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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	abandon_v	church_n	lord_n	32	3	3.4453	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34547	A peaceable moderator, or, Some plain considerations to give satisfaction to such as stand dis-affected to our Book of common prayer established by authority clearing it from the aspersion of popery, and giving the reasons of all the things therein contained and prescribed / made by Alan Carr ...	Carr, Alan, d. 1668.	1665 (1665)	Wing C627; ESTC R18228	69,591	90

Enjoyned by Authority to be used Obj. The grand great and chief exception that is taken against our Liturgy is that our Book of Common-Prayer is Popery taken out of the Popish Mass-book Answ To this we answer in general before we come to examine particulars Be pleased to take into your consideration this moderate point of Wisdom that all that the Papists have or make use of cannot properly be called or accounted Popery as we call Popery The old Rule is good here Qui hene distinguit bene doc●t It is the part of a Wise-man to distinguish things to put a difference between things and not to confound and put together things that differ Therefore we should rightly know what Popery is Popery is properly the Errours Abuses Corruptions Superstitions Idolatries and Abominations which are used and mantained by the Pope Papists and Church of Rome either in Doctrine or Worship These indeed may properly and truly be called and accounted Popery if we submit our selves to the Pope of Rome receive his Laws his Doctrine his Worship if we cleave to his Adherents to them that worship him and receive his Mark if we maintain or profess either those false Doctrines or that Superstitious or Idolatrous worship which is professed among them and maintained by them Then indeed we may be rightly said to fall into Popery and to incline unto i● but if we call all those truths which they have and are kept sound among them in matters of Doctrine or those things which in matter of Worship are good and pure and free from corruption by the name of Popery we are very much mistaken If we must make use of nothing in the Service and Worship of God which they use nor may have liberty to assume to our selves the right use of those things which they do or have abused being purged from their corruptions we must then leave and renounce the Scriptures both the Old and New Testament both Baptism and the Supper of the Lord yea renounce all the Ordinances of God pull down our Churches and abandon all Religion Now it is known to the world that the Church of England renounceth the usurped power of the Pope of Rome and doth disclaim all his Religion and Laws all Errours Heresies Superstitions Idolatries and Abominations of the Church of Rome so that no man can accuse her unjustly of Popery or brand her with the name of Popery seeing she hath made a full Separation from the Church of Rome And though she maketh use of some things which they use in the Service and Worship of God yet they are such things as are lawful in themselves and fully purged from their Corruptions and Superstitions and cannot justly be accounted or called Popery The Church of Rome was once a true and sound Church though we profess no perfection in the world and not so pure but might be tainted with some Corruption and was famous for the profession of the true Faith and Doctrine of Christ Rom. 1. 8. Their Faith was spoken of throughout the whole world and as for her Bishops they were godly men most of them being Martyrs for three hundred years after Christ and more yet she was never accounted the Catholick or Universal Church but a Member of the Catholick or Universal Church But as time doth corrupt all things so she by degrees fell into corruption The Church of England even in the time of Popery was a Member of the Catholick or Universal Church and had not the being of a Church of Christ from Rome or by separating her self from Rome but having her eyes opened to see her Errours and her Spirits quickned and revived she began to think upon a necessity of Reformation and so cast off the yoak of Anti-christ and the usurped power of the Pope of Rome with all his Errours Superstitions and Abominations and sought to bring her Children to the right Faith of Christ and to the true and pure Worship and Service of God And examining the Liturgy and Book of Common Prayer then in use and finding it corrupted and fallen from the ancient purity she composed a new one of her own and though perhaps in some things it might not be much disagreeing from the former yet seeing those things were pure and sound free from corruption and after the ancient Form of Liturgies of the Church she thought good to retain them and to continue them for her use We do acknowledge our Liturgy and Book of Common-Prayer to be the work of man and as by man it was first composed so by man it may be at any time altered or put down and there is no work of man so perfect though never so absolute and compleat but may have some Errour in it or be tainted with some Corruption But that it is Popish Superstitious Idolatrous or Anti-christian as some who had more Zeal then Knowledge have been bold to defame it savoureth of too much Ignorance Pride Rashness and Presumption This we altogether deny and the very Ordinance of Lords and Commons which did put down this Book of Common-Prayer as you may see in the Preface to the Directory did not accuse it of any such matter as Superstition or Idolatry no nor so much as of Errour but speaketh reverently of the first Composers of it and modestly and discreetly of the Book it self onely they alledge this that they found by experience that it proved an offence to many at home and abroad disquieted many mens Consciences of Ministers and others was too much heightned by the Prelates made as it were an Idol by many ignorant people was a means to hearten Papists and to nourish an idle Ministry therefore did agree and resolve to put it down and to set up the Directory in its room Though it be granted that some things in this our Book do agree with theirs not so much perhaps as some imagine and give out yet if we do acknowledge that Rome was once a true and sound Church we cannot but suppose her Doctrine and Worship Then to be sound and pure although since it hath been corrupted if then upon our Reeformation for we did not make a new Church but only reformed the Errours of the old our prudent Reformers did take such things as were good and pure after the ancient Form of the Liturgies of the Church which they had corrupted with Errours being purged and refined for their use what just cause have we to complain The abuse of a thing doth not abolish or take away the Right use of it that were as the Heathen said to take the Sun out of Heaven that hath been worshipped and abused There is no Creature made by God or thing used and made by man but hath been some way wronged or abused They were Wise-men and godly men who did at first make and compose this Book of Common-Prayer some of the chiefest of them being Martyrs and burned in Queen Marys days for the Profession of our Protestant Religion and

their Guests to sit down was Sit round This was in use as it seemeth in Ezekiels time as may appear by that Speech of God by his Prophet to Samaria and Jerusalem under the names of Aholah and Aholibah Ezek. 23. 41. Thou satest upon a stately Bed and a Table prepared before it so that if we may believe either the Original tongue or our Ancient records our Saviour Christ did rather lean or lie down upon a Bed then sit at the institution of this holy Sacrament You may reply now why doth the Scripture say then in the Bible He sate down c. if our Saviour Christ did not sit but leaned or lay down upon a Bed at Supper To this we may answer thus 1. Because that kind of posture of their Bodies at their Meals was their Table gesture and answerable to our sitting at our Tables and at our Meals 2. It was thought good thus to translate it to fit the Capacity and Understanding of the common people to make it suitable to them who would wonder to hear that he leaned or lay down upon a Bed at Supper and think strangely of it That which seemeth decent to one according to the custom of times and places many times seemeth uncomely to another 3. Because it might be sometimes when he raised up himself to take any thing upon the Table for the time he might be in a sitting posture though he did presently lie down again But if it be granted that our Saviour Christ did ordain it sitting and gave it to his Disciples sitting yet we think there is no more necessity to tie us to follow the example of our Saviour Christ in this more then there is required in any of the other circumstances of his Institution It is certain that our Saviour Christ washed his Disciples feet before his last Supper that he did institute it after Supper in unleavened bread that he did administer it in the Night or in the Evening to Men alone and no Women to Twelve only in number if Judas did receive and no more Yet because there is no precept in the Gospel for these things no Christian Church at this day precisely observeth all these Circumstances but every Church taketh liberty to it self for Decency Order and Edification to appoint and use what gesture she pleaseth The Reformed Churches of France receive this Sacrament standing the Netherlands generally receive this Sacrament sitting we here in England are to receive it kneeling But some do object to kneel at the receiving of the Lords Supper is Arto-Latrie a worshipping of the Bread yea Idolatry and Superstition We answer Many Ignorant Rash and Self conceited people are too forward to exclaim against the ancient Rites and Customs of our Church because they do not understand the Grounds and Reasons of them as Popish Idolatrous and Superstitious yea some though themselves know not rightly what Popery Idolatry or Superstition is yet if they can blast and but stigmatize any ancient Custom with any of these terms though never so unjustly they think they have done enough they have won the field The old Proverb is true in these if in any Scientia non habet inimicum nisi ignorantem there is not a greater enemy to Knowledge then an ignorant man If these men had Learning and Knowledge and read Antiquity and did rightly examine the Grounds of old Customs they would be wiser then they are and not so rash in Judging Censuring and Condemning that which they do not understand But to the Point and Matter 1. For Arto-Latrie the worshipping of the Bread I suppose there is none among us so senseless and void of understanding that doth or can think that in kneeling at the receiving of the Lords Supper we kneel to the Bread or worship the Bread They may as well think and say that when in our prayers we kneel down before our seats that we kneel to our seats and worship our seats And for Transubstantiation it is well known that our Church doth utterly disclaim it in her Doctrine and openly as contrary to Sense Reason Religion contrary to the Principles of all these therefore doth not nor cannot acknowledg their Breaden God We profess to the world That the bread of Sacraments is to help our weakness to strengthen our faith to confirm it in the Promises of God For God needeth them not to confer his Graces on us but in Mercy he doth ordain them to help our understanding by our Senses to lead us by the Light and to raise our minds from the consideration of the Natural earthly and sensible things which we see with our eyes to the understanding and conceiving of spiritual and heavenly Graces For in every Sacrament there is the outward sign which is visible and the Inward Grace which being spiritual and Invisible is by that Sign represented to us and as it were laid before our eyes To shew what Christ our Saviour hath done and suffered for us and what he hath promised to do for all that by faith do lay hold upon him Neither are they bare Signes Signifying But Seals Pledges and Assurances of the Promises of God to be received by Faith and of that Communion which we have with Christ Signa non mere Significativa sed Exhibitiva as Musculus speaketh on Mat. 26. Instruments also by Gods appointment and Blessing on them to conveigh Grace unto our Souls Not as if of themselves they did Sanctifie and Save Ex Opere Operato by the bare work done without faith But by the vertue of Gods word and our applying the Promises to our selves according to the Ordinance of God For Non dant Sacramenta quod datur per Sacramenta The Sacraments of themselves do not give that which God is pleased to give by the Sacraments Fideles Salutem ex istis Elementis non quaerunt etsi in Istis quaerunt Non enim Ista tribuunt quod per Ista Tribuitur as Hugo saith The faithful do not look for seek or expect Grace or Salvation from those elements though they do expect it by and in the use of them They of themselves do not give that which God is pleased by the Power of his word and for his promise sake to give by them to those which receive them by faith as he hath Ordained They are not Physical Instruments of our Salvation as having in themselves any vital efficacie but only Moral Instruments of Gods Grace The use whereof is in our hands the effect in Gods as that learned Hooker speaketh 2. For Idolatry We conceive that Idolatry is the worshipping of a Strange God instead of the true God The setting up of a false God in our hearts or the worshipping of the true God in a false and wrong manner Now we worship the true God according to that Rule and way which he hath prescribed to us in the Scriptures which we take to be his revealed word to direct us how to worship him according to his