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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	word_n	worship_v	zealous_a	30	3	9.1862	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82002	A sober and temperate discourse, concerning the interest of words in prayer, the just antiquity and pedigree of liturgies, or forms of prayer in churches : with a view of the state of the church, when they were first composed, or imposed. Together with a discovery of the weakness of the grounds upon which they were first brought in, or upon which Bishop Gawden hath lately discoursed, the necessity of a liturgie, or the inconveniency of altering the English liturgie, the utility of church musick, and the lawfulness of ceremonies : in which are mixed reasons justifying those godly ministers, who forbear the use of the Common-prayer, against the late out-cryes of the said bishop. / By H.D. M.A.	H. D. (Henry Dawbeny); Collinges, John, 1623-1690, attributed name.	1661 (1661)	Wing D449; Thomason E1086_14; ESTC R208152	100,305	119

whose names they bear therefore we cry to the Law and to the Testimony we know that the Copies of the Bible have as hath been by many demonstrated been by the wonderful providence of God dispersing them into so many hands so preserved that we dare trust them and believe that the Scriptures which we have are indeed the writings of holy men inspired by God V. Geneb Annot in Liturg. Pet●i Hosii confessio Baronii annales 1.1 ad an 63. but whos 's the Liturgies are called St. Peters St. James St. Basils St. Chrysostomes c. we cannot tell besides that as we said before there 's enough in them to shew they were none of theirs who are made to father them even the Papists themselves being in a great measure Judges II. Yet as in matter of Doctrine which our Protestant Divines have well urged in those abused writings of the ancients which we have the Popish Correctors have unwarily left something and such a something as some of our Protestant writers have judged enough to evince many of their Doctrines Novelties So as to the business of Liturgies and Ceremonies some things have escaped their nimble eyes Jos Vicecomes pretends high for Liturgies so doth Sainctes Pamelius Almarius c. and much for Ceremonies but in Justin Martyr and Tertullian there is enough said which because mentioned by others we spare to repeat to prove the Church then was not limited to any forms of prayer but there is a remarkable passage in Socrates the Ecclesiastical Historian who lived about the year 430. to prove there were no Liturgies in his time Socrates Eccl. Hist l. 5. c. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We cannot but wonder with what confidence any can tell us Liturgies were from the first Centuries when we have so clear a testimony in the fifth Century that amongst all Christians in that age hardly two were to be found that used the same words in prayer That Chapter of Socrates is well worthy the reading over by which some Divines of our times may see that as there was then no such Uniformity of Worship and Ceremonies as is now contended for so neither had Socrates such a reverend opinion of those that were so zealous to bring in Ceremonies but looked upon it as a Judaizing humour in them without any Justifiable ground from the word of God The Chapter is too long and the passages too many to transcribe the Reader may satisfie himself by perusal of it III. Having the advantage of this Supplement Suppl 2. we shall crave leave of our Readers to add some few things to advantage our Argument against the Common-prayer Books ordinarily obtruded upon us from what we have said before That we find in them a mode of Worship and Forms which hath been formerly used in idolatrous services upon which account we are much inclined to think it not lawful for us to use them in the service of God especially considering what we have said before from the Apostle The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof We may easily use other words VVe vvould hope that many of our Brethren who are zealous for Liturgies do believe that the worship of the Church of Rome is Idolatrous and hath been so ever since the practice of praying to Saints and Angels praying before Images the worshipping of Crosses and Relicks and the Doctrine of Transubstantiation came up amongst them If any be otherwise minded we have nothing to do with them but only to commend them to that learned Treatise of Dr. Reinolds De Idololatriâ Ecclesia Romana and the many Tracts and pieces of tractates wrote by Protestant Divines to prove this charge IV. We remember what Tertullian saith Principale crimen generis humani summus saeculi reatus tota causa judicii Idololatria Tertull. l. do idol cap. 1. Of all sins none so horrid as that of Idolatry This is sufficiently asserted in Scripture and proved by Tertullian and others Tertul. proves the idolater a murtherer an adulterer a thief c. And certainly if Christians be bound to abstain from all appearance of evil they are much more obliged to take heed of any thing that hath the least appearance of this evil or affinity to it V. That Idolatry is not only committed by worshipping the creature terminatively which was an idolatry we believe very few were ever guilty of but also by the offering up any homage proper and due unto God onely Non est auditum à soeculis quod quit arcam vocaret Deum suum vel ollam vel pixidem Gul. Paris de leg c. 26. before any creature as the medium or as representative of God is so eminently proved by the instances of the Jews worshipping the golden Calf who yet proclaimed the feast to Jehovah which the Apostle calls Idolatry 1 Cor. 10. By Jeroboams and Michals idolatry and diverse others that it is not a point now to be disputed being granted by all sober Protestants But besides these two wayes there are others also by which we may be guilty of the sin of Idolatry or a Jews Idololatriae as Tertullian speaks accessary if not principals The Apostle 1 Cor. 10. plainly determines that to eat of meat offered to idols in the idols temple was to have a fellowship with devils VI. Gods Eminent hatred of idolatry was seen by diverse severe prohibitions to his people forbidding any fellowship with idolaters or imitation of their actions or to follow their modes and methods of worship or to use such names as they used to call their idols by in their speaking to God 1. For civil usages Lev. 19.19 Lev. 19.19.17 28. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed neither shall a garment of linnen and woollen come upon on thee V. 27. You shall not round the corners of your heads neither shalt thou marr the corners of thy beard 28. you shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead nor print any marks upon you To this head may also be referred the law against womans wearing mans apparel Gul. Paris ibid. cap. 12. or the man wearing a womans apparel All these saith Gul. Paris were to avoid the imitation of Idolaters The first saith he was sugillatio culturae sen idolatrae Veneris Priapi The garment mingled of linnen and wooll vvas forbidden them saith he because the Egyptian Priests did use such Aquinas Liranus Tostatus Hugo c. give the same reason Herodotus tells us that the Arabians vvere vvont to shave their hair and to cut the corners of their beards to bring their hair into a round figure which the Prophet Jeremy confirms describing them under the notion of such as had the corners of their hair polled Jer. 9.26 and again 49.32 see the Margent in our English Bibles The Syrians Egyptians and Arabians vvere vvont to pull off their hairs to make baldnes betwixt their eyes to make prints

revealed will that in such publick devotions some particular persons should be the mouth of the rest unto him whose Prayer according to divine Institution is made the common performance of the whole Society whether it be that of a whole Family or that of a greater or lesser Congregation by their concurrence in spirit with him that speaketh and their rational and fiducial assent to what he speaketh as well on theirs as his own behalf Now there being no other ordinary way of correspondence which God hath allowed rational souls each with other in their united estate but by the tongues of men animated by the souls to that very purpose that they might be their Interpreters It is impossible that publick Prayer should be performed without words and those both audibly and intelligibly pronounced which is also conformable to the will of God who hath taught us when we pray to say Our Father Whence it appears that both the silent mute Meetings of Quakers and the Latine Service of Papists and the Prayers of any others said or sang so that People cannot hear or understand what is said are all of them abominable in the sight of God and to be abhorred of every reasonable Christian VI. But seeing words are no more than the desires of our souls interpreted And there being no further use of them in the duty of Prayer than that by them we might sacrifice unto God the devotion of our hearts by the Calves our lips 2. And by the help of them we might interpret the otherwise not intelligible desires of our souls unto others And 3. Restrain the extravagancies of our own Spirits A Curiosity of phrase in Prayer seems neither necessary nor reasonable Not necessary because as our holy Father who understands the thoughts of our hearts before they be brought forth into words hath no need of well turn'd Language to affect his sacred ears nor hath required more than according to the ability which he hath given to several souls So the plainest phrase is best intelligible to the most of those that hear us who are to give a rational assent and say a fiduciary Amen to what we speak VII Nor are the Prayers of the poorest Rustick who ordinarily salutes his neighbour and expresseth his mind to him in terms which the Critick cals Nonsence for their Grammatical incongruities or defects in Rhetorick less acceptable unto God than the softy strains and luxuriant issue of wanton Rhetorick in the prayers of others are whose great study possibly is to put their prayers into handsom Language Who knows not that many Idiomes in other Languages are perfect nonsence in English Yet who doubts but God accepteth in every Nation pious souls powring out their hearts unto him in Prayer by their mouths according to the Dialects of their several Countries VIII In very deed the only Nonsence that can attend Prayer is the incongruity of the tongue of him that speaketh with his mind and heart or with the understandings of those who joyn with him Let but the tongue be the true interpreter of the heart towards God and the expressions of it be commensurate with the capacity and understanding of those that hear and the Prayer shall be discharged from any guilt of Nonsence in the sight of God accruing from a want of Grammatical order in words unless such want proceed from the Speakers non-attention and carelesseness of his Spirit Yea the Prayer which the wanton Orator the curious observer of words and Pryer into the proprieties of them may call Non-sense may be most admirable sense in the ears and judgment of God and good men whose eye is upon higher things in spiritual duties than a well tuned esse posse videatur IX Yea there may be in him that speaketh such an affectation of nitid words and curious phrases such a superlative care that Noun Substantives and Adjectives may stand in due places and Verbs be put in right Moods and Tenses that too many monosillables or pollysillables may not hobble or rumble after one another such a study for paranomasia's and other Fooleries of phrase as may make the Prayer abominable both to God and to all good men Whilst not the holy Omniscient God only but even sober men easily discern the heart of him that speaketh as to its secret intention gone a whoring from God to whom it should be united in Prayer after that Strumpet Rhetorick in which he never took any delight Nor is the Prayer thus patched and painted and disguised by this Taylor-like art of words understood by those who would better know it and to whom it would appear far more lovely in the morning-dress of a homebred natural inaffected phrase X. Yet in regard that it cannot be reasonably presumed that any publick Congregation should be made up of persons equally intelligent in the mysteries of Godliness nor equally intelligent of words and phrases nor equally considering that words are but the shell and skin of Prayer Nor so but that there will be many amongst them of carnal hearts it is very reasonable that he who speaks in publick Prayer should so speak that whilst he humbleth his phrase to the meanest capacity and understanding that his Prayer may not lose their Amen he also elevates his words above the nauseam and just reproach of the most sqeamishears even of those who far more regard the starching of the Prayer that it be pull'd right in every corner and round about than the matter of which it is composed or the fervency of heart with which it is uttered XI And doubtless who so in this thing keeps a due mediocrity in the publick performance of the duty of Prayer neither by too much curiosity of phrase and attention to that diverting his soul from the more serious and fixed contemplation of God nor by mixing too much of mans d●ing as Luther cals it alluding to that of Ezechiel with spiritual bread makes the duty a loathing to spiritual souls Not yet by too much rudeness and carelesness of phrase shall either give a just suspition to others that his heart attends not what his Tongue speaks or offers a temptation to the more carnal part of his Hearers to loath and contemn the Service hath sufficiently discharged his duty and needs be no further careful of words in Prayer unless which it may be is not impossible he can find out or invent some modes and forms of expressions which upon the evidence of experience shall appear to be more proper means than the use of other words to warm the hearts of those that are to joyn with him and to boyl them up to a greater degree of fervency in spirit whilst they are in that duty serving the Lord. To which purpose handsom cadencies of periods a lofty rouling stile affected Paranomasia's pedantick quiblings of words and phrases fine Knacks to please childish ears with are so far from signifying any thing that they are cusus contrarium's in the business good for nothing

or expedience of bringing back the Liturgie again because not the want of it but rather the too long having of it was the cause in a great measure For 1. In what Congregations were these confusions most ordinary was it in those Congregations where the Liturgie was out of choice laid aside which were furnished with Godly Learned Ministers we appeal to the Citizens of London whether they took notice of any such extravagancies in their Ministers nor can malice it self so charge them But there were two other sorts of Preachers 1. There was an old Sect who had so used themselves to the Liturgie that they had lost all their gifts and being restrained in the use of those forms and not having a spirit or heart suted to their work could do just nothing 2. There was another Set of Lay-preachers and raw young Students got into livings many of whom were also corrupted in their judgements and it is no great wonder some of them should be justly chargeable The question is what such confusions there would have been had none been admitted into livings but such as were duly qualified X. Above all things we wonder why a form of words in prayer at the administration of the Sacraments should be judged so highly necessary to be prescribed for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as it is an Ordinance which requires the greatest preparation both as to him that administers and those that receive so we cannot but think it very hard that any diversion should be offered to the Ministers soul in prayer there and unreasonable that he should do any thing which might either abate the fervor of his own spirit or be less affective of his peoples hearts For the forms of words in Consecration and Administration we think it no way fit the Minister should vary a tittle from the institution where Christ hath left us words sufficient Nor can we allow the Liturgie's turning the words to be spoken at the delivery of the Sacrament into a prayer being no wayes agreeable to the Institution The same is to be said as to the other Sacrament onely if an explicit enumeration of the chief heads of the Doctrine of Faith to which the Parents assent is required be judged necessary we think it warrantable and should freely allow the Church to prescribe a form there and to enjoyn the observation of the Scriptural form of words in both administrations to be used and no other XI As to the desires of the most Learned and Judicious and Godly of the people which the Dr. mentions p. 7. we see no such thing but the quite contrary and dare almost venture it upon the vote of such in our Parishes as are not guilty of noted debauchery and have any form of Religion in their families and can give us a rational answer why they desire it XII We do freely allow that no Minister ought to oppose his private Spirit to the Spirit of the Prophets united but yet must maintain for every Minister a judgement of discretion which vvhen vve have once disputed out of the world Popery will immediately succeed nothing remains but blind obedience wet do allow a due honour to some of those Reverend persons that had an hand in composing the Liturgie and do think they did worthily in their generation according to that twilight of Gospel light which immediately after a midnight of Popish darkness shone out upon them we do allow them to have done prudently respecting the State of the English Nation at that time Rome could not be pulled down in a day but we also know how imperfect their attainments were and how gradually they reformed their own judgements It is sufficiently known that one of the most Eminent of them holy Cranmer was one of them who at that time himself being a professed Protestant condemned that rare Martyr Lambert for denying the Doctrine of Transubstantiation In the witness of which truth in Queen Maries dayes himself upon further light suffered Martyrdom We believe he did both in the sincerity of his heart and onely mention this to shew that those Eminent lights were not fitted to set a standing and perpetual rule to the Church in so great an affair as this is XIII But if as the Bishop saith p. 3. Neither piety nor policy will allow the discomposing or dissolving the whole frame of the Liturgy And if as he tells us p. 12. The Reformed part of Religion cannot be well preserved in England to any flourishing and uniform State unless such Liturgy be authoritatively injoined and constantly maintained Then unquestionably it ought to be as he dictateth And if as he tells us p. 23. The Liturgy of England as to the main essentials of it in Doctrine Devotion Consecration and Celebration for matter order and method be such as may not be maimed If as p. 31. nothing can ever be seen comparable to this Liturgie if it be nulled and destroyed and if after it be reviewed it be not by Law reestablished and authoritatively enjoined Truth and peace can never be established there 's all the reason in the world that we should have it better that those thousands of Godly Ministers and people who cannot submit to it should be banished the Land then such evils come by hearkening to them or such good things be hindred by their non-conformity But let us search the bottom of this heap of words see what strength of Reason there is in them XIV He gives three reasons for his former assertion That it is against piety and policy to alter it 1. It would reproach the wisdom and blemish the piety of the first composers of it 2. It would imprudently disparage the judgement and devotion of the whole Church of England 3. It would much damp and discourage the present zeal and devotion of the greatest and chiefest part of this Nation who are much pleased and profited by the use of it Ergo The alteration is against Piety and Policy XV. For the first We would be loath either to reproach the Piety or blemish the wisdom of the first Reformers but we cannot understand how the one or the other should be reproached by not imposing a Lyturgy or not imposing this Lyturgy Was the Wisdom of God reproached by the disuse of the Ceremonial Law which yet was an excellent Schoolmaster to bring the Jews to Christ Or is the wisdom or prudence of William Lilly or any other Master of Grammar reproached because when the Boy comes to be Master of Arts he no longer makes Latine by Grammar Rules nor further useth it than at a pinch now and then Certainly those first Reformers did like wise and pious men with respect to their age the complexion of the People the abilities of the then-Ministers But if that we have not improved both in Reformation and in all Gifts very much since that time now 100 years we have wofully abused our mercies And it is the honour of our first Reformers that by their

affectus interiores orantis aut exhortantis liberè in verba Nam ut assiciat auditores oportet ipsum assici non autem afficitur ut debet qui semper eisdem verbis orat aut exhortatur It is an usual saying and may be true enough Optimus Orator non nondum nascitur To say that either for matter or phrase there was never any Prayers made like to those and that no such can be made are strange extravagant and hyperbolical expressions by no means either to be justified or demonstrated In short those Forms of words in Prayer are undoubtedly best for the Speakers use which come most from the intention of his mind and fervency of his Spirit As to others joyning with him those are best which most affect the Hearers hearts That these or any Forms upon this account do so is not demonstrable For the Form of Consecration of the Lords Supper in the English Lyturgy we cannot find any Form for it which we think an high Omission we do conceive that the Consecration should be by reading the words of Institution taking and breaking the Bread and then blessing it We find only a Form of Prayer for a Blessing upon the Elements and not so much as a Rubrick directing the Minister at that time to read the words of Institution or to take and break the Bread As for the words used in the delivery of the Sacrament we find them without any warrant from Gods Word turned into Prayers So that the Bishop might have spared the commending of this Part of the Lyturgy where we think is a more considerable Omission of what should be there than he can instance in in our administrations or then the omission of those words Receive the Holy Ghost in Ordination is especially when we know no such power any Ministers have now to give the Holy Ghost as the Apostles had and can easily distinguish betwixt the Apostles ordinary Act in Ordination and their extraordinary Act in giving the Holy Ghost to the latter of which none can now pretend For the Ancientry of these Forms we have shewed it before they are not of age enough to speak for themselves and to plead their gray hairs for their continuance XX. To say That without the authoritative imposing of this or any other Lyturgy Truth and Peace can never be established is irrationally guessed nor can there he any pretence for it Certainly truth is far better preserved by a full and sound Confession of Faith in a Form of sound words in which all are agreed and we should be content to read a short summary of it every Lords day to subscribe own defend it that it should be subscribed and sworn by all Commencers in Universities by all to be ordained or admitted into livings by all admitted to Sacraments how an imposed Liturgie should do half so much nay how it should do any thing at all to preserve Truth we cannot guess XXI For Peace we have had the experience of an 100. years to prove the contrary sure we are that we may thank the Imposing of the Liturgie in former times for all our Brownists Anabaptists Quakers Familists Sectaries of all sorts Their Leaders first separated from the Church for the Common-prayer Book and Ceremonies then set up for themselves and being themselves unskilful in the Word of Righteousness easily perverted others And we are sure that there are now 100. for every one that distasted these things in 1640. both Ministers and people how the reimposing should bring us to Peace poseth us to prophecy It may bring many thousands of persons to ruine for not conforming driving them into other lands giving their malitious adversaries advantages to fill prisons with them but Peace it can never bring XXII We observe that all Reformed Churches where are no such imposings of Liturgies have more plenty of able Divines considering the proportion of their ground more zealous defenders of Truth fewer Hereticks and Schismaticks then ever England had at any time when the Liturgie was most rigorously imposed Nor is it reasonable to imagine that we should ever have any peace in the Church if the former Liturgie be imposed but continual separations from the Church and violent prosecutions of those whole consciences for the reasons aforesaid will never allow them to use it XXIII So that we humbly crave leave to retort this as an Argument against the Imposing either this or any other Liturgie It s being inconsistent with the peace of this Church And we most humbly beseech His most Excellent Majesty the Noble Lords and the Gentlemen of England seriously to consider Whether there being no command in Scripture nor particular warrant for any imposings of this nature no president of the primitive Church in any part for 400 years after Christ there being also such a plenty of Godly able Ministers in England So many times ten thousand of Godly Christians who cannot allow themselves in the worship of God by forms of prayer and who have taken so great a scandal at these forms in particular and that for reasons above mentioned It can consist either with Piety in them to enjoyn what is so highly offensive when St. Paul professeth so much tenderness to his weak brethren or with Policy to enjoyn that in which they cannot but know that many thousands will be found who durst not actively Obey but will think themselves bound to suffer So that they will be constrained in pursuance of their honour commanding such things to erect Courts direct prosecutions of persons only blameable in this matter of their God and such who are ready by any Act or Oath to secure their Allegiance to his Majesty by any Action to express it paying tributes and customes for conscience sake daily praying for all the blessings of heaven and earth for his Majesty and this with far more cordiality then others drink His healths Or whether such proceedings be like to produce Peace in the Church or rather everlasting divisions animosities and constant prosecutions of sober Christians concerning the equity of which the Just Judge of the whole earth must one day enquire And in the mean time these Impositions to be of no further considerable use then to help ignorant persons unfit for the Ministry and such as are lazy and negligent and make no conscience to stir up the gift of God in them We humbly leave this to our Superiours to determine XXIV The questions as to piety are 1. Whether pious Magistrates can according to principles of piety command and enforce those things which Gods Word doth not command in his worship being openly offensive to multitudes of Godly people 2. Whether they can acquit their soules to God in making Laws to fine disturb imprison banish c. multitudes of their Subjects for no other crime then this that they cannot limit themselves to forms of prayer in Gods Worship And suppose these two things were consistent with Piety yet whether Policy would direct it is another

entangled and captivated me but thou O Lord hast loosed and delivered me now I confess I do acquiesce in those sounds which thy Oracles enliven vvhen they are sang with a sweet artificial voice Not so as that I stick here but so as I may rise vvhen I vvill But vvhen they come unto me in the very phrases wherein they live they seek in my heart a place of dignity and I can scarce afford them one fitting for them For sometimes I seem to my self to give more honour to them i.e. so sang then I ought to do while I discern my heart to be more kindled into a flame of piety when those vvords are sang then if they vvere not sang c. But the delight of my flesh to which I ought not to give up my mind to be enervated doth often cheat me while it doth not so accompany my reason that it will be patient to come behind it but because it is admitted for that it endeavours to run before it and to lead that Thus in these things I sin not perceiving it but aftervvards I do perceive it Sometimes more immoderately taking heed of this cheat I erre but very seldom with too much severity on the other hand I would have all the melody of those sweet songs with vvhich David's Psaltery is full removed from mine and the Churches e●…es and what I remember I have often heard told me of Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria who commanded him in his Church that sang the Psalm so to sing that he should rather appear to read then sing seems safe to me But vvhen I again remember the rears I powred out at my conversion at the Singing of the Church and how I am still affected not with the singing but vvith the things that are sang vvith a clear distinct voice and a convenient tuning I again acknowledge the great profit of this Institution i.e. Singing I am thus divided betwixt the danger of pleasure and my experiment of wholesomeness and rather incline yet not pronouncing an irrevocable sentence to the approbation of the practice of singing in the Church that weaker Souls may by the delight of the ears be raised up in pious affection Yet when it so falleth out that the Singing doth more affect me then the matter sang I do confess that I dangerously sin and had rather not hear those that sing XVIII See how jealous this good man was of his own and others hearts lest the melody of an innocent tune should intice his heart too much from considering the spiritual matter sang what would he have thought if Church musick had been then in date where he should have heard nothing but a carnal sensual-delighting noise XIX In the next place let us hear St. Hierom or whoever he was that wrote those Commentaries upon the Epistles of St. Paul bound up with St. Hierome Bellarmine and Catharinus think Pelagius was the author Sixtus Senensis and Victorius think it was at least a Pelagian whoever he was we may learn the sense of the Church about that time In those Commentaries on Eph. 5.19 D. Hieron in Epist ad Ephes cap. 5. v. 19. Let those youths and such as sing in the Church saith he hear this That we must not sing unto God with the voice but with the heart nor must the jawes and throats of men be pleased with a sweet noise after the fashion of Tragoedians theatrical tunes and songs must not be sang in the Church but we must sing there in timore in opere in scientia scripturarum c. Let the servant of Christ so sing that the words which are read may please not the singer's tone That the evil spirit which was in Saul may in like manner now be cast out of them possessed with it not brought into them who make a stage of the house of God What would this author have said had he lived in our age and known our Cathedrals XX. Bernard confesseth it as his sin that he often broke his voice to sing more loud and was more delighted with the tune he sang Bernardi med cap. 11. then regarded any cordial compunction XXI Pope Gregory saw the abuses of singing crept in early Greg. dec dist 92. and anathematized Deacons that should leave their office in preaching or distributing alms to turn singing men XXII Daneus saith Danei Isag p. 4. l. 4. cap. 16. P. Mart. in 1 Cor. 14. Tilen Syntag. p. 1. dis 49. th 47 48 49. Our singing is a meer corruption of an Ordinance of God and which hath in it nothing of piety nor serves for any thing but to tickle the ears Peter Martyr saith he cannot see how it can be tolerated Tilenus sharply damneth it Aquinas though a Papist saith the Jews Musick was figurative and carnal and that Musick serves onely for sensual delight Aq. Sum. 22 ae q. 91. art 2. ad 3. Tilenus saith of it what we will not English Illis arrideat qui magna meretrici supparasitari potius quam Christianae simplicitati studere malint Pareus condemns it in his Commentary on 1 Cor. 14.7 And so indeed do the generality of Protestant Divines But least they should be thought too much parties we will conclude with one who vvas no Puritan for vve think he lived and died a Papist though not resolved to approve all he saw and heard in the Romish Synagogue without any further account vve vvill take pains to translate what he saith on 1 Cor. 14. XXIII Upon the 1 Cor. 14.7 I had rather speak five words c. he thus notes In this business 't is admirable how the custom of the Church is altered St. Paul had rather speak five words to be understood then ten thousand in spiratu not to be understood But now in some Countries they sing all day in spirit i. e. so as none understands them there 's neither measure nor end of singing vvhen as scarcely in 6. moneths a good Sermon is heard perswading to true piety that St. Paul calls speaking in understanding to say nothing that in the mean time a kind of Musick is brought in too to the worship of God that none can clearly understand any voice Nor have they that sing any leisure to attend to what they sing Onely a noise of voices strikes their ears and pleaseth them with a momentany delight And this might be born but that the rout of Priests and Monks place all piety in this vvonderfully differing from St. Paul why doth the Church doubt to follow so great an Author yea how dare it dissent from him what else is heard in Colledges Monasteries Churches but a roaring of voices But in Paul's time there was no singing but pronuntiation meerly Singing afterwards vvas entertained but such as was nothing else but a tunable and distinct pronouncing of the words Such as vve use in rehearsing the Lords prayer and the common people too understood the Language used now what doth the common people understand

the time it self sheweth wherein they first began to be used in Sacred Offices For Bellarmine himself confesseth that they first began to be used in the time of Pope Vitalian but he brings no reason why none of them were used either in the Apostles or in Constantines time For if they began to be used after the year 660. or 820. we must believe that humane nature had a great wrong in that for so many years it did not apply this Faculty to the praise of God For we believe the Apostles loved Christ with all their hearts The former and more religious ages had weak ones too though no Organs were used to help them I know not whether they encrease or diminish tediousness For men seldom see those Musical Masters godly and those Instruments with their length are troublesom to such as sing with the voice Let the matter be as it will I affirm that Bellar with his distinction of Ceremonies could not answer P. Martyrs reason against these For as the offering of bloudy Sacrifices though common both to the Jews and Heathens was taken away by Christs Bloud on the Cross as unsuitable to the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedech so though the Heathens used these Instruments in the Solemnities of their Idols as Nebuchadnezzar in the Dedication of his Image yet these were convenient only for the Jewish Ceremonial worship c. XXVI But the truth is all that can be pretended for Church-Musick is the Authority of the Church to add what Ceremonies she pleaseth to the worship of God which we must speak somthing to in the next Chapter Though neither can Church-Musick come under that Notion for it is a perfect Service of it self not alwaies appendant to singing and is so used a perfect Post set up by Gods Posts an Ordinance of mans added to the Ordinances of God for his Worship which our souls shall desire to take heed of CHAP. XVI The Bishops Reasons for the English Ceremonies considered The Churches Power about Ceremonies examined No Principle to be maintained to death Archbishop Parkers Opinion of humane Ceremonies Reasons against them I. VVE are come to the last thing which we shall take notice of in the Bishops Book and that is his zealous Assertion of the Churches power in appointing Ceremonies and Circumstances of Divine Worship This is indeed the root of all the Pandora's Box the very Fountain head of all those Impositions which have bred so much trouble disturbance and persecutions in the Church of God Let us first see how the Bishop asserts it II. He tels us That the last shock of popular envy which the innocent and excellent Lyturgy of England was wont to bear was from the Ceremonies For which the summe of his Plea is this 1. That they are few 2. Retained as signal marks of Faith or Humility or Purity or Courage or Constancy 3. Not as Sacramental Signs conferring Grace but meerly as visible Tokens apt by a sensible sign to affect the understanding with somthing worthy of its thoughts as signified thereby 4. St. Augustine was no enemy to them 5. They are established by the Lawes of Church and State 6. They fall not under the Second but the Third Fourth and Fifth Command 7. They are like Cloaths fitted to our Bodies and Perwicks to our Head and Tunes to our Pslams 8. They do not burden any Conscience 9. It is most true and undeniably to be maintained even unto the death That this National Church as well others hath from the Word of God Liberty Power and Authority within its own Polity and Bounds to judge of what seemeth to it most orderly and decent as to any Ceremony or Circumstance in the Worship of God which the Lord hath left unconfined free and indifferent in its own nature and only to be confined or regulated by every such Ecclesiastical polity within it self c. III. We must in our examination of this Harangue of discourse crave leave to alter his Lordships method and to begin with the last thing first for if the Lord hath left to the Church or State no such power at large or if it be bounded by some general rules to be observed in the exercise which are not observed in some particular impositions all the former pleas that they are few signal marks c. not Sacramental sign c. come to just nothing Yet we cannot but observe how the Bishop hath provided a way to light upon his legs say what we will For it cannot be denied but the Church hath a full power from the Word of God within its own polity and bounds to judge of what seemeth to it most orderly and decent as to any circumstance in the worship of God which the Lord hath left unconfined free and indifferent in its own nature And only to be confined or regulated by every such Ecclesiastical Polity within it self i.e. The Lord hath left that to be regulated by the Church which he hath left to be regulated by the Church A most momentous and undoubted truth never denied by any But that is not the question This is the question Whether it be the will of God that the Church should regulate and determine all things which the Word of God hath left indifferent as to his worship or whether God by leaving them indifferent hath not declared his will that the Church should so leave them too IV. Yet were the first part determined affirmatively it would not reach the mark for it would then be queried Whether the particular Ceremonies appointed for us be such considering the letter of the Scripture or the circumstances of those Ceremonies with the reason and consequents of Scripture Text that they under those circumstances considered can be lookt upon as indifferent yea or no. V. The Bishop is yet confounding us with the complicated notion of the Authority of the Church and State In England there are no Ceremonies established by any other authority then that of the State which having called together some Ecclesiastical persons heard their advice and by a Law established some Rites and Ceremonies to which no soul is otherwise obliged then to a State-constitution VI. That the Word of God hath left many things not possible to be determined by it to the Authority of the Christian Magistrate cannot be denied whether any Ceremonies or no is a question diverse circumstances relating to the worship of God are undoubtedly so left These are such as relate to order and decency i. e. without which the worship of God cannot be orderly and decently performed and do chiefly relate to time and place the ordinary adjuncts of humane actions Thus we freely grant that the Civil power or the Church orderly assembled may determine at what hours on the Lords day the Congregation shall meet as also it shall determine particular times for fasting or thanksgiving as Gods providence shall administer occasions that places of publique worship shall be erected frequented kept decent and an

and marks in their flesh in mourning for the dead God forbids them to his people Deut. 14.1 Lev. 19.28 The Hebr. Doctors give this reason for this command as may be seen in their 61. Neg. praec as also 62.63 Lucian Plutarch Kirshmannus Annobius Eusebius Cicero Pliny with many more tell us strange stories of the heathens usages of this nature All which God forbad his people as Gul. Parisiensis well notes to root out all the mention of idolatry from amongst them and to restrain them from any manner of conformity to the manners of idolaters Upon which account also mutual marriages were expresly forbidden betwixt the Jews and any idolatrous Nations 2. In a further detestation of this sin Note that both in 2 Hos 15.16 and in Zech. 13.2 two texts plainly relating to the times of the Gospel God forbids all mention of Idolatry and declares his will th●t it should not be so much as remembred Now we cannot see how we should obey those precepts in keeping their very Rites Modes and Methods of worship and for a further caution God sayes Hos 2.16 17. Thou shalt call me no more Baali thou shalt call me Ishi for I will take away the names of Baalim out of thy mouth and they shall no more be remembred by that name Where we note that God would not allow especially in his worship that his people should use a Name to him how good and proper soever which had been used in an idolatrous service Tarnovius and Rivet both observe that the name Baali was not onely proper enough signifying My Lord but also had formerly had a sacred use God himself using it of himself Is 54.5 but it having been afterwards defiled by an Emphatical use in an Idolatrous service God abhors it and will no more be called by it This sense St. Hierom of old gave of the Text and Ballester the Jesuite in his Onomatographia agrees in it Lyranus indeed follows R. Solomon Jarchi in another interpretation making Baali Nomen timoni Ishi Nomen amoni But as amongst the Heb. Dectors Kimchi and Aben Ezra interpret it more rightly viz. That the reason why Baali was forbidden was because it was the Name of an Idol so the Caldee Paraphrast agrees in that sense V. Caeld paraph. in 2 Hos and Ribera though a Jesuit is full in it and concludeth that Bahal and Ishi signifie the same thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence possibly that phrase in John 3. He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom and that the sense of the Text is this Seeing the Word Ishi and Baali signifie the same thing yet I so hate the Names of Idols that I will not have that spoken which might be well spoken in regard of the ambiguity and similitude of the word Ribera makes St. Hierom his Author Ribera in 2 Hos 16. with whom also Cocceius agrees in these terms Ne dum aliud loquitur alterius recordetur least men speaking to God should think of Idols In this sense also agrees Cyril Alexandrinus or whoever he was who is the Author of those Commentaries which go under his Name upon the Small Prophets Printed Gr. Lat. Ingolstadii 1607. To this agrees the Learned Rivet Zanchy Daneus Sanctius Polanus in short almost all creditable Authors Let us only add some of Zanchies and Rivets Notes upon the Text not impertinent to our purpose Zanchius in Hos God declares here saith Zanchy that the Israelites having put all superstitions out of their Temples yea out of their mouths and minds should be content with one God alone and with his pure Word And accordingly he teacheth us that a true Reformation is not in those places nor a true Worship or Religion there where ANY Reliques of false Religion do remain For all the Footsteps of Superstition must be taken away not only out of Churches but out of our mouths and memories that no door may be left open to former Idolatry For the very remembrance of False Worship hath an influence upon men to incite them to it again We must therefore let nothing of the Popish Worship remain unless we would have it all in again Rivetus in Hos The Learned Rivet in his Corollaries from this Scripture makes this for one That there are many Names which in themselves are good enough and might be used but God abhorreth the use of them because they have been abused to Idolatry He instanceth in the word Mass applied to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to which may be added Priest and Altar Then he inferreth thus Hence we may judge how prudently some of the Ancients did to use the names of Old Superstition in opening the Sacred Services of Christians whence arose another superstition and the purity of Divine worship was vitiated And there is reason to fear Ibid. least the same thing should happen in those Churches in which though they pretend a Reformation yet the very words Ceremonies and Rites of the Papists are preserved That the restauration of Divine vvorship may please God and be proved to come from him as the author of it it must be perfect Let no reliques of that worship which God rejecteth remain Let them therefore who yet keep Images in their Churches and defend them and other Reliques of false Religion consider whether they can say that the names of Baalim are taken away amongst them but enough is spoken to prove our second observation 3. But thirdly God more expresly forbad his people any usages in his worship which were used in idolatrous services To this purpose was that Precept Exod. 20.26 and that v. 24. in which God forbad the people of Israel to go up by steps unto his altar or to make an altar of hewen Stone Both as Lyranus Lippomannus and many others agree That they might not be like idolaters Those filthy beasts that worshipped Priapus were wont so to ascend by steps And the heathens much fancied an August Pompous serving of their gods and therefore made their Altars of hewen stone God would have his Altar of Earth or rough stones to let them see he regarded not that pompous splendor but abominated these things which were borrowed from Idolaters We do not understand why it is reckoned as the sin of those Ezech. 8.16 that they worshipped with their faces towards the East which was unlawful to the Israelites save onely that the Heathens so worshipped their idols which perhaps was the reason why the temple stood another way we are sure Aquinas assignes this as a reason why as he saith the Jews worshipped Westward Aqu. 12. ae q. 12 art 4. ad 5. The same was the reason against Groves near Gods Altar Deut. 16.22 Such had the Heathens Ex. 34.13 It vvas laid to the Israelites charge 2 Chron. 13.9 that they made priests like the Nations and it was Ahaz his great sin 2 Chron. 16.11 that he must have his Altar like that of Damascus There are that think

that it was a piece of Uzzah's guilt for which God smote him with death that he carried the Ark upon a new Cart as the Idolatrous Philistines had done before we are not ignorant that he failed in other points of order too But we shall shut up this with two remarkable Texts the one Levit. 18.3 After the doings of the land of Egypt wherein you dwelt shall you not do and after the doings of the land of Canaan whither I bring you you shall not do neither shall you walk in their Ordinances you shall do my judgements and keep my Ordinances and walk in them I am the Lord your God you shall therefore keep my Statutes and my judgements which if a man do he shall live in them The second Text yet more remarkable is that Deut. 12.29 30. c. When the Lord thy God shall cut off the Nations from before thee whither thou goest to possess them and thou succeedest them and dwellest in their land take heed to thy self that thou be not snared by following them after that they be destroyed before thee and that thou enquire not after their Gods saying How did these nations serve their Gods Even so will I do likewise Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God What thing soever I command you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it Upon the first Text the learned Dr. Willet who surely was no Fanatique no not in the Irish djalect but though he had not the honour to be a Father may pass for a Son of the Church observes That by the two Nations Egypt and Canaan all other Nations were understood whose corrupt manners they were to decline Jer. 10.2 By the latter Text certainly in general all humane inventions in the worship of God are forbidden and more particularly the imitation of Idolaters in their Modes and Methods of worship Considering the force of all which Texts Bish Andrews our hair almost stands right up to read a late Prelates book if it be his about Ceremonies where vvith a variety of Learning he shews our Ceremonies are borrowed partly from the Idolatrous heathen partly from the Idolatrous Papists and yet he justifies the use of them yea could almost justifie the reduction of a great part of the Ceremonial Law of the Jews so long since abolished VII We are the more startled at it to consider the zeal of the Ancients whom when our brethren please or rather when they are pleased by what they find in them they use so much to adore in this great and momentous case Tertull. de Idololat lib. Tertullian in his admirable Book de Idololatriâ chargeth very many Symbolizing with Idolaters it will not be amiss to give the Reader his heads 1. Such as made Statues and Images though it were their trade he tells these poor trades-men That they sacrificed their wit their sweat their labour their art to the Idol Illis ingenium tuum immolas Cap. 6. illis sudorem tuum libas illis prudentiam tuam accendis plus es illis quam sacerdos quum per te habeant sacerdotem He brings under this guilt all kind of Mechanicks imployed about building or adorning Idol-temples c. or the making up or adorning the Idols Cap. 9. 2. His second sort are Astrologers whom he proves deeply guilty Cap. 10. 3. His third sort are School-masters he sayes these are assines multimodae Idololatriae a kin to Idolatry in naming the names of Idols and making honourable mention of them in their Orations c. Polanus on 2 Hos also toucheth this as not savouring enough of Christianity Tertullian saith Hinc prima diabolo fides edificatur ab initiis eruditionis 4. A fourth sort he instanceth in Cap. 14. are those that keep Holy-dayes dedicated to Idolatrous service where he complains of the Christians in his time that kept Saturnalia Januarias Brumas Matronales the Pagan Holy-dayes in stead of Saturnalia is our Christmas at the very same time of the year here he cries our O melior fides Nationum in suam sectam The Heathens saith he will not keep our Sabbath-day nor our Pentecost but we must keep their Festivals How much more true to their Religion are they then we to ours In the next place he brings them under the guilt of Symbolizing with Idolaters who adorned their gates and posts and houses Cap. 5. after the Pagan manner at Festivals as we do at Christmas with Lawrel Ivy c. One would think this were an innocent usage yet how vehemently doth that good man inveigh against it Accendat igitur quotidie lucernas quibus lux nulla est adfigant postibus lauros postea arsuras quibus ignes immanent testimonia tenebrarum auspicia poenarum Tu lumen es mundi arbor viceris semper Si templum renunciasti ne facias templum januam tuam Minus dixi si lupanaribus renunciasti ne indueris fa●iem domi tuae novi lupanaris We need proceed no further what would this good man have said to our Candlemas services to our Christmas Ivyes and Bays c. nay to an hundred things of higher consequence then these are Nor do we find this primitive zeal against appearances of Idolatry in single persons onely but also in Councels v. Concil Antisrod can 1 Concil Tolet. 4. can 10. with diverse other Canons made against the Calends of January which with us is turned to New-years-day Concil Tolet. would not suffer Allelujah be sang that day because it was a Pagan Holy-day Other Councels for the same reason forbad Green-boughs and Laurels in adorning houses St. Austin forbad Christians to fast on the Lords day because the Manichees did so Ep. 86. Gul. Parisiensis saith L. de leg the Church would not allow fasting on Fridays because the Turks use it In short Aquinas Suarez Bellarmine Parisiensis are all zealous for avoiding all usages of idolaters which were not necessary Augustine de verbis Domini Ser. 6. calls to Christians to leave all the rites all the solemnities of the Pagans and thinks this the best way to convert them And why should such care be used as to Heathens but because their services were Idolatrous they Idolaters We are at loss to know wherein they were greater Idolaters then the Papists Parisiensis saith right none of the learned of them were ever so mad as to worship a piece of wood yet the Papists worship a piece of bread The Rabbies of the Heathen were doubtless as we said before of Plato's mind that God was they knew not well what the Soul of the World or of the same mind that Trismegistus one of their great Philosophers was that there were certain Spirits which they called Gods which came and took possession of those Statues when they had made them and they onely made their Statues for thrones as it were for their Gods and supposed representations or some things to put