Ignatius Hasten frequently to approach to the Eucharist the Glory of God For when this is Daily Celebrated we break the Powers of Satan If all our Bishops Deans and Prebends did constantly and devoutly attend this Solemn Worship at their several Cathedrals and there perform this Holy Service as it ought to be we should soon find that to be of greater Importance both to Church and State and the whole Nation than all the Service our Bishops ever did or ever will do in Parliament or the rest at their particular Cures Attendances and I know not what occasions to withdraw them from their proper and principal Business These are such Relicks of Popery as ought to be reformed if ever we expect to receive the Favour and Blessing of God in any great degree How others can satisfie their Consciences I know not but I am clear of Opinion that they who take such Preferments for Lucre sake and attend the Duty of them no farther than our Laws do require are guilty of the greatest Sacriledge And that those Princes and States who presume ordinarily to withdraw such Persons from the Service of God in their proper Places to serve them in Matters of State are likewise Guilty of Sacriledge Impiety and great Imprudence to make so bold with Sacred Matters The Reformation of these things would be a greater Demonstration of real Gratitude to God than any thing this Nation hath produced of a long time THE LITURGY Of the ANCIENTS REPRESENTED As near as well may be In ENGLISH Forms PART I. The Priest turning toward the People Note According to Ancient Usage what-ever is spoken to God is spoken toward the Altar whatever to the People toward them v. Mede Ep. 56. Pr. * The Lord he with you Pe. And with thy Spirit * O Come let us sing unto the Lord let us heartily rejoyce in the Strength of our Salvation Let us come before his Presence with Thanksgiving and shew our selves glad in him with Psalms For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all Gods In his hand are all the corners of the Earth and the strength of the Hills is his also The Sea is his and he made it and his hands prepared the dry Land O come let us Worship and Fall down and Kneel before the Lord our Maker For he is the Lord our God and we are the people of his pasture and sheep of his hand O come c. Then toward the Altar * Glory be to God on high and on Earth peace Good Will towards Men. * BLessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people And hath raised up a mighty Salvation for us in the house of his servant David As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began That we should be saved from our Enemies and from the hands of all that hate us To perform the Mercy promised to our fore-fathers and to remember his holy Covenant To perform the Oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham that he would give us That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear In Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of our life Glory be to the Father c. * GOD be merciful unto us and bless us and shew us the Light of his Countenance and be merciful unto us * PRevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious Favour and further us with thy continual Help that as by thy special Grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good Desires so by thy continual Help we may bring the same to good Effect and in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy mercy may obtain everlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen OUR Father who art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done on Earth As it is in Heaven Give us this day our Daily Bread And forgive us our Trespasses As we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from Evil. Amen ALmighty God unto whom all Hearts be open all Desires known and from whom no Secrets are hid Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the Inspiration of thy holy Spirit that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnifie thy holy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen †Then turning toward the People Pr. GOD spake these words and said I am the Lord thy God Thou shalt have none other Gods but me Pe. Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law Pr. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the Likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath or in the Water under the Earth Thou shalt not bowe down to them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and visit the Sins of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my commandments Pe. Lord have Mercy upon us c. Pr. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain Pe. Lord have Mercy upon us c. Pr. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day Six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt do no manner of Work thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter thy Man-servant nor thy Maid-servant thy Cattle nor the Stranger that is within thy gates For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the Seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Seventh day and hallowed it Pe. Lord have Mercy upon us c. Pr. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Pe. Lord have Mercy upon us c. Pr. Thou shalt do no Murther Pe. Lord have Mercy upon us c. Pr. Thou shalt not commit Adultery Pe. Lord have Mercy upon us c. Pr. Thou shalt not Steal Pe. Lord have Mercy upon us c. Pr. Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour Pe. Lord have Mercy upon us c. Pr. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours Wife nor his Servant nor his Maid nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is his Pe. Lord have Mercy upon us and write these and all thy Laws in our Hearts we beseech thee †Let us Pray And turning toward the Altar * O God the Strength of all them that put their Trust in thee Mercifully accept our Prayers and because through the Weakness of our mortal Nature we can
with the Spiritual Food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christ as Members incorporate in His Mystical Body and Heirs through Hope of thy Everlasting Kingdom by the Merits of His most Precious Death and Passion And we most humbly beseech thee O Heavenly Father so to assist us with thy Grace that we may continue in that Holy Fellowship and do all such Good Works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory World without end Amen Then this Hymn GLory be to God on high and on Earth Peace Good Will towards Men. We Praise thee we Bless thee we Worship thee we Glorifie thee we give Thanks unto thee for thy great Glory O Lord God Heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the onely begotten Son Iesu Christ O Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the Sins of the World have Mercy upon us Thou that takest away the Sins of the World have Mercy upon us Thou that takest away the Sins of the World receive our Prayer Thou that sittest at the Right Hand of God the Father have Mercy upon us For thou onely art Holy thou onely art the Lord thou onely O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high in the Glory of God the Father Amen Then the Priest or Bishop if he be present may let them depart with this Blessing THe Peace of God which passeth all Vnderstanding keep your Hearts and Minds in the knowledge and Love of God and of his Son Iesus Christ our Lord And the Blessing of God Almighty the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be amongst you and remain with you always Amen COLLECTS To be said as occasion may serve at the Discretion of the Minister ACcept us graciously O Lord in these our Supplications Prayers and Thanksgivings and dispose the Way of Servants towards the Attainment of Everlasting Salvation that among all the Changes and Chances of this Mortal Life they may ever be defended by thy most gracious and ready Help through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Almighty Lord and everlasting God vouchsafe we beseech thee to sanctifie direct and govern both our Hearts and Bodies in the Ways of thy Laws and in the Works of thy Commandments that through thy most mighty Protection both here and ever we may be preserved in Body and Soul through our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen GRant we beseech thee Almighty God that the Words which we have heard this Day with our outward Ears may through thy Grace he so grafred inwardly in our Hearts that they may bring forth in us the Fruit of good Living to the Honour and Praise of thy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen PRevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious Favour and further us with thy continual Help that in all our Works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy Holy Name and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALmighty God the Fountain of all Wisdom who knowest our Necessities before we ask and our Ignorance in Asking We beseech thee to have Compassion upon our Infirmities and those things which for our Vnworthiness we dare not and for our Blindness we cannot ask vouchsafe to give us for the Worthiness of thy Son Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALmighty God who hast promised to hear the Petitions of them that ask in thy Sons Name We beseech thee mercifully to incline thy Favour to us who have made now our Prayers and Supplications unto Thee and grant that those things which we have faithfully asked according to thy Will may effectually be obtained to the Relief of our Necessity and to the setting forth of thy Glory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen In these Forms thus disposed is so much both of the Substance and of the Order of the most ancient Liturgies that a small matter more would make it One of the Compleatest Liturgies in the World In the First Part should be more of the Scriptures which may either be left to the Discretion of the Priest or some of the Lessons for the Day be used And the Prayers which are preposterous before the Creed or the Epistle and Gospel v. Heb. 11.6 should either be after the Creed and the Te Deum or be reserved to the Second Part which is most agreeable to the most ancient Office for the Catechumens and Penetents who were not admitted to the Prayers of the Faithful And in the Second Part the Eucharist or Thanksgiving is much shorter than they anciently used and the Commemorations for the Communion of Saints of the whole Mystical Body of Christ are not so express as anciently they were in all the Liturgies now extant I shall conclude with these Observations concerning Liturgies 1. That Prescribed Forms in the Publick Worship of God and also for Private Use are of Divine Original and Institution 2. That there is not any good and clear Evidence of the Ordinary Solemn Worship of God ever performed in any Christian Church or other Religious Society in any part of the World without them 3. That therefore it is great Ignorance and Inconsiderateness at the best but usually great Presumption and Impiety in those who dare to speak against them in general 4. That the Jews did use Forms before our Saviours Time and the most ancient Christian Liturgies are so conform to them that it is highly probable they were of Apostolical Original as to the Substance and Order or rather that our Saviour himself who certainly retained the Rite retained also the Forms with such Variations as were proper for the Christians Use 5. That these things consider'd and the Use of the Word Liturgy in the Christian Church so ancient universal and appropriate to this Purpose it is very disingenuous to deny that St. Luke Act. 13.2 did use that Word which we translate Ministring being joyned with Fasting for Solemn Prayer by Liturgy after the manner aforesaid comprising more in that Word than ordinary Praying by reason of the Solemnity of the Eucharist and Christian Sacrifice In the Preface p. 9. l. 6. for January r. June A PREPARATIVE For the Reception of Truth for a Prologue to certain Discourses design'd for a True Reformation and Restitution of Primitive Christianity TRUTH is what in its own Nature is very Excellent and Powerful is of Divine Original of great Importance to Mankind and greatly opposed by the Powers of Darkness and all Evil Spirits And therefore it is the Duty Interest and Wisdom of Man to have a great Esteem Veneration and Reverence for it in all things but more especially in things of greatest Importance Matters of Religion And because it is certain and manifest to all Men who will but consider it that there is not any more common visible Obstacle to it than Prejudice of Education
ashamed of Christ or his Words the Doctrines and Institutions delivered by Him in Person or by his Apostles to the Churches Matt. 10.28 32. Mar. 8.34 and lastly the Danger of a fruitless and ineffectual Profession expressly declared in the conclusion of our Saviour's first Sermon upon the Mount Matt. 7.21 c. and in his Farewel Discourse when he went last out of the Temple in the whole 25th chapter of St. Matthew all concerning Professors whence it appears how far People may go in a Profession and yet at last fail of their Expectation upon the consideration whereof it may be doubted whether as many Souls do not miscarry by Security in an ineffectual Profession as by living in gross and scandalous Sins To Souls thus prepared Truth will undoubtedly find admittance and the Good Spirit will be ready to lead them into all necessary Truth The Discourses above-mentioned are OF Prayers for the Dead With a Preface shewing the Necessity of a Retraction of the mistaken Reformation for a more firm Settlement of the Peace of the Nation A Profession of Faith comprizing the Ancient Forms of the Catholick Church with other Articles concerning the Roman Terms of Communion A Letter to a Young Man of one of the Religious Societies in London concerning Separation and the Proceedings of the Reformation Common Principles of a just Vindication of the Rights of the Kingdom of God upon Earth OF PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD Whether the Practice and Tradition thereof in the CHURCH be truly CATHOLICK and a competent Evidence of Apostolick Original and Authority Humbly tendred to the Consideration of the Right Honourable the JUDGES and of the Gentlemen of the Honourable Profession of the LAW With a PREFACE concerning the Reasons thereof and the Concern of the Nation that the Differences about Religion be better considered in order to a more firm Foundation of an Honourable and Lasting PEACE LONDON Printed in the Year 1699. To the Right Honourable John Lord Summers Baron of Evesham Lord High Chancellour of England Sir John Holt Lord Chief Justice of the Kings-Bench Sir George Treby Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir Edward Ward Lord Chief Baron and the rest of the Honourable Judges May it please Your Lordships THough at first to some it may seem strange and improper to offer a Theological Controversie to the Consideration of Magistrates and Judges of Civil Causes yet if the present Constitution of the Church of England the Nature of the Question and the special Qualifications of the Persons for the Consideration of such a Question besides the Common Concern of all States and Persons in Matters of Religion be well consider'd nothing can be more reasonable A Church professing and glorying in the Profession of a Religion Established by Law and so intirely subject to the Authority of the State that it cannot call a Synode choose a Bishop Dean or Prebend make a Canon or alter any publick Prayers of the Church without it a Question of Prescription Vsage and Custom than which none are more frequently examined tryed and determined in our Civil Courts and by consequence no Persons more proper to give a Judgment upon such a Question because none more versed and expert in Cases of that nature than those of the Honourable Profession of the Law Besides Your Lordships and the rest of that Honourable Profession have another Qualification indispensably requisite to a just and true Judgment Indifferency and Freedom from any special Prejudice more than what is common to the whole Nation and as much above that as any Persons in it I mean that of Education by which tho' the inconsiderate Vulgar and People of little Judgment are very strangely affected and moved either fondly affecting or childishly abhorring what hath nothing of real Good or Evil but what proceeds from an abused or deceived Imagination yet Men of Parts Judgment and Experience can more easily extricate themselves out of the fetters and manacles of such Impressions and Prejudice upon consideration of sufficient Grounds and Reasons But the Generality of the English Clergy and Non-Conformists are under a double special Prejudice and Pre-ingagement the Authority and Credit of their Party and their own in particular having not only imbibed a Special Opinion in the Case but inconsiderately asserted and so espoused it also besides the Prudential Caution of not disobliging or offending their Auditors tho' many Protestants in other Parts are of another Opinion and the most learned here have deserted the old Cause both in their Disputes in the Vniversity and in their Controversial Writings And therefore as every honest Man in any Difference would desire the Judgment of such as are most indifferent unbyassed and impartial so every wise Man will desire that they may be Persons of most Ability Skill and expert in such Matters And in both these respects I know none more proper to judge of this Case than Your Lordships and the Gentlemen of Your Honourable Profession Nor is this all that You are thus qualified to judge of this matter but you have also a Concern a double Concern in it but that it may be fairly and truly determined a Concern which obligeth you to Impartiality that the Truth may be cleared and an End put to such Differences both in regard to the Places you hold and the Interest you have in the Civil State of the Nation and in regard of your Personal Interest and particular Concerns both in this Life and hereafter For Matters of Religion are of no little Importance to the Well-being of States as well as of particular Persons and to the Well-being of particular Persons as well in this Life as hereafter And all this in a double respect in respect to the Providence of God and in respect of their Natural Efficacy and Tendency It is very manifest that almost all the Vnhappiness Troubles and Disturbance which this Nation hath suffered for more than 150 Years last past have proceeded from unhappy Differences about Matters of Religion And it would be as evident if duly considered that there is as little Likelyhood if Possibility of any long Continuance of Peace without some proper Application to so fatal a Root of Mischief amongst us for the Extirpation or Suppression of it Nor is this so vain unreasonable or impracticable a thing to be thought on or attempted as most Men are apt to presume upon the Vnsuccessfulness of the Attempts which have been made if better consider'd It is no unusual thing for Men to learn from the Errors of former Attempts so to correct their Methods and Measures as to accomplish with ease what others with great Labour were not able to effect Many things in Practice are like Riddles in Speculation which after many have found insoluble by their utmost Study appear at last when the Secret is once revealed very plain and easie to the meanest Capacity But in such Differences as these there is usually a double Secret the one Supernatural managed by