Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	abandon_v	church_n	fit_a	16	3	6.8689	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42477	Considerations touching the liturgy of the Church of England In reference to His Majesties late gracious declaration, and in order to an happy union in Church and state. By John Gauden, D.D. Bishop elect of Exceter.	Gauden, John, 1605-1662.	1661 (1661)	Wing G349; ESTC R218825	26,979	44

the Soveraign Authority such an excellent Liturgy set up in our English Tongue end established as it hath been by many Statutes or Lawes in Parlament never yet repealed Now weaknesse and wantonnesse if not wickednesse are prone to betray men to such ingratitude toward God and the King that they delight with much proud squeamishness and nauseous coyness to loath and reject this Liturgy as the wanton Jews did their Quails and Manna Truly they have cause to fear lest leanness enter into their souls after such fulnesse and consumption follow their surfeits in Religion An easie spirit of Prophesie which is no other than prudential will serve to foresee and foretell that the want much more the contempt of so excellent and usefull a Liturgy will betray the Church and Nation to ignorance and prophaneness besides infinite factions divisions and confusions the best that can be expected is a devout kind of Superstition or superstitious devotion that instead of the English Liturgy which men so so ingratefully petulantly and unjustly quarrel at because they can understand it they shall be at last contented with such a Latine forme of Devotion in a strange Tongue which they will less cavill at and more admire when they least understand it 'T is almost a Demonstration That the darkness of Popery will follow the absence of that clear light of true reformed Religion which shines in the English Liturgy most agreeable to Scripture and purest Antiquity The Book of Common Prayer as I have of late by special Command most diligently perused to observe wherein a sober review might be most to its clearing and improvement as to some words and expressions so upon this serious perusal I must profess as Pilate did when he had examined our blessed Saviour and as Felix of St. Paul that I find no fault in it worthy of death no nor of stripes or bonds or any reproches and hard speeches or evil surmises much less are those many and great things true which some popular Orators as Tertullus vehemently object against it either as to matter or manner I cannot but commend the candor justice and ingenuity of Mr. Baxter who lately professed to me that he saw nothing in the Liturgy which might not well bear a good construction if men looked upon it as became Christians with eyes of charity Nor do I doubt but the faithfull people of the Church of England have since the Reformation served God acceptably day and night in the solemn devout and holy use of the Liturgy which in many places where were small maintenance and so but weak Ministers was the chiefest part of the provision which poor people had for their souls Nor can I believe but that the blessed Apostle St. Paul if living and the other holy Apostles would have joyned with it and said Amen rejoycing to see the soundnesse of our faith the sanctity of Sacraments the unity of Devotion the order and decency of holy duties carryed on with that Spirit and understanding which best agrees to the word of God the honour also and harmony of Christian congregations in the worship of God To which I find those devout alternations and responds sometimes used by the people especially in the Liturgy as the ecchoes of humble intent and fervent affections are so far from being any hinderance inconvenience or uncomliness when people are perfect in them that to me they seem in the most ample and judicious auditories among whom none exceeds that of the two honorable Temples to be very quick excitations and elevations of Ministers and peoples spirits in prayer and harmonious tokens of that mutual correspondency in holy duties which ought to be between Minister and people when the work is carryed on as it ought to be gravely decently and devoutly not in a huddling and perfunctory way whereof not onely some people but many Ministers seem very guilty in the formall use of the Liturgy when their lips move apace but their hearts not at all they speak with their tongues in a tumultuary and posting way but admit no such humble and fervent impressions on their souls as becomes the Majesty of God the excellent matter of that Liturgy and the miseries or wants of their own souls with the humble sense they ought to have of them I know some also have been more at discord with the Liturgy because they find in Cathedrals and other great Churches the use of Musick both vocall and organicall hath been applyed to some parts of it which certainly is as lawful as any meeter psalmody hymnology or singing to tunes which was never questioned by learned and godly men for lawfull in the worship of God publick or private especially that of praising and giving of thanks Nay there is no scruple but that even in prayer and the deepest notes of that viz. penitentialls both Musick of voice and instruments may be so gravely and solemnly applyed as may very much fit the temper of mens spirits and the spirit of that duty when either sad and solemne with grief or chearfull and exalted with joy Who doubts but David and the whole Church of the Jews served God in spirit and truth amidst those joyful and harmonious noises they used with singers and musicall instruments The gift and use of Musick is so sweet so Angelicall so heavenly and divine that it is pity God should not have the glory and honour of it in his service and the Church an holy comfortable use of it that such an orient pearl may not be used onely in civill conventions or abused in wanton carols and vain effusions which is to put a Jewel in a Swines snout certainly the Christian Church hath more cause to rejoyce then the Jews had and we see the Angels at Christs nativity began the Church Musick with their heavenly Quire 'T is true possibly there may be some discreet regulations and emendations even in our Church Musick so as not to sing either the Creeds or Commandements as not the Lessons or those parts of the Liturgy which are most plain doctrinall and fundamentall which ought to be fitted to the meanest auditors ears and understanding considering that in the pauses or intervalls of the lessons and in the close of Divine Service the Psalms and Hymns or holy and devout Anthems may be very aptly used not only as read or plainly sung but as advanced with excellent Musick so as may sometime suit with and regulate the common peoples tunes and singing other while it may be elevated to those perfections of Skill which are worthy of the best Quires and those chief singers or Masters of Symphony which were and still are in the Church of England it was onely fit for those mens rudeness to abandon Church Musick who intended to fill all things with the alarums of war and crys of confusion The last shock of popular envy and displeasure which the innocent and excellent Liturgy of England was wonted to bear was for those few Ceremonies which the wisdome of this Church thought fit being

the Liturgy because the King hath a compassionate eye to some mens infirmity for them still to foment the Anti-liturgical humour of some men and instead of closing those wounds into which the Kings charity poureth Balme to rip tear them up or to widen and exasperate them is such a part of peevishness and ingratitude that it looks too like Schismatical petulancy and pride from which drosse it is high time to have all our hearts purged after so long triall in Gods fiery furnace to be sure the very appearance and shew of such a frowardness doth not become any good Protestant or worthy Minister who hath no greater objection against the Liturgy then this that he fancies he could in some words or phrases mend it or put some alias's to it and additions which may be infinite Small faults or verbal defects are very venial in any things of humane constitution and very far from making them unlawful meerly because they are not for word or phrase or form the best that may be It is in things of pristine use in Religion that are of true and solid worth for faith morality method and decency as it is with some good Jewells of price but of antique work for their setting or fashion their plainness and antiquity gives so much value to them because though they seem lesse curious and modishly polite yet they are furthest from novelty or affectation of finery Least of all excusable are those Ministers who out of a little point of reputation among some people rather weak then wise and to be pitied more then imitated do still sacrifice their judgments that I say not their Consciences to their credits and out of a fear or lothnesse to offend some people whom they might easily convince and satisfie as well by their examples as by their arguments they make no Conscience to deprive not only the publick of peace but the people themselves as Ministers of the benefit of the Liturgy when possibly they most stand in need of it either to help their frequent infirmities or to restrain their popular desultory levity or lastly to set bounds of discretion decency charity and piety to their extravagancies even in publick ●olemn devotion and Sacramentall celebrations which sometimes to my knowledge are such as are no way becoming the publick worship of God or the honor of the Church of Christ or the sanctity of true Religion or the venerable Majesty of God All which are much abased and slighted yea oftentimes even blasphemed by the rudenesse weaknesse and familiarity of some Ministers devotions whose selfe-confidence abhors all bounds or prescripts but those which their own various fancies troubled inventions and confused judgments set to those duties which they love to perform as they list though to the little benefit of the sillier sort of people and to the great scandal of the wiser who cannot tell how to say a judicious and fiduciary Amen to those extemporary rude confused and yet eager effusions which some men vent either with too much facility and fluency or too much pumping and contention And if they be so sober as to fashion to themselves set formes of devotion in all publick duties as many of them now do it is too much arrogancy to esteem their private and single composures better then what hath been duly weighed and approved by the whole Church and confirmed by many Acts of Parliament in the most screne times and tempers From which while some men have of late years affected to recede in stead of an excellent true-born Liturgy to bring in their uselesse suposititious loose and illegitimate Directory no tongue can express into what a wilderness of sin folly and affectation both Ministers and people have run and with what fiery Serpents they have been stung which venemous inflamations and humors nothing is so probable to heal as the setting up the Liturgy again which some have fancied to be an Idol and so have studied to make it Nehustan when indeed it is more like the Ark of God by restoring of which to its place in Shiloh the Philistines were healed of the shameful Plagues they suffered by reason of their Mice and Emrods Hence it is That the desires of the most learned judicious and best-affected of His Majesties Subjects of all qualities in England are that neither publick Holy duties nor Sacramental mysteries nor their own Consciences nor the Churches honor nor the Majesty and unity of the Reformed Religion nor the publick peace and safety may any longer be exposed to indeed adventured upon such hazards of private Ministers varietys and uncertainties which are many times very flat dull and indevout other while deadly tedious and of a confused length like a great Skain of Yarne course and snarled sometimes they are so dubious between wind and water Sense and Non-sense Faction and Sedition Boldness and Blasphemy that it makes sober Christians who have a due reverence of the Divine Majesty dread to hear them others of looser tempers not so much fear as they laugh at scorn and abhor such incongruous wayes of Worship and Religion in which all things sacred and the eternal Salvation of poor souls most miserably depend upon nothing but private Ministers opinions and spirit attended God knows too often in the ablest and best of them with many indispositions and indiscretions excesses and defects For the pious and prudent avoyding of which the ancient Churches from the very first Century did use such publick wholesome formes of sound words in their Sacramental celebrations especially and afterward in other holy Administrations or publick Duties as made up their solemn devout and pathetick Liturgies Which paterns all modern and reformed Churches of any renown have followed according to the many Scriptural examples and expressions in set forms of prayers Praises Psalms Confessions and Benedictions commended to us by holy men in all Ages and by Christ himself whose most absolute Prayer suffered of late a strange and unheard of Ostracisme in many Congregations of England out of an ametrie or vulgar transport against all set forms though of Divine institution and without which of old throughout the Christian world no consecration in any Sacrament was thought complete or duly performed unless this most perfect Prayer were added to the words of Institution Hence it was thought fit to be repeated in every distinct Office or Service of the Church of England to the causeless offence of many simple people who make it a vain repetition for want of a renewed intention or constant devotion in their own hearts as they counted the Liturgy a dull manner of Worship when the dulness indeed was in their own spirits as they may as easily find in reading of the same Scriptures which are divinely inspired and are far from any deadnesse or dulnesse in themselves Certainly the design and use of all our Liturgis old and new was not only to keep all the members