are Idolaters may be undeceived and turn from deifying of the Bishop of Rome unto us whom they for our being against him count Hereticks and that the ancient People of God the Jewes may have the vail taken away from their eies that they may see into the end of the Law Christ Jesus and believe 2 Cor. 3. and be saved as the Apostle Paul saith that they shall then we ought to pray for Kings and Magistrates under whom we live and for the Ministry of the Word for all such as are afflicted whether within our Land or without that be our brethren being sorry for their sufferings as for our owne Thus for publick Prayers For Thansgivings they are also to be made commonly 1 Tim. 2. first for gracious and godly Kings when such are set over us and like Magistrates under them for the light of the Gospel shining amongst us by the Preachers thereof beseeching the Lord of the Harvest from time to time to send forth Labourers into his Harvest We ought also to have Thanksgivings for Rain and fruitfull Seasons for deliverance from Plague Pestilence or Famine for Victory over our Enemies and Cessation of War which hath been in our Land and particularly for Women preserved from the great danger of Child-birth when God hath made themable to come again to his house to give him thanks as we ought to pray for them that are labouring with child and for such as we have in their dangerous sicknesses prayed for when they are restored to health again and if we look into our Book of Common prayer injoyned every Minister to use in his Church under a great penalty by statute Law made 10. The book of Common-Prayer of Elizabeth we shall find therein formed a Common Prayer prescribed in confessing of our sins and in all the particulars beforegoing so pious and effectual as any that can be conceived that only which can by any that are conscientious be excepted against is so great a multitude of prayers to the tiring of the spirits both of the Minister and people although for the most part they be but short yet being so many and some often repeated the saying of them all cannot but be a wearinesse to most men whose devotion is but weak and therefore it were to be wished that his Majesty and his great Councel would refer the amending of this fault to some Godly judicious Divines in whom there is no prejudice against a reformation herein as there is in some who are so addicted to our Liturgy as it is that they say it cannot by all the Divines in England be amended which I grant is true for the matter and form of these Prayers but for the multiplicity and repetitions it must needs be yeelded for the reasons aforegoing that the Book may be amended to the better liking of the whole Nation for when the reading of all these Prayers was injoyned there were but few able Preachers in England but abundance of Churches and Parishes to meet there to offer up their Prayers to Almighty God and to hear his holy word read and taught insomuch as that in most Churches Sermons were seldom preached but only Divine Service said and some homily read in the forenoon and in the afternoon only Divine Service said wherefore that a competent time might be spent both times the Liturgy used of old before the Reformation of Religion when in most Churches they came only to hear Masse was translated into our mother tongue that which was Idolatrous being left out so appointed to be used in all Churches with the prayers therein contained being so good and effectual could not but be a commendable way for that time but now thanks be to God the number of learned and able preachers being greatly increased who labour almost in every Church in preaching forenoon and afternoon it were too great a burthen to enjoyne them the reading of so many prayers an Epistle and Gospel beside Psalm and Chapters every forenoon and it would be too great tediousnesse to the people and wearying of their affections to the making of them to worship God with their bodies but not with their spirits which is vain for what difference between their praying Esay 9. that are so long and full of repetitions condemned in Scripture as Pharisaical and such a multitude of prayers and some again repeated being altogether as long as their own prayer yea doth it not come near to the superstitious devotion of the Papists who pray upon beads saying a great number of prayers at once thinking for the great multitude of them to be the more accepted before the Lord we have no hint given us in Holy Scriptures of multiplying many prayers when we come together in the publick place but of praying there together and then spending the greatest part of the time in reading and preaching the whole time for the most part in preaching and expounding the Scriptures For when at any time Christ came into a Synagogue on the Sabbath day we read of a lecture of the Law and the Prophets then Read and then of his Preaching but of Praying we read nothing at that time Luke 4. although there was certainly praying also for my house saith the Lord shall be called the house of Prayer and as he did so he gave Commission to all his Disciples to do saying Goe and teach all Nations Baptizing them c. But of saying any prayers before preaching he said nothing although the Apostles after his Ascension and other believers assembled together to pray Act. 1.14 and they again after the converting of 3000 continued together in teaching breaking Bread and prayer and many other passages there be which shew that there was Praying in the House of God as well as preaching But most time by far was spent in Preaching and Reading as appeares by Nehemiah 8. where first it is said That Ezra read in the Book of the Law before the people assembled together from Morning till Midday ver 3. Then he prayed all the people saying Amen ver 6. After which by other Ministers of the Lord the people were further instructed in it ve 8 All which considered who can stand yet for saying so many Prayers at every assembling together to the house of God And not acknowledge that the Book of Common Prayer hath need to be corrected by putting out the repetition of the Lords Prayer after the rehearsing of the Creed of the Apostles and then after the Letany which is a most excellent and general Prayer for all things and all persons that we should pray for concluding Morning-prayer with two Prayers only following and the three prayers for Good-Friday which is for the conversion of Jews Turks and other Infidels the versicles and repeating of the Lords Prayer there being left out Against Letay exceptions and the Prayer of the Kings Royal Progeny and Bishops Curates and People as being prayed for before in the
of this present Parliament thus to order this great business touching Episcopacy Oh how easily might each Bishop do his work in his Diocess by going to preach sometimes in one Church and sometime in another all over his Diocess to the stirring up both of Presbyters and People to Godliness and what love and reverence would it procure in all men toward them and quell Sects and Factions in the Church whereas heretofore whilst Bishops sate idly at home priding themselves in their Lordly greatness as if they were so advanced to live as the Rich man in the Gospel when his fruits were encreased in eating and drinking and making merry being for zeale to the Truth most cold but very hot for superstitious ceremonies comming as near to the Popish Church as they could they have been hated as the Pope and despised and been the occasions of great Schisms and divisions in the Church of Christ although not so much breaking out as since Episcopacy was put down in these three Kingdomes but lying before us as fire covered over with Embers And hitherto of Episcopal Govenment For touching Archishops I finde no ground at all in the holy Scriptures and the Bishop of Rome was the first that ever took upon him the title of Archbishop then of Oecumenical Bishop anno Dom. 119. as Platina saith inviting all such as suffered wrong in any place to come unto him and he would relieve them and Higinus a successor of his spends a great part of one of his Epistles in magnifying the Bishops of Rome as those that are Princes over other Bishops and so do most of the Bishops of that Sea and Marcus Antonius de Dominis who was himselfe Archbishop of Spalato in his Book entituled De Repub. Christiana sheweth that Bishops only are of Apostolical institution but not Archbishops Now to proceed to speak of the book of Common Prayer That there should be such a book The Book of Common Prayer and thereby an uniform proceeding in all Churches in this Kingdom I suppose it will be granted on all hands unless by such as are transported by zeal without knowledge and Calvin himself is for the Ministers using of one and the same form of prayer in the publick place and his reasons are very good First because the prayers and thanksgiving there offered are not the Ministers only but of the whole Congregation and therefore ought to be such prayers and praises as the people by continual hearing are well acquainted withall and ready to say a men unto whereas if the Minister be permitted to offer up prayers in publick of his owne conception he may happily offer up such Petitions sometimes as his own phantasie leadeth him to that all the people will not say amen unto and it may not peradventure be good for them to join with him therein lest by so doing they be drawn in some petitions that tend to Heresie being for its prevailing for this being considered of of old by the Councel of Bracca a Decree was thereby made against any Ministers using a Prayer in the publick place which was not first seen by the Councel and allowed Secondly Because every Preacher is not alike guided by the Spirit of God in praying but some supposing that the excellency of praying lieth in long praying will draw out their prayers in publick to halfe an houre or an hour or more at a time till all or most of their hearers have their spirits tyred and have their affections made to fag which if they do the Ministers praying is nothing to them but rather is turned into an occasion of offending God as all saying of prayers without lifting up the heart is and this long praying is so far from having any ground in Scripture as that what is written there makes against it because when Christ taught his Disciples to pray Math. 6. he prescribed a short form and condemned long praying in many words and repetitions of the same things as vain babling Math. 23. and hereby upbraided the Pharisees hypocritical praying that they devoured Widdows houses and for a colour made long prayers and the Preacher saith God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth Eccles 5.2 therefore let thy words be few And both Chrisostom Augustine are for compendious praying and not drawing a Prayer out to a great length by using many words for to this end Chrisostom speaks against those that think to be heard the rather if they make a Prayer consisting of a thousand lines And Augustine adviseth to make short prayers and often that they who join in prayer with thee may be able to keep their hearts lifted up all the time and this may serve to beat down the course which now generally takes with the people in most places that he hath the most excellent gift in prayer that stands longest in making his prayers Others there are who prefer humane eloquence in praying and therefore fill their prayers with Flowers of Rhetorick to the pleasing of the ears of the Hearers which is a way that neither Christ the Prophets or Apostles have ever gone in in praying lastly some Ministers have so poor a faculty in conceiving a Prayer that they are not able without an help to do this duty in so good a manner as it ought to be done Thus to such as will be moved by Reason it is apparent that there should be in our Churches forms of godly Prayers and Thanksgivings to be commonly used by all Ministers and sometimes of prayers proper to the present occasion if there be plague or pestilence or other infectious diseases in the land if there be danger by the sword of the enemy or by Civil Wars if there be famine or unseasonable weather too much rain or drought blasts or mildew thunder lightning or tempests or murrein amongst Cattel of many of which Solomon speaks in his Divine Prayer at the dedication of the Temple which he built Touching Prayers commonly to be used every Lords day they must begin with confession of sins and praying for pardon and mortification of sin in us and for faith to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and grace to lead holy and new lives and for a blessing upon the Word wherein the Congregation is then to be excercised in reading and hearing thereof that all may give diligent attention unto it hear it with fear and trembling and lay it up in their hearts as Mary did and live alwayes in obedince to it in all things and in praying we must remember all men the people of all Countries and Nations such as already hold the true Faith who are the Church of Christ that they may be preserved from all their enemies and established as upon a Rock against which the gates of Hell may not prevail but fall as Dagon did before the Ark and such as know not Christ that they may speedily be converted and that to this end the true light may rise up unto them and the Christians who
indued with reason more than the custome that hath heretofore been when our case was not like to that which now is As for the Ornaments as they are called wherein the Minster is injoyned to read and to use them in all his ministration Surplice and Cope viz. The Cope and Surplice and Hood because I hear that they shall no more be injoyned because of the scandal that hath been by them in most parts of the land I will say no more but this they are truly relicks of Popery although the Surplice hath been used very anciently yet not in the first century but altogether without ground in holy Scripture which commandeth to do only in the publick worship of God what he prescribeth without adding or detracting ought which holdeth as well under the N. T. as the old wherein vestments were indeed commanded to be used Deut. 12.32 by the Priests in their ministration about the Altar but now under the new that kind of service being at an end and a new which is spiritual being set up without peculiar vestments for which the Minister is left free as well as other men what was it but a reducing again of a ceremony antiquated long before into the Evangelical Church which was proper to the legal contrary to the Rule given by our Saviour The true worshippers of God John 4.20 shall worship him in spirit and in truth which is not yet so to be understood as if no regard was to be had to externals for we must worship God outwardly in the body also according to that O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our maker and a man praying or Prophesying with his head covered that is having his hat on his head as when he is only amongst his fellowes for not doing this outward reverence to Christ his head who is in a special manner present in the congregation thus reverencing him lesse than the head of the Kingdome where he liveth dishonoureth his head Cor. 11. and for garments to be worn by the Minister in his ministration that which is most decent may be injoyned for all things must be done decently and in order and if by our governours in the Church a black Gown which hath been proper to a Minister be judged most decent and a peculiar kind of Cloak whereby he may in all places be known from other men and reverenced accordingly what are any that are inferiours to take exceptions thereto and likewise if they inhibet the Clergy from wearing long hair which the Apostle saith is a shame for any man to wear and require that they shew no levity and in their own apparrel by wearing light colours but dark which shewes gravety not in following vain fashions of the time Zeph. 1.8 which shewes exceeding great levity which ought to be reproved by the Minister and threatned Reading of the Scriptures as by Zephany even in the Kings Children For Reading of the holy Scriptures in the Church before preaching there is something which is justly excepted against viz. both the appointing of Chapters to be read out of Apocry phal Books as Esdras the book of Wisdom and of Tobit c. and those not a few but 60 at the least in the year wherein they say that the Service book which now we have is altered from the first appointed in the year of Edward 6. in which were none but canonical Scriptures appointed to be read and that in all Churches the Ministers are required to read Chapters both in the Old and New Testament appointed by the daies of the month which though it may be well in Churches or Chappels where service is said every day yet if the Minister in every parochial Church keepeth himself to this order he shall not in many years by reading the Chapters appointed for the Lords dayes read most of the Chapters of the Bible but passe them over continually And forasmuch as now there is preaching in every Church of the Gospel of Jesus Christ sometimes upon Gospels somtimes upon Epistles this is but an adding of an unnecessary labour to the wearying of the preacher before he commeth to his greatest labour Wherefore His Majesty and the Councel of the Land in whose power only it is are to be desired to see these things amended also And lastly because it is an offence to some Reading of prayers indeed not so commendable in a Minister to read prayers there was not any such thing done in Israel of old for nothing was read in the congregation but Scripture and as for praying and praysing of God it was don memoriter by the Minister Nehe. 8. the saying of the prayers set forth in the Book of Common Prayer without book by the Minister would be enjoyned that comming from his spirit immediately as if they were his own both he himselfe and the whole Congregation may be the better affected therewith and such as know not how to pray by hearing them often so said may be stirred up to learn them by heart also and make use of them or some of them in private which how shall they be put on to do if the Minister himself cannot say them but by the book to read a prayer made by others cannot be praying by the spirit as all praying in the Congregation ought to be but then may one be said to pray by the spirit when he hath laid up the prayer to be uttered in his heart and from thence immediately brings it forth being affected with it as if it were of his own conceiving If it shall be counted sufficient for a Minister to read prayers in the Congregation when his sight groweth dim or he cannot see or the Sky be overcast with darknesse how shall he be able to go on in praying if it be said every one hath not so good a memory I answer He that giveth himself to praying upon paines taking shall attain to a memory snfficient for this and so all Ministers after the example of the Apostles ought to do Act. 6. or else they are not worthy of the Ministry as for the praying in the Pulpit if so much time hath been spent in praying before it will not be requisite now for the Preacher to spend much time in praying again but after a short prayer made for the assistance of Gods holy Spirit and for a blessing to fall immediately to the work of preaching Matt. 5. Luke 4. For when Christ preached in the Mount and in Nazareth we read of spending time in preaching but not in praying and likewise of the Apostle Peters saying much when the people were assembled together to hear him Act. 2. Act. 10. by way of preaching only and of Paul neither do I find that any of the Ancient Doctors of the Church when they stood up to preach did otherwise As for the ten commandements rehersing every Lords day in the house of God to make all
the people perfect in them I hold it most necessary for if a man must in his own house dayly speak of the Commandements Deut. 6. how much more ought the Minister of God in his house and add together with the people the precatiuncle set forth in the end For the Ministers giving warning to keep divers holy days which have not most anciently been kept in the Church of God that is the Saints days Of Saints days there is great need to put down the keeping of all these both because we do not read of any such days keeping before anno 501. which was a time of great Superstition Anastasius being then Bishop of Rome who was a Nestorian Heretick and caused Macedonius Bishop of Constantinople to keep the Feasts of Peter and Paul which had never been done in the East before as I have shewed in my History of the Church where I have also proved by good reason that it was a corrupt Superstition crept into the Church to injoin the keeping of them First because working was prohibited poor men upon those days who can hardly live upon their labour all the six days when as the Lord alloweth all to work upon all the six dayes and prohibiteth work only upon the seventh Secondly such as are idly disposed both poor men and Servants had by this means a Cloak for their Idlenesse to the great detriment of the Common-wealth and because Idlenesse giveth advantage to to fleshly lusts which fight against the Soul the keeping of those days was a letting loose of the reins to wicked mens inordinate affections that they might run to all excesse of riot as former experience hath often proved especially at the Festival time of Christmas when so many dayes together were spent in idlenesse and vanity and if there were nothing else amisse in keeping these days but idlenesse when all should work it were enough to presse to the putting of them down for that idlenesse is so much condemned in holy Scripture Thirdly because they are commanded to be kept holy by resorting to Church to read and hear the word of God and to pray and yet no days are spent so prophanely there being no care had but to keep labouring men and Trades-men from the necessary work of their Callings and if they do their work to punish them and so the holy day is made but a stale to bring money into the Commissaries Court. Fourthly It is too great an honor to be given to any but God to call a day after his name to keep it in way of honouring them for this commeth near to the worshipping of the Saints departed and Mine honour saith the Lord will I not give to another If it had pleased God that such honour should be given to his Saints surely something would have been said of it and days should have been instituted under the old Testament by Abraham Isaac and Jacob Joseph and Moses Samuel and David c. and under the new by the Apostles before that so long a time as five hundred years had passed Lastly in other reformed Churches this burden of keeping any holy days besides the Lords days and some to the honor of our Lord Jesus Christ as the day of his Nativity without the tale of so many days more added of his Resurrection Ascension and of his sending down of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost and the day of his Passion hath been long ago cast off but not the keeping of the day of the Lords Nativity as lately hath been done in England when our Divines Assembled at Westminster could not find that any days ought to be kept holy but the Lords days whenas by ancient History it appeareth that the day of the Lords Nativity was kept in the very first Century of years after Christs death for there it is recorded that in the year 130 Nativitatis Domini Telesphorus being Bishop of Rome he amongst other Decrees made this for one that three Masses should be said that is there should be three Communions as upon a most high day upon the day of the Lords Nativity one in the Evening when he was born another in the night when by Angels from heaven his birth was declared a third at day light because the first day of Salvation then began to shine whereby it is intimated that our Lords Birth day had been kept before in his Church no man being to tel how long whence it may be gathered that the custom began immediately after his Ascention to Heaven now the Solemnity thereof began to be more increased among Christans but the increasing thereof by keeping 12 days was not brought in til 400 years after wherefore upon the reasons before going they may be cut off and it will be best pleasing to our Lord to keep his day alone by doing duties of Devotion in Feasting and other expressions of joy and exercising liberality to the poor partly upon other days also when that day approacheth And thus much touching Holy days Now to say something touching the Holy Communion and the Service appointed about it the Exhortations to be made to the Communicants before receiving are all very good and Godly if they were not too much tyring to the Minister after his Spirits spent so much before in praying reading and preaching and therefore it were to be wished that all the Service going before might be omitted as being in effect said before amongst all the people and one of the Exhortations to prepare to the worthy receiving and so proceed immediately to that short one beginning thus Ye that do truly and earnestly repent ye of your sins c. to the end a Psalm being finally sung as Christ hath given us example and then The peace of God which passeth all understanding c. some places of Scripture tending to stir up Charity to the poor Of kneeling being in conclusion recited and the Alms gathered For the gesture of kneeling appointed in receiving it is a gesture shewing the greatest humility that can be as is in all reason expected by the Lord when at his hands we receive so great a Blessing and the Minister at the same instant is praying that the body of our Lord Jesus Christ should preserve us bodies and souls to eternall life Whereas it is excepted against by some because at the Institution the Apostles did not kneel but sit and as it was done then so ought we to do I answer this I deny but what they were commanded to do we ought to do that is to take bread Give thanks break and eat it as his body in remembrance of him c. for the gesture sith there is nothing said we are left to our own liberty therein and the Governours of the Church have power to appoint in what Gesture it shall be done so that it be according to the generall rule most decent such is kneeling for a subject before his Soveraign confering some honor upon him as he doth that