanded in the word And a learned Scotchman in the worship of God whether internal or external hee the Magistrate ought to move nothing prescribe nothing except that which is expresly delivered in Gods written word Nulla justa disponendi servos Dei saith Jun. in Lev. 9 ad cultum Dei ratio ab hominibus in vestigari potest nisi quam Deus prescripserit § 2. 2 A stated service of God or a help or means for the making of such service or any part of it more effectual or acceptable Medul lib. 2. cap. 4 Res illae saith Doctor Ames quae institutione singulari usibus religionis destinantur tanquam religionis instrumenta recte etiam propter statum aut relationem fixam quam habent vocantur religiosae It s the same with that another saith what is done by a Servant of God in the solemn service and worship of God by precise cannon of the Church or law of the Common-wealth is a part of divine worship Brad. 12. Arg. arg 3. and of worsh p. 47. Reasons from Scotland Thus against our set form of prayer they argued if there were never an ill word or sentence in all the prayers if it were framed all out of Scripture phrases sentences saith an another yet to use it as a set service c. though the words bee good yet the use is nought Adm. 2. par p. 55. Fresh Sute p. 211. If Christ saith Dr. Ames bee our authentique Teacher in all good that wee learn about Religion who
5.1 Col. 2.20 21. 1 Cor. 7.23 and the like §. 1. For further explication of this argument The reverend Divines of the Assembly in their Preface to the Directory for worship express themselves thus Our care hath been to hold forth 1. Such things as are of Divine institution in every Ordinance 2. And other things wee have endeavoured to set forth according to the rules of Christian Prudence agreeable to the generall rules of the Word of God To these two heads therefore in their opinion the substance of what Church Governours have either to injoyne or commend in the Worship of God may bee reduced For the former It will I suppose bee granted as wee have already endeavoured to prove the particular Catechisme or any one forme for method and words is not of an express institution for if it were it ought to be the same in all Churches and Ages For the second it is of such things or circumstances of Worship as are not absolutely necessary but compared with what is expresly instituted indifferent only This I suppose to be Mr. B. meaning in what hee speaks of set Formes of Prayer It is granted saith he Mr. Ball of Separation p. 4 that no set forme of Prayer or Liturgy it simply necessary either in publick or private for then our Saviour Christ would by his Apostles have expresly set downe such a one for an exact rule to all Christians and Churches And the like may wee say in the words of Reverend Mr. Cotton Answer to Mr. B. p. 3 of set formes of Catechising To devise and prescribe saith hee a set Forme of words wherein all the questions and answers shall run and no other wee know no warrant for that from Scripture If God would have his people limited to a set forms of words in Catechising he would himself have prescribed some set forme of his owne inspiration which might be defective in no Principles nor incommodious in any expression This Catechisme then or any the like are of no other consideration as a Catechisme or peculiar forme or method of instructing but as such things which are of an indifferent nature according to the vulgar use of the word and left to Prudence and the general rules of Scripture for particular determination in practice Now as Church Governours ought not by a Law to institute or make sacred what the Lord hath not consecrated by some word of institution so where the Lord hath left any matters common or indifferent in Worship wee must not impose them as necessary for as the former is against Christian Piety so is this against Christian Liberty Two particulars here will need further explaining 1. What is meant by things indifferent 2. What by Christian Liberty §. 2. A thing indifferent is either absolutely so and such a thing which ratione objecti nihil includit rectae rationi conforme aut difforme that is it is neither good nor evil for the Moral goodness of Humane action stands in its conformity to right reason and the Word of God Comparativelie indifferent may bee explained thus all deliberate actions are to an end what is most conformable or conducing in right reason and the minde of God to such an end is best but where many things are found equally useful for such a purpose so that no more reason for the one than for the other though each of these hee necessary in respect to the end yet neither of them necessary but each indifferent in comparison or respect one to another Againe we further distinguish Humane Actions are considerable either In actu signato quoad speciem or in actu exercito quoad individuum An Action hath its efsence or kind from the object and end but when it comes to exist and in being Nulla est individua actio Humanâ— quae est indifferens sed propter circumstantias necesserio vel bona vel mala si Thomae omnibus Thomastis credimus credendum est omnino Morton Apol. p. 1. lib. 1. cap 47. there are other Circumstances that are inseparable as time place person c. wee may conceive or think of an action in our minde in the bare specifical nature of it without any of these but wee cannot doe or practise but such Circumstances being necessary to all Humane Actions must be taken in likewise which Circumstances doe not only change the nature of the action by its becoming Morally good or evil which before was indifferent hence the School-men assert there is no individual action or action existing indifferent but some one of these Circumstances proves effectual many times Humani actu non folum ex objecto veâ—um ex circumstantiis boni vel male esse dicantur Aq. p. 2. 918. ar 3. to change that which was good in the general consideration into evil by reason of such and such Circumstances In the Worship and Service of God those Circumstances that are not expresly instituted but in their general nature the same as the other Humane actions we term indifferent but when wee come to practise if the holy Service become less decent orderly or less to edification by reason of such Circumstances though these Circumstances are indifferent in their general nature yet as applied to such services and actions they cease to bee indifferent in their use and become evil and the service it self becomes evil by reason thereof To Preach Pray to give Sacraments these are holy duties yet such may bee the Circumstances of time place when and where occasions or persons to whom as these services become evil and to be refused if imposed as to be at our private Devotion in the Publick Assemblie * As it is the manner of him that preacheth in Scotland so soon as in the Pulpit Master Marshall when in Scotland refused this practice being intreated to conforme to them and Master G. droven out of Edenburgh and another place afterwards for scrupling this conformity in the corner of the streets Mat. 6.5 To give Sacraments in private Houses at the Bed-sides of sick Persons to such as are notoriously scandalous to read Service or Preach at Funeralls this also hath been esteemed evil from the Circumstance * Burial Sermons are put in the place of Trentals whereout spring many abuses and therefore in the best reformed Churches are removed Admon p. â—3 It was never recorded or found in the New Testament or the Old that God either appointed or there was used any Service for or at and in the Burial of the dead it is no part of the Ministers work it belongeth to him no more than to another who played the Priest when Abraham buried his Wife and Jacob his and Stephen c. who preached at any of these Burials A reproof of the view par 2. S. 4. Many both godly and learned considering the original of Funeral Sermons from whence they came and the end for which for the most part they are now observed the honour of the
taught our Prelates such good manners as to put fescues of their own making into his hand and so appoint him after what manner and by what means hee shall teach us And brings this saying of Peter Martyr For as much as God is most wise hee needs not our devise for instruments to stir up faith in us which also no tradesman in his kinde would endure but would chuse to himself at his own pleasure what hee should think most fit Our brethren were offended at the Leiturgy upon this account because in the Act by which it is established you have this reason of the imposition namely to make the same prayer and fashion of service more earnest and fit to stir Christian people to the true honour of Almighty God his Majesty hath ordered the book of Common Prayer to be perused and made fully perfect Stat. 5. Ed. 6. § 3. 3 If with opinion of holinesse or necessity in the reasons given against subscription by the Ministers of Lincoln Abrid pa. 38. When opinion of necessity or holinesse is known to bee annexed either by such as impose or use them in this case it is a part of that confession which every Christian is bound to make of his religion to reject them The Church at Geneva to their brethren in England write thus humana decreta atque inventa omnia quantumvis illustrem secum splendorem persuasionemque apportent si vel verbum Dei cursum impediant vel necessitatem inferant absque omni dubitatione refringi rescindique debent It is then sacred when appropriated to some holy end or use as was said before The holy God onely and by his holy Word sanctifies and separates what hee is pleased to accept from us as holy in all our approaches before him Things appropriated to religious or spiritual persons Functions or Actions either are or ought to be religious and spiritual And therefore either are or ought to bee instituted immediately by God who alone is the Author and Institutor of all religious and spiritual actions and things whether internal or external Doctor Ames in his Pur. Anglic. cap. 1.6 What is holy must bee from God A solo Deo diximus quia ejus solius est suum cultum res cultui rebus Ceremonias omnibus ipsas Circumstantias sacrare Anon. de adiaph p. 11. And then in our esteem necessary 1 When urged in the use to bee constant and without intermission such an imposition either findes things or makes the things imposed to be so Ritibus ne accedat perpetua observatio Part 1. p. 88. Parker out of Ursinus 2 When the use of such things imposed is urged more or as much as the observation of the Lawes and Ordinances of God Link Abridg. p. 39. If those that are willing to doe all necessary services tending to the Salvation of man but cannot conforme must therefore bee turned out of Christs service Brad. 12. Arg. at 11 such Conformity is reputed necessary to Salvation When so pressed saith Master Parker that the most respected Preachers shall bee utterly cast away themselves and theirs c. How can it bee but wee must conceive that the men who bring this wrack doe hold them necessary in their judgement Mr. Par. of the Cross p. 2. cap. 2. § 19. 3 We esteeme that necessary that we judge tends to edification for edification is necessary and all things tending thereto necessitate precepti saith another §. 4. All or most of these will bee found the blame of this imposition as 1 It is by this appointment a part of the set Service of God to be performed every Lords Day in the Publick Congregation this Book to be instituted and ordained as it were by the laying on of the hands of Authority and set apart from other Books of this kind to instruct and reveale to our people the whole Truth of God necessary to Salvation it is to be a kind of Curate to officiate with us and as the mouth of God to our people A set Forme of Prayer and thus established to bee held to by all Ministers may with more reason bee pleaded for The Minister in the duty of Prayer is the mouth of the people to God in preaching or instructing as the mouth of God to the people it is now more congruous in reason that the people or their Representatives prescribe in what words he shall bee a mouth for them to God then that hee by them should bee taught and words put into his mouth when he comes as an Ambassadour and from God or in Christs stead to teach them The Bishops themselves were ashamed of their State Homilies and State Catechismes and quietly permitted the laying them aside by godly Ministers when their State Prayers were kept up in greatest severity 2 It is likewise imposed as a means or help in the Service of the Lord it is clear in those expressions a better way for the understanding of the Principles expressly designed for the propagation of the Gospel and to prevent the growth of Ignorance Atheism It is put as a fescue in the Ministers hand and must bee made use of by all without respect to what they want or have of sufficiency for the worke of the Ministry â—x necessitate faciendi non facientis which evidently speakes it a help to the Worship and not to the persons only whosoever he bee that engageth in teaching and instructing work must make use of this help or else hee must hold his peace and depart surely such a maine beam of the House such a peice of Architecture without which it cannot stand if it be set up would not have been omitted or left out by our wise Master-builder 3. As sacred and necessary the former expresse it is termed not only an ancient and good but also a pious or holy way of instructing Perpetua observatio And for the necessity it is imposed as a Rite every Lords Day to bee performed as Prayer or Preaching or reading the Scriptures not left to the discretion of the Minister at any time or upon any occasion to bee omitted With such a penalty also as if it were equally necessary as any nay as all other Ministerial duties put together For let the Minister bee ever so well qualified and diligent and faithful in all Ministerial Services appointed by Jesus Christ in relation to his Flock if ever so peaceable and desirous to submit to Superiours in all lawful Commands yet if hee scruple obedience in this he must bee thrown out of his Ministry his Wife and Children to beggery there is no Christian tender-hearted Magistrate would make such an imposition if he were not perswaded of it as a necessary help and furtherance of the Service of Christ And that it was to bee imposed as tending to edification and that not only for the matter but the very forme and way is evident not only in the title but throughout the Act. CHAP.