Gods to which Christ opposes your heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of and so needs not your Tautologies to explain them to him Much more might be said for the explaining of that mistaken place but that it would seem unnecessary to this matter the exception being so causlesse that the Vindication would passe for an extravagance Sect. 35 Of the Prayers for the King the account will not be much unlike S. Paul commands that prayers supplications and intercessions thanksgivings be made for Kings c. 1. Tim. 2. 1 2. where though the mention of those severall sorts of prayers signified by those foure words might be matter of apology for the making severall addresses to God for Kings in one service supposing them proportioned to those sorts in that text yet have we distributed the frequent prayers for him into the severall services one solemn prayer for him in the ordinary daily service and onely a versicle before as it were prooemiall to it another in the Letany another after the Commandments on which though our book hath two forms together yet both the Rubrick and Custome gives us authority to interpret it was not meant that both should be said at once but either of the two chosen by the Minister another before the Communion where the necessity of the matter being designed for the Church militant makes it more then seasonable to descend to our particular Church and the King the supream of it just as Herodotus relates the custome of the Persians l. 1. p. 52. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they pray for all the Persians particularly for the King To this practice of ours so grounded in the Apostle we shall adde 1. the reward promised by the Apostles intimation to such Prayers if not as I conceive by those words that we may live a peaceable and quiet life c. that peaceable and quiet life of all blessings the greatest seeming to be a benefit or donative promised to the faithfull discharge of that duty of praying and supplicating and interceding and giving thanks for Kings yet certainly somewhat else in that high Declaration made concerning it in the next words for this is good and acceptable before God our Saviour whose acceptation is reward sufficient to any action and yet who never acceptâ— but rewards also 2. The practise of the ancient Christians set down by Tertull. Sacrificamus pro salute Imperatoris purâ prece our prayers are sent up a pure sacrifice for the prosperity of the Emperour And that quoties conveniebant in another place at every meeting or service of the Church precantes semper pro omnibus Imperatoribus vitam prolixam Imperium securum domum tutam exercitus fortes Senatum fidelem populum probum Orbem quietum quaecunque hominis Caesaris votâ— sunt praying alwayes for the Emperours and begging of God for them long life secure Reign the safety of his house couragious Armies a faithfull Senate a good people a quiet world all those severals which would make up more prayers then our book hath assigned all that either a Man or King they can stand in need of and so Athenâ—goras and others to the same purpose especially when they have occasion to justifie the fidelity of Christians to their unchristian Emperours having no surer evidence to give of that then the frequency of their prayers for them which they which think necessary to abridge or supersede must give us leave by that indication to judge of somewhat else by occasion of that topick to observe their other demonstrations of disloyalty to those that are set over them by God And to any that are not guilty of that crime nor yet of another of thinking all length of the publick service unsupportable I shall referre it to be judged whether it be necessary that the King be prayed for in the Church no oftner then there is a Sermon there Sect. 36 6. The Communion of Saints which if it were no Article in our Creed ought yet to be laid up as one of the Christians tasks or duties consists in that mutuall exchange of charitie and all seasonable effects of it between all parts of the Church that triumphant in heaven Christ and the Saints there and this on earth militant which he that disclaims by that one act of insolence casts off one of the noblest priviledges of which this earth is capable to be a fellow citizen with the Saints and a fellow member with Christ himself The effects of this charity on their parts is in Christs intercession and in the Saints suffrages and dayly prayers to God for us but on our part thanksgivings and commemorations which 't is apparent the Primitive Christians used very early solemnizing the day of Christs resurrection c. and rehearsing the names of the Saints out of their Diptycks in time of the offertory before the Sacrament besides this so solemn a Christian duty another act of charity there is which the Church ows to her living sonnes the educating of them in the presence of good examples and setting a remark of honour on all which have lived Christianly especially have died in testimony of the truth of that profession and again a great part of the New Testament being story of the lives of Christ and his Apostles and the rest but doctrine agreeable to what those lives expressed it must needs be an excellent compendium of that book and a most usefull way of infusing it into the understanding and preserving it in the memory of the people to assigne proper portions of Scripture in Lessons Epistles and Gospels to every day every Sunday every Festivall in the yeare which are none in our Church but for the remembrance of Christ and the Scripture-Saints to infuse by those degrees all necessary Christian knowledge and duties into us the use of which to the ignorant is so great that it may well be feared that when the Festivals and solemnities for the birth of Christ and his other famous passages of life and death and resurrection and ascension mission of the holy Ghost and the Lessons Gospels and Collects and Sermons upon them be turn'd out of the Church together with the Creeds also 't will not be in the power of weekly Sermons on some head of Religion to keep up the knowledge of Christ in mens hearts a thing it seems observ'd by the Casuists who use to make the number of those things that are necessariò credenda necessary to be believed no more then the Festivals of Christ make known to men and sure by the ancient Fathers whose Preaching was generally on the Gospels for the day as apears by their Sermons de tempore and their postils To all these ends are all these Festivals and these Services designed by the Church and to no other that is capable of any the least brand of novell or superstitious and till all this antidote shall be demonstrated to be turned poyson all these wholesome designes to be
say that to any man that hath but an humble faithfull thankfull fervent heart to go along with it it is as christian a piece of praise and praier as any humane pen could contribute toward the publick worship of God which he that hath had the use of in the Church and now thinks fit to banish out of it shews his own former coldnesse and non-proficiencie under that means of grace and that he never joyned in it with any zeal or earnestnesse or else his retchlesse ingratitude to the Church which hath allow'd him the benefit of it Sect. 31 The like might be added of those two other in the administration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the former before the Sacrament beginning with Lift up your hearts and ending with the Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts c. a form to be found with little variation both in Saint Jameses St Basils and St Chrysostomes Liturgie the other after the Sacrament Glory be to God on high c. called anciently Hymnus Angelicus the Angelicall hymne from the first part of it which was sung by Angels and both these such ancient pure excellent composures in themselves and so fitly accommodated to the present businesse and all that I have named so far from any appearance of evil so free from any the least objection of any the most petulant malicious calumniatour as far as I yet ever heard so well-becoming a congregation of Saints who by praising God in the Church should practice before hand and fit themselves for the singing of Hallelujahs perpetually in heaven and in the mean time bear the Angels companie here who St Chrysostome tels us sing all the hymnes with us that 't is little better then furie savouring much of the temper of that evil Spirit on Saul that was exercised with Davids Musick and therefore may be allowed to have malice to that and the like ever since to think it necessary to throw this piece of heaven out of the Church 3. For the Doxoligie so constantly annexed to many parts of our service in these words wherein the people either are to begin or answer Glory be to the Father c. It is an ancient piece of very great consideration the former versicle of it being as 't is affirmed by good authorities composed by the first Councell of Nice and appointed by them to be used in the Church as a lesser Creed or confession of the Trinity and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consubstantiality of the Son and holy Ghost with the Father at which it hath therefore anciently been the custome to stand up confession of God being a praising of him as the word in other languages imports to which therefore that posture is most due which may well passe for no fable because 't is clear that soon after that time Flavianus sang it aloud in the Church of Antioch as appears by Zozomen and Theodoret and if we may believe Nicephorus St Chrysostome joynd with him in it Of this Philostorgius the Arian historiographer tels us An. 348. Flavianus having gotten a congregation of Monks together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the first that began that form of Doxology others using that other form of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory to the Father by the Son in the holy Ghost making the Son inferior to the Father and the holy Ghost to the Son as Eunomius and Eudoxius did which it seems Philostorgius himself most approv'd of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith his Epitomator of him others not as Gotofred mends his copy and reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as the Oxford manuscript 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory to the Father and the Son in the holy Ghost These two severall forms some say a third in the Son and the holy Ghost were it seems proposed against Athanasius in the Councel of Antioch An. Dom. 34◠and by men of severall perswasions used in the Church of Antioch as a character by which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they exprest their several opinions saith Zozomen l. 3. c. 19. l. 4. 27. by so doing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one applied the Psalm or hymn to the end of which as now with us it was it seems then annext to his opinion In which narration of Philostorgius we have no reason to suspect any thing but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Flavianus was the first that sang it wherein his favor with the Arrians might make him partial or the truth might be he was the first that sang it at Antioch for there Athanasius was in a Councel condemn'd so still the form might in other places be used more anciently This first verse being on this occasion brought into the Church as a testimony and pillar of the Catholick veritie against the Arrians and annext by ancient custome to the end of the Psalms in the Liturgy St Jerome or some body before him being moved by the noise of the Macedonians who excepted against that part of it concerning the holy Ghost affirming that the Doctrine of the Divinitie of the holy Ghost was novell is said to have been the Author of adding the other verse or line to the former in opposition to them As it was in the beginning c. to signifie this to be the ancient Catholick no new private doctrine or opinion and yet that it was very neer if not as ancient as the former may be guest by what Theodoret l. 2. c. 24. saith of Leontius Bishop of Antioch that he was wont to say to himself the Arrian Doxology so softly that no word could be heard by him that stood next but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever and ever the close of the second line and this saith he while Flavianus who opposed him was a Lay-man And if this be a time wherein such Forms as these which besides giving glory to God do secure and defend the Catholick Doctrine of the Trinity against all ancient or modern Arrians and Macedonians are necessarily to be cast out as hinderances to growth and edification sure the designe is onely to plant Heresies in the Church to which alone that may prove impediment but nothing else Sect. 33 Having said this 't will not be needfull to adde concerning the fourth head more then onely the acknowledgement of my wonder and astonishment why the same calamity and tempest that carried away his lesser Creed should also be able to raise so fierce a Torrent as to drive and hurry with it three larger Creeds also especially that not onely of the Nicene Fathers but of the Apostles themselves Against the matter of which I have not heard that the Presbyterians have any objection and sure the Beads-mans Divinity that turns the Creed into a Prayer hath not concluded the use of it to be a restinting of the Spirit What the effect of this part of Reformation is likely to be will not be heard to divine even Barbarisme and Atheisme within a while
it if not so punctuall for the tradition St Basil may speak for all in hom 2. of fasting that there was no age nor place but knew it and observed it And then I know no necessity of despising Christs pattern Apostolicall practice unlesse it be the same which obliges to the destroying of Episcopacy which as it is an imparity opposite to the equality of Presbyters is clearly deducible from both those Authorities to which it seems this yeer is resolved to prove fat all that so there may be at length as little imitation of Christ among us as reverence to Apostles Then for Râ—gation week though the originall or occasion of that cannot be deduced so high but is by Historians referred to Claud. Mamertus Bishop of Viennâ— in France for the averting of some Judgements which on the observation of many inauspicious accidents and prodigies were sadly scared to be approaching yet will it not be Necessary to turn the Fasts or the Lâ—tanies or the Services assigned to it out of the Church as long as dangers are either present impendent or possible or indeed as long as there be sins enough among us to abode us ill or provoke any wrath of Heaven any judgements on us And when all those occasions cease I am content those Services may be laid aside also i. e. when we meet all together in Heaven Next the Ember weeks are of great Antiquity in the Church called the quatuor tempora in the latin Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence I conceive in the English Ember in the Greek and beside the first institution of them for quarterly seasons of devotion proportion'd to each part of the year as the first fruits of every season that the whole and each division of it might be blest by it and again beside their answerablenesse to those foure times of solemn Fast mention'd among the Jews that we Christians may not be inferiour unto them in that duty an admirable use is assign'd to them in the Church in imitation of the Apostles Act. 13. 3. by Fasting and Prayer to prepare for the ordination of Ministers immediately consequent to every such week that God would send and furnish worthy Instruments of his glory to serve him in that glorious Office and till Ministers are acknowledg'd to be generally so good that either they cannot or need not be better till those are also grown immortall as the framers of this Ordinance and so no use of care for succession I shall suppose it not over-necessary to precipitate these out of the Church of Christ but rather wish that there were in our Liturgie some Service appointed of Lessons and Prayers for this purpose to be used constantly on the dayes of Fast through those weeks Sect. 47 Thus have I as briefly as I could examined all the pretended exuberances of our Liturgie which have required it thus to be more then lanced even to a deliquium animae to many fainting fits a long while and at last to its fatall period if our Assemblers may be allowed of the Jury and this Ordinance have leave to be the executioner And as yet to the utmost of our impartiall thoughts can we not discern the least degree of necessity of any the most moderate signification of the word to own so tragicall an Exit The leafs which have been spent in this search as it may seem unnecessarily might perhaps have been better employed Yet will it not be unreasonable to expect a expect a favourable reception of them when 't is considered that by this means a farther labour is spared there needing no farther answer to the whole body of the Directory or any part of it when it shall thus appear that there was no necessity for the change nay which I conceive hath all along been concluded that the continuance of the Liturgy unlesse some better offer or bargain were proposed to us is still in all policy in all secular or Christian prudence most necessary And therefore when we have considered the second particular in the Ordinance and to that annext a view of some severalls in the Preface the Readers task will be at an end and his patience freed from the â—entation of our importunity Sect. 48 The second thing then in the Ordinance is that all the severals which this Ordinance is set to confront are Statutes of Edward the sixth and of Queen Elizabeth all which are without more ado repealed by this Ordinance which I mention not as new acts of boldnesse which now we can be at leasure to declaim or wonder at but to justifie the calumniated Sons of this Church who were for a long time offered up maliciously to the peoples hatred and fury first as Illegall usurpers and adders to Law then as Popishly affected and the pattern of Queen Elizabeths time vouched to the confirming of this their Charge and the Erection of her very Picture in some Churches and solemnization of a day for her annuall remembrance by those who will not now allow any Saint or even Christ himself the like favour design'd to upbraid those wayes and reprove those thoughts It seemeth now 'tis a season for these men to traverse the scene to put off disguises and professe openly and confidently what till now they have been carefull to conceal that their garnishing the Scpulchre of Q. Elizabeth was no argument that they were cordially of her Religion or meant kindnesse sincerely to the Q. Elizabeths reformation Some seeds we know there were of the present practices transmitted hither from our neighbour Disciplinarians in the dales of Q. Elizabeth and some high attempts in private zeal in Hacket and Coppinger and Arthington at one time which when God suffered not to prosper it was the wisdom of others to call phrensie and madnes in those undertakers And generally that is the difference of fate between wickednes prospering and miscarrying the one passeth for Piety the other for Fury I shall now not affirm or judge my Brethren but meekly ask this question and leave every mans own conscience to answer not me but himself in it sincerely and without partiality whether if he had lived in the dayes of Q. Elizabeth and had had his present perswasions about him and the same encouragements and grounds of hope that he might prosper and go through with his designes he would not then in the matter of Religion have done just the same which now he hath given his Vote and taken up Arms to do If he say out of the uprightnesse of his heart he would not I shall then onely ask why it is done now what ill Planet hath made that poyson now which was then wholsome food why Queen Elizabeths Statutes should be now repealed which were then so laudable If any intervenient provocation or any thing else extrinsecall to the matter it self have made this change now necessary this will be great injustice in the Actors Or if the examples of severity in her dayes the hanging of Coppin and