when he comes to give them a standing Directory for Prayer he enjoyns them John 16. to ask in his Name assuring them that Prayers made in his Name should be answered but letting them know withal that at that time they had never asked any thing in his Name what shall we say to this If we should say that the Apostles Christs Directions notwithstanding had never used his Prayer the Brownists will make an advantage of such a Confession if we should say that though they used the Lords Prayer yet by using of it they had not prayed in the Name of Christ i. e. explicitely and so as they were to do after they had a more explicite knowledge of the Nature and Offices of Christ then though this prayer will still contain all needful matter to be prayed for yet it will admit of Dispute whether our prayers are not to be tendered unto God in such phrases and forms as do more distinctly mention the Death Resurrection and Intercession of our Blessed Mediator Granting the Doxology to be a part of the Lords Prayer as I am of a strong Opinion it is it is plain that is is not so distinct and particular as some others in the Epistles and Revelations be which offer and ascribe praise and Glory unto God by Christ as Eph. 3.21 or unto Christ as 1 Timothy 6.16 or to God and the Lamb Christ Jesus as Rev. 5.13 Later Doxologies do make an acknowledgment of the Blessed Trinity as to every Person Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost and it seems but meet that the Doxologies of Christians properly so called should have something in them to distinguish them from the Doxologies and Supplications not only of Heathens but also of Jews There be some that say our Lord took this form of prayer out of the Jewish Liturgies and one undertakes to give us an account from the Jewish Liturgies of that variety and difference that is to be found in the recital of it in Mathew and Luke viz. he would have us think that the prayer as in Mathew was intended for the Disciples more publick use as in Luke for their more private use But in all this that Learned Man does need a credulous Reader who will not too strictly enquire into the grounds of his asseveration Most plain it is that our Savior made this Prayer for his Disciples whilest they were Members of the Jewish Church and before he had blotted out the Hand-writing of Ordinances or had sent the Spirit to lead them into all Truth let it therefore be considered whether we are not rather ordinarily to express our selves in a Dialect more sutable to the New Testament Dispensation than is used in the Lords Prayer yet using that prayer also as a prayer and making it the patern and example as to the things to be prayed for in all the prayers that we make and let men have a care how they adventure to conclude their own prayers thus we further pray unto thee in that very form of words which Christ himself hath taught us till they have made themselves certain what form of words Christ did use when he directed his Disciples 3dly he saith Most of them had likewise wholly neglected the use of the Lords Supper for many years He might with as much truth have said that most of them for many years had lived without eating and drinking The most of them ministred the Sacraments frequently and I know where they have been blamed for administring it too frequently if this Characterizer say this is not a truth he may chance in a short time by printed Testimonials to see himself confuted But he hath not done but for a Conclusion tells us There was a great irreverence at Prayer in their Congregations very few kneeling many not so much as putting off their Hats and of this he saith he was an Eye-witness I demand only whether he think it be irreverence for a man not to kneel in the publick Congregation in time of Prayer Whether standing be not a posture of Reverence Whether in the London Churches it be not morally impossible for the one half of the Congregation to kneel in time of Prayer Into how many Congregations he went where many did not so much as put off their Hats in the time of Prayer And whether he either saw or heard that the Ministers of those Churches did any way countenance that irreverence If he cannot answer these Questions roundly and readily oh what work hath he made for an accusing Conscience For ought I know those in whom he observed this irreverence might be Sectaries who did more bitterly inveigh against Presbyterians than against any other men whatever perhaps also they might be Episcopal-men who designed to put an affront upon the Presbyterians Prayers just as now some are observed to sit upon their Breech all the time of Pulpit-prayer unless when just the Lords Prayer is repeating because forsooth Pulpit-prayer is not allowed by the Church but onely bidding of Prayer I write it with grief but I must write it I never in any Congregations where I have been observed so much irreverence as I have observed in those in which there is the greatest abundance of such as alwayes pretended a love to the English Liturgy particular Stories I might relate and would relate did I not fear to set deluded people at a greater distance from our Assemblies but if Mr. D. will call for them he shal have them by the peck by the bushel I need not stay about these particulars the World I trust will not long want sufficient information how much the Presbyterians have been abus'd by Mercenary Pens I have only two Animadversions on this Authors Sermon and then your trouble will not be much longer continued Pag. 20. He tells us That those who have Devotion and leisure enough to come to Church and be present at Divine Service may hear the whole Bible read every year the Old Testament once and the new no less than thrice A man scarce knows where to be present at Divine Service every day morning evening unless at some Cathedral or Collegiate Church for though all Priests and Deacons are appointed to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer either privately or openly not being let by Sickness or some other urgent cause and though Curats be appointed being at home and not otherwise reasonably hindred to say the Prayers in the Parish Church or Chappel and to toll the Bell that the people may come and hear the word and pray with them yet the Assenters and Consenters that do this are as rare as black Swans and if a man had health and Devotion so much as to inable him to attend upon the Cathedral Service Morning and Evening from the first of January to the last of December yet should he not by that means hear the whole Bible read either the Old Testament once or the New Testament thrice there being several
the French Rubricks upon Sundays in the morning the following Form is commonly used The meaning whereof he tells us there is That it is to be alway used and no other A gloss that sounds marvellous strange to our English ears which have been accustomed to distinguish betwixt Commonly and Always and will not easily unlearn that distinction and so when we hear out of the Harmony of the Belgick Synods a Minister shall pray either by a certain Form proposed to himself or else the Spirit shall dictate we are wont to imagine that the meaning is not that a Minister shall never pray but by a Form it may be Mr. Durell is of another mind if he be he may do well to communicate to the world the grounds of so singular an opinion and when he shall so do he may do well also to give us his thoughts concerning the practice of the Bohemian Churches where it seems the Ritual Books or Formula's are delivered onely to the Pastors the Reason whereof Comenius in his Annot. pag. 101. saith is That the Auditors might be more attent and more profoundly admire the grace of God for says he if onely prescribed things are alwaies recited what is there that may stir up attention Curiosity rather will be stirred up whilst this and the other man attends whether the Minister reads exactly the same things which they behold in their own books nor addeth he must we think that the Ministers are tyed to the very words and syllables of the books delivered to them it is free according to variety of occasions to use any thing drawn out of the Treasures of mystical wisdome which makes for the exciting of zeal whence it eomes to pass that pious Auditors are scarcely ever present at holy Mysteries without a new motion of heart My imagination on the reading of these words is that Comenius was not hugely fond of prescribed Formula's in which the people were as well versed as the Minister he seems rather to be of opinion that if words flow from the mouth of the Minister which the People had not seen before hand they will be heard with the more Devotion whether Mr. Durell's imaginations agree with mine time may discover mean while I may have leave to guess what it was that moved Mr. Durell's pen to run into such excess of riot against the two Houses and Assembly and I conceive it was the extravagance of his Country-man Ludovicus Capellus in his discourse about Liturgies unhappily inserted into the Theses Dalmurienses for his words Mr. Durell has punctually transcribed and done into English a Scholler may find them in the third part of those Theses p. 707. I shall follow Mr. Durell's own Translation pag. 15. One hundred forty years ago when the separation was made from the Church of Rome and that the Christian people coming out of Babylon did cast off the Popes Tyranny the sacred Liturgy was purged of all that Popish Superstition and Idolatry and all such things as were overburdensom or which did contribute but little or nothing to the edification of the Church And so were framed and prescribed in several places divers set forms of holy Liturgies by the several Authors of the Reformation that then was and those simple and pure in Germany France England Scotland the Netherlands c. differing as little as possible from the antient set Forms of the Primitive Church which set Forms the Reformed have used hitherto with happiness and profit each of them in their several Nations and districts till at last of very late there did arise in England a froward scrupulous and over nice that I say not altogether superstitious Generation of men unto whom it hath seemed good for many Reasons but those very light and almost of no moment at all not onely to blame but to cashier and abolish wholly the Liturgy used hitherto in their Church together with the whole Hierarchical Government of their Bishops instead of which Liturgy they have brought in their Directory as they call it On the words thus translated I adventure to say First That I am not much in love with the Professors Chronology He gratifies the Papists too much to say or but to intimate that no secession was made from their Church till an hundred and forty Years before he put forth those Theses some Churches had gone out of Babylon much sooner some not so soon Secondly I am less in love with his jumbling together of the Liturgies of Germany France England Scotland Belgia for if the Germans did purge their Liturgie of every thing that was over-burdensom and troublesome or which did contribute but little or nothing to the edification of the Church let a reason be given me why we leave any thing out of our Liturgies which they retain did this Professor of Divinity think that nothing is retained in the Lutheran Liturgies that is burdensom and operosous or that makes little to edification or did he conceit that none of the Lutheran Churches are German do the Lutherans Latine Songs contribute much to edification are their Images apt to teach the soul did ever any one get much good by having the bread put into his mouth instead of having it broken and delivered into his hand what is I wonder the advantage of Exorcism certainly if the Lutheran Liturgies recede as little as may be from the Forms of the Primitive Church other Churches have receded very much from them Thirdly It was a great misadventure to affirm that the Reformed had with profit and happiness each of them in their several Nations and Districts used set Forms till lately the Liturgy was Cashired in England Had not Calderwood told the world long since that for many years he had not used set Forms whilst he was Minister in Scotland was not the Liturgy laid aside in Scotland before in England Fourthly It is a sign of no great humility for one Professor so severely to censure the actings of a whole Assembly of Divines in which were many Superiour to himself in Learning but let not Episcopal Divines much glory to find the Assemblies Reasons so vilified they will find the Reason of Mr. Hooker their Oracle as much vilified in this Censor's Thesis de Festis Fifthly It is very Probable the good Professor had never read the Directory else he would not have left it on Record that the Directory contains onely the Arguments of things to be said and done in the Administration of the Sacraments for in the Directory the words for Administration of Baptism are prescribed so are the words for the Administration of the Lords Supper Mr. Durell therefore by translating Capellus into English hath but uncovered his nakedness exposing him to contempt who was before become too contemptible by decrying the Hebrew points and Scripture Chronology so opening a door to down-right infidelity Yet as if he had not done him spight enough He not only gives us his Text but also draws six Observations from it pag. 15 16.
the Congregation could neither hear nor see the Minister what I say but meer Superstition 14thly Page 42. He falls again to the abusing of Presbyterians saying That they ought to have as bad an Opinion of the Trine aspersion of the Cross in Baptisme adding towards the end of that Page his confidence That if the Trine aspersion were used in our Church or if she had retained the Trine immersion as at the beginning of King Edward rhe Sixth's Reign it would be counted a great Superstition This is a great slander no Presbyterians that ever I heard of have any such Principles from which they can charge Superstition upon Trine immersion or upon Trine aspersion they say it is the command of God that water should be applied to the Baptized had he commanded that this application should be by dipping or sprinkling once or twice his command must have been observed seeing there is no such Command they say that Superiours are at liberty to appoint which they please provided nothing be appointed that is imprudent or uncharitable and now that we are fallen upon this point I would gladly know what it is that our Church hath appointed by the Liturgy I see the Minister is appointed to dipp the Child in the water if the Sponsors certifie that the Babe can well endure it but if they certifie that the Child is weak it shall suffice to pour water upon it so that here is no allowance of any Rite but Dipping unless there be a Certificate of the Childs weakness But when I wonder did any Baptist demand such a Certificate as for the Quoties no meaner a man than Bishop Mountague in his Articles of Visitation positively asserted that the Child is thrice to be aspersed with water on the face So that the Act of Uniformity notwithstanding it seems the Doctors of the Church were not agreed and for ought I can observe notwithstanding any Rubrick or Canon now in force Ministers are at their Liberty to apply the water once or thrice though I think Bishop Mountague was much mistaken when he said that the Child was thrice to be aspersed the Church hath not commanded Trine aspersion but there is no constat that she hath forbidden it Nor is this the only thing in our Administration of Baptisme about which I am at a loss Immersion I do hugely approve yea I cannot see how it can be forborn unless charity or modesty on something of that nature do forbid it But what may be the Reason that our Church allows not pouring water upon Infants without a Certificate that they are weak and yet in the form of Baptism appointed for adult persons leaves it wholly at the Ministers discretion either to dip them into the water or to pour water upon them There is another thing in which aqua mihi haeret I am marvellously also perplext about the Administrator or Administratrix of Baptism In the Hampton-Court Conference K. James stumbled something at some expressions in our Liturgy which seemed to give Liberty to women and Maids to Administer Baptisme in case of extreme necessity and he was then answer'd by Archbishop Whitgift that Baptism by Women and Lay-persons was not allow'd in the practise of the Church but was enquired of and censur'd in the Bishops Visitations and that the words in the Book inferred no such meaning But Bishop Bancroft declared that the Church by those words did intend in case of necessity a permission of private persons to Baptize and that this permission was agreeable to the practise of the ancient Churches Withal opening the absurdities and impieties of their Opinion who think there is no necessity of Baptisme I confess I could not but wonder that they who had so strongly pleaded for the Liturgy and pleas'd themselves in silencing those who could not conform unto it should be as contrary as North and South in expounding a material passage of it But however for the credit of the Ordinance I rejoyced greatly to find that at the motion of the King it was ordred that the words A Lawful Minister should be put into the Rubrick for by this means I thought us sufficiently secured against any female Baptizers But he who doth not love to conceal any thing Dr. P. H. in his necessary Introduction to the History of Bishop Laud pag. 27. hath quite took away the cause of my rejoycing for he saith The alteration was greater in sound than sense it being the Opinion of many great Clerks that any man in cases of extreme necessity who can pronounce the words of Baptism may pass in the notion of account of a lawful Minister By any man I suppose he means any one that is de humano genere and by consequence either a Child or a Natural but I hope some one will give check to this extravagant Notion that so a stop may be put to the Licentiousness of those unto whom God hath no more given a power to Baptize than to Ordain Ministers And therefore I wish that to stop this gap instead of the Minister of the Parish or any other lawful Minister it had been said the lawful Minister of any other Parish and then I should have thought it impossible for any man to be so impudent as to opine that our Church had not restrained Baptisme to the Clergy But they who made our new Liturgy were wiser then I and some that have subscrib'd it it seems had got some such way of Interpretation as no Logick ever led me into 15thly Pag. 103. He makes bold with the whole Church of England For of her these are his words She holdeth subordination of Ministers in the Christian Church to be of Apostolical nay of Divine Institution having as she conceiveth for Grounds of this her Judgment besides Scripture the Practise of the Holy Apostles in their time of the Universal Church ever since until this later Age and which is more of Christ himself who ordained the Apostles and the Seventy Disciples in an imparity as two distinct Orders of Ministers in his Church I suppose this Reverend Praedicant doth not pretend to any faculty of discerning the secret thoughts and inward conceptions of our Churches heart farther then when she discov'rs them by some words or other signification let him therefore tell us where the Church hath declared her self thus to hold thus to conceive as in the fore-quoted words is represented That the Church holds subordination of Ministers to be an Apostolical Institution is plain enough and therefore Mr. D. beats the Air as oft as he brings any Testimonies for Episcopacie which do not place it among Apostolical Institutions but I cannot finde that the Church any where distinguisheth Apostolical and Divine much less doth she say that she hath besides Scripture the practice of the Apostles and of Christ himself The Practice of the Apostles and Christ himself are recorded in Scripture and be a part of Scripture and therefore it is not sense to say that she