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A43049
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The plea for the Common prayer book in two parts / by James Harwood.
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Harwood, James.
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1654
(1654)
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Wing H1101; ESTC R25414
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8,469
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33
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THE PLEA FOR The Common Prayer Book In two Parts By James Harwood B. D. Let all things be done in decency and in order 1. Cor. 14 40. Jerusalem is like a City at unity within it selfe Psal 120.3 LONDON Printed for the Author 1654. To the Right Honorable the Countesse of Pembroke and Montgomery c. RIght honorable and truely vertuous Lady elect in the Lord your favorable accepting with the hand of Charity my Lords Prayer unclasped oblieges mee in more speciall to dedicate this short Treatise cald A Plea for the Common Prayer Booke unto your singular goodnesse I have found our Churches Prayers set light and by those who ought to have beene as shining lights in the midst of this our more then Egyptian darkenesse This is it hath made mee set pen to paper in some poore measure to vindicate as our Lords Prayer before so now the Prayers of our Church I am sure to meet with Hericano's and the grand gusts of malecontented spirits I humbly therfore crave leave this my decurt Treatise may shroude it selfe under the Lee of your acceptance and if the Lord in his mercy allay these windes of boystâ—rous calumniators of our Churches Service within my short time I have heer to stay I shall put to Sea once more again and purpose in my next Bottome to Land that Staple Commodity A Treatise upon the lawfull Calling of our Ministry according to the Canons and Constitutions of our Mother Church of England A Subject I assure you most fit to bee layd open and maintayned lest in a very short time we lose the name Christian Madam I am loth to promise much and perform nothing therefore this short I realise I devote to your service and subscribe my selfe as bound Your most Humble servant JAMES HARVVOOD The Author of the worke begins his Treatise with a Divine Prayer put up to the Author and finisher of our Faith Christ Jesus God blessed for ever Amen THE PRAYER MOst Divine power I am unworthy to tread upon the Earth thy footstoole more unworthy to speak unto thee my God and my King yet humbly upon the bended knees of my body and from the bottom of my heart I beg thy Heavenly protection from the violence of unruly men looke O Lord upon the woefull warfare of thy Church and no longer suffer her children to wound her to the heart blood by division say O Lord it is sufficient and divert the judgment bring us to an unity in Discipline as in Doctrine that as wee all acknowledge one God one Faith one Baptisme for the remission of our sins in Christ Jesus so wee all of us with one heart and one mind and one spirit may put up our joynt praiers to thee in thy Church Lord open the eyes of the dissenters that they may see what dammage accrues the Doctrine of thee the Lord Jesus for want of uniformity in Church service our sins have puld upon us this division grant us true sorrow for our sin and then we shall be in hopes of an union O give us the spirit of unity in the bond of peace while we joyne together like Sampsons foxes all the choice fruit is burnt up O that we might once more hand in hand like Peter and John goe up unto the Temple and pray Let not the redundancy of the spirit make the people set light thy set forme of prayer and the prayers of the Church but since both thy precept and practise justifies a set forme of Prayer Pray thee deare Saviour send downe thy Spirit to point the people of England out the way to our common Prayers if ought were in them tended to the dishonour of thy name wee would not expect a blessing since all is consentaâ—eous to thy Holy Word Lord say the word and the People shall bee obedient when wee are weakest thou art strongest and now that there is no Law to compell the People to come in send abroad those thy servants the sacred suggestions of thy Spirit and thy house it shall be filled Lord thou knowest what harsh censures I shall under goe for the discharge of this my conscience I flie to thee for succor and beg that of thy mercifull goodnesse thou wouldst preserve from all perills and dangers of body and Soule Thy dejected Servant James Harwood A Plea for the Common Prayer Booke Six Arguments to prove a set form of prayer lawfull Seaven Mementoes to the dissenting Ministry Three Inferences from every Memento The four sould Ayme of the Presbyterian Minister Six unexpected Issues A Parrallell betwixt the Papist and Presbyterian Minister The Intravit The Exivit The Vale. The Supplicat for restorement of the Common Prayer Booke A Plea for a reprieve after judgement post upon the Common Prayer Booke or a short and charitable construction upon the forbidding the Common Prayer Booke to be read in the Churches of Christ which will bring much of it into use nemo debet contradicere And as for the remainder you know what is sayd our Law condemneth none untill he be heard In all humility wee who are conformists but peaceable beg leave to bee heard in a case so much concerning the glorie of God the peace of our own consciences and uniformity in Divine service and if ought bee found guilty in our Churches Rubrick senting either of Heresie or superstition we are in all sobriety willing to bee better learnt and shall submit Wee dare not lay aside and as wee hope by the stricktnesse of the last command it was never intended wee should though injoyned to be used and read by the Common Prayer Booke these holy Rellicks of Christianity THe Ten Commandements for they were written by Gods owne hand Exod 20. 2. The Lords Prayer for that was made by Christ Jesus and by him given us in command to say Luke 11. Chapt. Vers 2. 3. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper for that was instituted by our Saviour whose selfe saith do this in remembrance of me 4. The Sacrament of Baptisme for the command is goe and teach all Nations Baptizing them In the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Mat. 28.19 Vers 3. Davids Psalmes the most rigid count them innocent since seperated from the Organs 6. First second lesson is likwise Scripture that I hope is not yet our of date 7. The Holy Hymnes are likewise warranted by the word of God 8. The Epistle Gospel are also Scripture fitted for the times seasons the better to make us bear them in remembrance 9. The preparative verses wee finde verses of the Chapters And thus the preparative verses which begin the service The Collect the Lords Prayer Davids Psalmes first and second Lesson the Holy Hymnes the Epistle and Gospell the ten Commandements the blessed Sacraments they all being part of the Holy bible we in charity coÌ„ceiv though they were enjoyned by the Common Prayer Booke you have not forbid to be used therfore without receiving the brand of
obstinate wee nothing doubt of free leave for us who are Orthodox Divines to use them in our Churches Wee have somwhat more to offer and doe desire aught understanding and a favourable into pretation of our candid meaning 1. That wee may have liberty to say the Gloria Patri for this fragment of the Tongue of Canaan wee learnt of the Angells Luk. 2. who are set to bee our samplers Luk. 11. Againe this Article of our Faith was opposed by the Arians and Macedonians the one denying the Godhead of Christ the other the Godhead of the Holy Ghost and to shew how wee who hold the Catholike Apostolike Faith detest these Heresies for this cause were brought into our Churches service these words Glory be to the Father to the Son to the Holy Ghost 2. Wee desire to make confession of our Faith cald the Apostles Creed since it is the confession of the Church Catholike and not an Article in it but Scripture proose as also the Nicene and Athanasius his Creed 3. To make confession of our sins in the publike place of Gods worship since Gods word doth injoyne us to confesse one unto another Jam. 5.16 yet more their confessing and Praying are coupled together to note as the Church is the house of Prayer so a fit place for confession of sinne to bee made in 4. For us the Ministers of the Lord Jesus to declare to the people being penitent Remission of Sin especially considering to winne home we moderate our claime Joh. the 20 23. 5. To use the Collects after the Epistle and the Gospell since they give the most over went before and all that is intended is that what was lately read in your hearing you by praying may bee ensured of the blessing 6. And as for that Letany where with so many thousands have beene in love a long time being a prayer fitted for al occasions and al necessities at al times we humbly crave leave wee may use it in our Churches till either that sect confute it who will have no King to rule over them upon earth but Christ or that fraternity of the new so cald Ministrey who will bring all the civill power under the verge of their new sprung up discipline and upon contempt of it disthrone them neither is this the totall of our desire but more wee humbly crave a sober conference with our supposed scholastick opponents not doubting but wee shall justifie the worke of our reverend reformers and if we he found imbecill or unable peaceably we shall decline and submit to what commanded And whereas I am confident the great fault they have found against our Common Prayer Booke is de modo for that non for that materia for that the Churches Prayers are a set form of Prayer The Lords Prayer unclasped Page 324. I have already answered that great grand Goliah objection and received no hurt by the weavers Beame And now that the people of God may more perfectly be informed and for ever convinced how a set forme of Prayer is lawfull to use in the Churches of Christ Jesus let them know 1. The Orthodox Divines of our mother Church of England are able in every Century from the time of the primitive Church Six vallid reasons to prove the lawful use of a set form of Prayer to make it appeare how it hath beene the universall practise of the Church Catholick to use a set forme of Prayer O stand and inquire for the good old way 2. Arg. If any wil say our Church Prayers blunt the edge of Devotion for that set formes why then do they approve of Davids Psalmes to be read so full of set formes of Prayer O be guided by a man after Gods own heart 3. Arg. We have Christ his Precept to warrant a set forme of Prayer Luke 11 2 O let Christ his word be your warrant 4. Arg. We have Christ his practise to justifie our Practise who prayd three times in the Garden of Geethlemene using the selfe same words Matth. 26.36 to the 45 verse O remember what him selfe saith Learn of me 5. Arg. A set forme hath beene in use as under the Gospel so under the Law King Hizekias is my witnesse 2. Chro. 29 the later part of the 35. verse And thus my deare Brethren if either the practice of the King of Juda The Collect the practise of Christ Jesus King of Kings the precept of Christ David his set formes or the Church Catholike be worthy of imitation wee have made no innovation upon the people of our God but in truth and soberâ—es desire you to embrace our Churches Prayers especially considering a set form 〈◊〉 warranted by the Lord of Heaven and Earth Numb 6 from the 22 verse to the end of the â—6 where said and by the Lord unto Moses Speake unto Aaron and his sons saying on this wise ye shall blesse the children of Israell saying unto them the Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face shine upon thee and bee gratious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee Peace Note And thus Aaron the Priest for his time and his sons for after times were to say these Common Prayers and enjoyned to doe it by the Lord What Heaven and Earth thinkes fit to goe for currant let dust and ashes not dare to disalow I never met with any could justly tax the subject matter of our service Booke and now wee having such a Cloud of witnesses to testifie the lawfulnesse of a set forme its high time for the bretheren of the seperation to come home yet if they will not communicate with us O thou who sits in Heaven so dispose of the hearts of men upon earth that wee may have free liberty to use our Churches set form of Prayers and we shall pray The Second Part of the Plea for the Common Prayer Book Contayning seven Mementoes for the dissenting Brethren who before these late warres were lawfully ordayned Ministers according to the Constitutions of the Church of England but since not by compulsion but voluntarily have deserted the Common Prayer Book with three Inferences drawne from every Memento proposed unto them by James Hear wood Neverthelesse I have something against thee because thou hast left thy first love Revel 2.4 His Epistle to the dissenting Brethren IT is not malice but conscience hath extracted from mee these Mementoes Memento was spoke too late to Dives these in good time to you my Brethren you know better are the reproofes of a friend then the kisses of an enemy the one may cure in the other there is danger If the Ulcer be overgrown the incision must be deep if my Lance bee too sharp it is for that your sore is festred I shall bee glad of your recovery and pray as for the health of your bodies so your souls and subscribe my selfe as bound God and the Churches Servant 1. Memento There oath was taken wheÌ„