Yet doe not wee pray for the world but against it that we may follow Christ Christ prayed for the Jewes and Gentiles that persecuted him to death father forgive them for they know not what they doe yet he prayes not for the world that lies in wickednesse but that it come out and serve God so wee pray once more against their wickednesse but wee pray for their Persons As farre as our charity tends so farre our Prayers extend and I am sure wee must doe good to all But if God shall reveale any speciall Persons that have sinned unto death wee will not pray for them In the meane time give us leave if you have so much charity to pray that there may bee none such Yea but say they wee pray in that Litany for all that travaile by land or by water and so for thieves and pyrats too yea and I know not for what Devills in mens braines who compasse the earth too and fro Where is their charity The pious Church provideth a Prayer for Men and not for Devils who are out of hope and out of all Communion with her and for all men that are within a saveable condition in that word Our Father So shee prayes for theeves and pyrats to make them better or else against them to maintaine Gods just providence in their future punishments If these bee all their exceptions against our good Litany as they are all I have heard I hope they will give me leave to use it as I doe and use it with me in peace The second degree of our Church worship is the middle of it when wee reade the commandements of our great God with Prayer when we read the Epistles and Gospels more fully to strengthen our faith and pray for the whole Church In the first they doe except that we kneele when the commandements are reade as if it were a Prayer Noe wee doe it not to make it a Prayer it is none But yet wee doe it partly to testifie our subjection to the God that gave it as the People on mount Sinai fell downe at the publication of it and as wee kneele before the King and partly because it is joyned with that submissive Prayer Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keepe this law Next come the Epistles as indeede the whole word is an Epistle written to our soules wherein wee have sometimes prayers but mostly fit rules of holinesse of life and after the Gospels that wee may know the benefits of which we must live worthy These strengthen our faith in all the articles and further our thankfulnesse for all Gods mercies by Christ and his Apostles I know nothing worth notice that is heere excepted against If they call them shreads of scripture yet they are scriptures and fit texts applyed to every season And if Christ would not onely preach truths but fit truths for the people and if they themselves I hope will choose fit texts for feasts and fasts times of solemnity and times of mourning I hope also that the Church cannot bee denyed this liberty If they say they are applyed to divers holidayes which are not of Christs appointment Yet are they not without Christs leave and permission If Christ have permitted them though God saith six daies thou shalt labour yet to use their liberty according to discretion upon any of the six to refresh themselves or spend in holy exercises is he an harder master yea husband unto his Church Surely as occasion is offered they may choose any fit dayes either to feast or to fast But alasse say they all this in that common-prayer booke is but an English masse taken out of the masse-booke of Rome Belike then wee had it out of the Temple of God where that man of sinne sitteth well bee it so A thiefe hath got a true mans purse may not Justice deliver it to him againe and leave the thiefe to his Judge and punishment Such is our case The Pope could not have hid himselfe so long but under the banner of Christ and the service of God with the Saints Therefore hee gets the Leitourgy or common-prayer booke of the blessed Fathers and adds to it of his owne rubbish as Masses for quicke and dead Dirges Requiems Praying to Saints and ANGELS blessing of Bells and Candles to give power to drive away Devils When this was espyed by the breaking out of the beames of the glorious Gospel the blessed Martyres challenge their owne and leave the wicked trash to the founder And is not this Justice If these men had gold and silver mingled with durt and poyson would they cry out all durt all poyson and worke for more No they would wash cleanse purifie and keepe the gold and silver for their uses So have we done and noe more Wee have taken off the spots and keepe the garments We have washed away the filth from the gold of the first great Saints and Martyres If this bee a fault wee rejoyce in it and commend to others as Doctour Rowland Taylour when hee was going to be burned next unto the Bible the Service-booke to bring up our children in the feare of God And so I passe that The last degree is the end of our common-prayer worship which is the administration of Sacraments The wit of Men and Angels cannot devise a better way of GODS worship in them Such grave exhortations effectuall Prayers propounding of warrants laying downe of promises confident expectations of their making good by Christ to Children Parents and all penitent and believing Christians are there upon record that a modest man would wonder how any exceptions could be found out Yet three things are there that much trouble them and us by them 1 Kneeling at the Communion 2 Crosse in Baptisme and 3 The responses or answeres in Baptisme As for kneeling I shall indeavour with Gods helpe to doe two things shew that they may lawfully worship God in the use to this Sacrament kneeling and take away their maine rubs in the way That which is for Christ they may lawfully doe but kneeling at the Sacrament is for Christ for what is not against him is for him If it bee against him let them shew where hee hath forbidden it If they cannot they may lawfully kneele Againe that which is neither commanded nor forbidden by God they may lawfully doe for the Apostle saith of such things all things are lawfull yea they must necessarily doe it now not out of conscience to the gesture but out of conscience to the command of our Christian King and Church But kneeling at the Communion is neither commanded nor forbidden by God but commanded by the King and Church therefore they may they must kneele Againe if they kneele not but sit as an act of Religion they make it essentiall to the supper and the Apostle Paul an unfaithfull servant to so good a
excellent reason for it as well as in all other reformed Churches except theirs First for uniformity that all Gods people in our Church might meete at the same time and put up the same petitions with earnest desires in the same manner And is not this a comforting thought that we have an opener way to heaveÌ„ made us by the joint suites of all good English or hearts Secondly for memory that he may not forget the generall necessities of all the Church and so sticke upon those particulars onely which are according to his owne feeling Thirdly for honour to the blessed saints and martyres whose prayers they were That as we have had benefit by them when they were put up to God before so wee may bring benefit to our selves and others by them when wee pray them now Fourthly for his calling sake Hee is not immediatly called by God 〈…〉 the Church Therefore as he is called by God he useth those gifts which hee hath received from God as he is called by the Church he is to use and honour the publicke gifts of the Church in interpretation prayer and the like What more need bee said to justifie our worship by set formes of prayer for the present I see not when I shall by Gods assistance I shall say more SECT 16. The Brownists maine exceptions in their former argument against our common-prayer booke more specially THough set formes of publicke prayâ—r may be lawfull usefull commendable and glorious yet they say that our common prayers are not so fit a way to worship God by nay they say more that that worship is plainely idolatrous I am sure that that assertion is weakely superstitious I would wish them that they be piously carefull that they speake not evill of that they know not because they are not careful or willing to know we ordinarily know unwise young men when their whose soules live in their affections to make many objections against many good orders and lawes who when ripenesse and experience hath made them see the reasons have beene ashamed of what they have done and may it not be so with these men and women Howsoever I would intreate them to consider what they may reade in the historie of our Church that when a godly martyr was reading in a primar of our Church and came to Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us an ungodly serving-man who was set to attend him blasphemously mocked at it but hee was strooke madde that night and dyed miserably Let them duely consider this and feare to open their mouthes against any comforts of the godly and advancement of godlinesse As for my part I have reade some liturgies beside our owne and have heard of others but blessed be God I never saw or heard of any more fully accomplished for the worke in hand But am I not deceived Let us in the feare of God take a view how it proceeds in all publicke service and call in along their exception which I know as we goe along There is in it first a preparation to publicke service and then the service and worship it selfe The preparation is by meditation exhortation and prayers The Presbyter or Deacon doth in the beginning propound some texts of scripture to be thought upon that we by their meditation may draw our selves into the presence of our God to heare and doe Yea indeed say they they doe corrupt the text For though they say At what time soever a sinner doth repent from the bottome of his heart God will blot them out of his remembrance which is not the speech of Ezekiel I pray is not this the full sense of the Prophet made speake to ordinary capacity if not his words Doth he not say if the wicked will turne Is not this equivalent to at what time soever whether to day to morrow or whensoever I hope when conditions are performed God will be as good as his word whensoever Doth he not say If they turne from all their iniquities and keepe all my Statutes What is this but repent from the bottome of the heart and leave no root of bitternesse behind Doth he not say Hee shall live his sinnes shall not be mentioned unto him what is this but I will put them or blot them out of my remembrance This is not corruption I hope when the Text is plainly expressed in the true sense of it Secondly he doth exhort the people according to the Scriptures to confesse their sinnes with a lowly penitent and obedient heart saying after him By this hee puts them in minde what to doe namely to confesse their sinnes aright that their poyson being vomited up they may the better set themselves to seeke God in the other acts of worship But say they what need this saying after me seeing the Presbyters Prayer and the peoples Amen is enough Indeed it is enough to a Prayer the petitions whereof are not knowne to the people before such as that of Ezra and when men exercised their owne gifts for the edification of many But is it therefore unlawfull for the people to say after their leader when hee prompteth them or they are taught by the Church Doe not all the people as well as the Presbyter pray to God and praise God in singing Psalmes And I am sure the Word of Christ which warranteth what is commanded and what it goeth not against is not against it It is true it is uncomely for many mouthes to put up a petition to the King at once It would confound him whose apprehension and understanding is limited But it is not so to God who is understanding it selfe wisdome it selfe to whom millions sing Psalmes at once and thousand millions pray to him at once over all the world Thirdly he doth pray for and with them that they may doe as hee exhorted them For first there is the joynt confession of all their unworthinesse and Prayer to GOD that they may live better in after times Confession without a purpose to amend does no good therefore are both united in our good confession Then doth he for their encouragement declare and pronounce the absolution and forgivenesse of sinnes to true penitent beleevers according to the Gospel and applying it to the people prayes that upon their repentance their sinnes being done away they may doe worthily that service which now they are about Aâ—d then to supply all defects in all all pray with one heart as one man the Lords Prayer which is the King of Prayers and so rise with short and earnest prayers that they may praise God and that God would help them and with a profession of their faith in the Trinitie and desire that all glory may bee given unto that blessed three in one Thus I am sure if wee have pious and humble soules may we be prepared for the publike worship of God publikely Now for the service and worship it selfe in this good
Booke it hath three degrees the Beginning Middle and End of it In the beginning of it there is reading of Psalmes principally to raise up our affections and of other Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament to confirme our judgements in the truth and to helpe us to search whether things heard are so or no. There is confession of our faith that wee may professe it as a briefe rule from Scriptures to try whether we stand in the faith whereto we may referre the truths of faith in the Scriptures And we have Prayers wherein wee are not long at once or with a breath but have distinct and divided salutations praises and Petitions for our selves chiefe members and the Church that we may the better hold out unto the end without distractions All this I am sure none if they understand can justly blame Onely there is one thing worth notice which doth hardly relish to some fewe and can by no meanes be indured by the Brownists and that is the Litany This stickes most because they are more carefull to make objections against it then answers for it that they may have comfort and peace with us Therefore with Christs helpe I shall indeavour two things to shew the reason of the name and how they may satisfie themselves against such scruples as may arise It is called a Litany which is an humble prayer whose use is most for adversity It comes of a word that signifies to supplicate from whence comes suppliant prayers The ancient Churches were full of them as I could shew which usually beganne with Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us and why should ours be empty seeing wee would be accounted as good Christians as they There are divers exceptions against ours therefore let us see next how they may satisfie themselvs against them There is no Church that I know but must have a favourable construction of some things and so must ouâ—s yet in this I see not but that all excepters may be fully satisfied The exceptions that I have yet met with are against the manner of this prayer and against the matter of it Against the manner they say that it is with repetitions of the people and interlocutary passages As for that I finde that in the scriptures God hath commanded publicke prayers that is that Presbyter and people should pray but he hath not commanded any forme or manner to carry their prayers in but onely that it bee done to edification Therfore he hath left that free to the wisdome and judgement of the governours And this we have often experience of that if a continued prayer be but halfe so long some will bee nodding before it bee done whereas if they be kept busie by the matter in hand they are more vigilant But say they he hath given us the Lords prayer all in one length and set Amen in the latter end This is true yet marke he said to his disciples when yee pray say Our Father and Amen too and hee hath not told them in what manner they should say it when they pray together whether one should say the Petitions and the rest Amen or whether all should say the Petitions and Amen too In this he hath left them to edifâ—cation and us also But it is said that some parts of the Litany are so said that the reader shewes onely what they must pray for and the people make the suite as when they say from such and such a thing good Lord deliver us and this seemes to bee absurd That the people should make it without the minister is not injoyned that the minister doth not intend and make the suite is false except hee bee carelesse and wicked As the people say Amen aloude and the minister saith it too though happly not so loude so the minister intends and saith Good Lord deliver us though the people in turnes exceede in voice Against the matter of this prayer many things are objected few things weighed and nothing proved but evident quarrels There are exceptions against words and phrases and against suites conveyed in them The wordes and phrases are by thy crosse and passion by thy pretious death c. Which some of them out of the leâ—ity of minde call conjuring some out of worse cal swearing as if none could out sweare the Litany Let them take heede how they blaspheme the piety of Gods servants It was none of Elies goodnesse when hee reproached the prayers of Hannah as if shee were drunke when shee made them Let them apply this to themselves It will not be denied but that Christ brought us a great benefit by all these For what hee did as a publicke person hee did for us and our salvation in one degree or other Now what is this but a praying that all these acts and passions of Christ in their vertue and merit bee applyed to us by Gods love that wee may finde the profit of them But now the suites that wee convey in the words of that good Prayer are troublesome to them both when we sue for things and Persons As for things wee pray against two things which they doe not like against sudden death and against the sinnes of our forefathers As for the first there is a double sudden death sudden in time and sudden for want of preparation God hath said that hee will come before that wee are aware like a thiefe in the night His will bee done wee pray not against that But wee pray that his comming may not be so sudden but that through wisdome given we may set our houses in order and bee as the wise virgines having our lampes and oyle in a readinesse and from such sudden death good Lord deliver us As for the sinnes of our forefathers which being dead are now out of the state of forgivenesse wee pray not that their sinnes bee forgiven them but that they bee not remembred to be punished in us God punisheth to the third and fourth generation and the Psalmist saith Let the iniquitie of his fathers be remembred before the Lord and let not the sinne of his mother be blotted out that their posterity bee cut off and in the generations following their names bee blotted out And because these comminations have conditions of Repentance annexed to them doe not wee well to repent and cry to God remember not the iniquity of forefathers for feare of those sinnes that have gone before us But yet they like not the Persons that we pray for when wee say that God would have mercy upon all men For Christ saith he prayed not for the world but our Church cares not whom they pray for Indeed because wee finde that wee have a Precept pray for all men and an holy practise Let the People praise thee O God let all the People praise thee therefore wee doe as wee are bound in praying for all men