and the worship done by it is idolatrous First they condemne it in generall and then in particular In generall they mislike for fiue things First because the prayers are read The reading of prayers they say can not bee with sighes and grones nor come of faith nor proceede from the motion of the spirite nor haue any feeling ioyned with it and hath no warrant by commaundement or practise from Christ and his Apostles Prayers read they say are onely for meditation and not for inuocation This is their accusation against the prayers that are read out of a booke When our Sauiour sayeth The true worshippers must worshippe the father in spirite and trueth and Paul the spirite helpeth our infirmtties then they suppose that prayers read are excluded as though they proceeded not of the spirite Prayers are not so much vsed of the people nor of any of vs as they ought to be It is the chiefe meanes to obtaine Gods fauour to keepe our selues in his feare and to worke all goodnes in vs. If prayers by the booke were no praiers we should be much more barren in this exercise then we are This were a good meanes for the deuill to bannish prayer from a great number altogether I would know in respect of the hearer what great difference it is if the prayer be read to him or pronounced out of thy heart Neyther way doth it come out of his heart as the fountaine It commeth thus to passe also with many that vtter conceiued prayers that for the most part they vse the same fourme of words the same matter in most points of their praiers Againe what would this liberty of euery mans praying publike at his owne motion hauing that office bring vpon the Churches Infinite intollerable babling in some dānable most heretical petitions in a great number But they say praiers read are not of the spirite nor with sighes nor feeling The very reading is not praying but the motion and desire to God in reading is praying This motion is not hindered but furthered by reading because it bringeth to the vnderstanding that which the heart longeth after As one candle receiueth light of another so euen in prayer the heart receiueth light and heate by meanes of the words read and heard Christ set down a fourme of words and sayd when you pray pray thus Nowe he that vseth the wordes and matter and affection prayeth thus rather then he that vseth the matter and affection onely And the words of some petitions we vse of necessitie as forgiue vs our sinnes or trespasses and therefore may well vse all Christ himselfe in the garden prayed thrise saying the same words Dauid made diuers Psalmes to be sung in Gods seruice and intitleth them to the parties that should be leaders in them The hundred thirtie and sixt psalme was cōmonly sung in time of thanksgiuing for great and extraordinarie victories first Dauid himselfe vsed it then Iehosaphat and after that Iudas Maccabeus Ioel in the publike fast telleth what the priestes should say and biddeth them pronounce these words Spare thy people Ioel 2.17 O Lorde and giue not thine heritage into reproche that the heathen shoulde rule ouer them wherefore should they say among the people where is their God Hose 14.2 Hoseah biddeth the people take vnto them words and say to the Lord Take away all iniquitie and receiue vs graciously so will we render the calues of our lippes Asshur shall not saue vs neyther will wee ride vpon horses neyther will wee say any more to the worke of our hands yee are our Gods for in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercie God prescribed a fourme of blessing to Aaron and his sonne Num. 56.23 wherewith they shoulde blesse the people commaunding them to say The Lorde blesse thee and keepe thee and so soorth Moses vsed a fourme of wordes as a prayer at the going forwarde and resting of the Arke Numb 10.35 36. and Dauid in his prayer hath the same Seeing these things are so Psal 68.2 prayers read may be vsed a man by them may perfourme vnto God spirituall and acceptable seruice The second thing for which they mislike the booke is because it is prescribed and imposed and vsed continually This cutteth off the libertie of the Church they say and bringeth it into bondage this is tedious to men and Penrie is not ashamed to say it is lothsome to God to be serued so oft as it were with one dish The libertie that these men chalenge is such as that they will be bound to nothing especially in religion in things indifferent neither by prince nor by any law of man be it neuer so good godly the thing is misliked because it is prescribed and imposed vpon vs. Doth the very imposing and bond by law make it vnholy Then acknowledge not the Trinitie nor receiue the canonicall Scripture nor seeke to knowe Gods commandements nor Christian faith For these things by law are imposed vpō vs. But this diminisheth not our liberty nor taketh away our willing seruing of God in these things imposed but rather maketh vs more willing And as for tediousnesse to the Lord because these prayers are old and vsuall it is not to be feared For in his seruice he requireth not newe words but a newe heart The worshippe and prayer is newe to God so oft as our heart is renewed with zeale and true repentance and good affection to it For the prayer to God is not the outward word but the inward desire and affection The third thing in generall for which they condemne the booke is for that it is mans inuention Whatsoeuer man deuiseth that they count vncleane and not to be vsed in prayer When mens traditions and inuentions are reprooued in Gods seruice by scripture hitherto by all godly writers those things haue bene vnderstood which are contrary to Gods word Things agreeable are not so accounted mens inuentions that they should be condemned For if simply to come from the wit and braine of man be naught thē were preaching to be banished and then euen conceiued prayers must be excluded and so much more because they be new inuentions euery day and this if it be any it is but one It is not a deuise of man therefore to be reiected which is agreeable to the word of God as those things in this booke are whereby we worship God The fourth generall cause of reiecting the booke is for that it is in many points taken out of the Popes portesse Therefore Barrowe calleth it a great colloppe or a pigge of that mezeled hogge In this behalfe another of them sayeth wee beare the image of the beast for that we vse some part of his forme of liturgie It is certaine that a great part of the publike prayer in that booke which the Romanes vse was practised in the Church before the beast came in that chaire And often times Gods people haue eyther taken or resumed
say not as they alleage that the childe shall beleeue but that it doth in way of Sacrament and outwarde profession in as much as it is offered to baptisme which is Sacramentum fidei and is borne of parents that are professors of Christian faith And as for the procuring of these thinges in action in the childe there is none that vnderstandeth I thinke anie furder then as it maye lye in them conueniently and as neede shall require But what can there be in the Font to corrupt baptisme more thē in the Church wals to corrupt prayers and scriptures and and preaching and all Women are not purified as though they were otherwise vncleane but they giue thankes for their deliuerance and for the increase of mankinde and the Church In giuing thankes for Gods benefites there is not anie fault Confirmation is retained as a meanes to procure the instructing of the children or as a tryall of it not as a newe baptisme nor as anie Sacrament nor as that which shoulde conferre grace otherwise then by prayer to God for it Baptisme by women is not warranted by the booke nor allowed to bee put in practise About the Lordes supper they haue manie cauils as that it is soulde for two pence a head that the institution is broken and changed in the deliuerie that there is a stage-like dialogue betweene priest clarke and people that there are newe Apocryphall lawes and iniunctions added the Priest to stand at the Northside of the table the people to kneele verse and Collect that there is popish and idolatrous houseling of the sicke that there is popish visiting and pardoning of the sicke with this Sacrament These are hainous thinges The Sacrament they say is sould for two pence who selleth it who buieth it so He is to giue that whether he receaue or no It is no price of the Sacrament but a poore alowance to the Minister The institution is not broken in the deliuerie The wordes of institution are then vsed when the bread and wine are set apart for the vse of the Sacrament and so much set apart for it as is vsed in it The wordes in the deliuerie are to applie them to the persons to stirre vp their faith the institution was past before For the speeches vttered by the Minister and clearke and people there is no fault in the matter but they condemne the forme They thinke the Minister must vtter all that is spoken the people must onely say Amen That they are commanded to saye and they are not forbidden to saye more How can that sound of the multitude bee made in the praysing of God compared to the sound of many waters and of mightie thunders if the people saye nothing in Gods seruice Their owne speach maketh them more attentiue and stirreth vp their mindes the rather The finding fault with standing kneeling and such necessarie and seemelie gestures proceedeth of infinite curiositie and most froward peeuishnes We can not be together but we must haue some place some gesture and these are the fittest Last of all as prayers and the worde of comfort so likewise the Sacrament may be giuen to the sicke There is no pardon otherwise giuen to him by it then to other men at other times If hee beleeue and repent he hath forgiuenes by faith in Christ and it is sealed and confirmed to him by the Sacrament Thus much of the particular faultes which they are most offended with Moreouer besides these they carpe at comminations which are nothing but sentences of scripture and how bitter soeuer the curses are yet they are the curses of God against such as offend They finde fault with a seuenfold repetition of the Lordes prayer at one meeting some of them are oft omitted with tossing of Psalmes and sentences to and fro like tennis balles which is a prophane speach and the thing is not commanded and it may well be practised so they reade and speake in such sorte that all men may heare and vnderstand These are the chiefe thinges with which they finde fault in the booke The most of them are circumstances and as it were the shels the kirnel is the confession of our sinnes the asking of thinges necessarie to soule and bodie for the common state and our selues the praysing of God for his benefites the setting forth of Gods will his worde and testament These are the substance of the booke and of Gods worship They make a buzzing about mens eares with trifles and vanities for the most parte and for these they will turne all vpside downe which are such things in deede many of them as it would not come into our mindes once to speake of them if their exclamations and outcries did not stirre vs of necessitie to it Yet there is one thing pertaining to Gods worship among vs which they can not submit themselues vnto An othe is a parte of the honor we giue to God when vpon iust cause in the trueth wee call his name to witnes this we do by laying the hand vpon the booke of holy scripture The othe is taken in the name of God that gaue his worde to his Church by the promises and threatnings that he in it hath made vnto vs the booke is kissed and touched in signe thereof otherwise by the dead paper or ynke or couer wee are not willed neither ought we to sweare and this hath neither impietie nor idolatrie in it no more then if a man did lift vp his eyes or his hands to heauen when he doth it in more vehement expressing of his sincere and earnest meaning in it Thus much of the fourth note of their Church Gods true worship for corruption whereof they accuse vs falsely The fift note of the visible Church they make to bee the obeying of Iesus Christ as their king priest and prophet Thus should Christ be receaued or else he is not receaued at all to anie benefite First then they goe about to shewe that wee acknowledge not Christ to bee our king wee receaue him not as king they saye because wee reiect his gouernment and stand vnder the Antichristian yoke of popish gouernement There be many things which pertaine to Christs gouernement and reigne as hee is king which wee haue yea all thinges that are necessarie and substantiall partes of that his office First the spiritual gouernement in the soule by which hee reigneth in vs to the peace of conscience and the vanquishing of Satan and the beating downe of sinne and ignorance is founde among vs and wee specially reioyce in it Of this it is sayde the kingdome of God is within you and that the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but peace and righteousnesse and ioy in the holy ghost and that wee are translated from the kingdome of darkenes to the kingdome of light Secondly his worde read and preached reprouing sinne and teaching righteousnes is among vs. Of this it is saide the scepter of thy kingdome is a right scepter and for
such as they name if any mā do the Church gouernment doth not allow it againe that this is not a denying of Christs priesthood sacrifice the putting of another thing in stead thereof as the papists did but rather a misse applying of it where it should not be applied Wherefore wee doe not deny his priesthood As concerning the propheticall office of Christ that by vs is not obscured and diminished but magnified and highly aduanced His word onely hath soueraigne authoritie it is published and it is receiued in our Churches Let them shewe wherein we derogate from his prophecie The first accusation is a slander as that we adde to the word that we vse humane traditions we obtrude things contrary to the word and that we oppugne and reiect the manifest trueth These things must be answered in the particulars We adde nothing as necessarie to saluation we teach nothing contrary and we imbrace all the knowne and euident trueth But that is not an addition or a knowen trueth or a thing contrary to the word which they imagine to be so But as I sayd these things are answered in the particulars The next accusation is that we giue not obedience to the word of Christ but vse it as a mantel to couer our sinne rather then as a rule to direct our life We cannot say that all doe obey the Gospell in heart and some in hypocrisie vse it as a cloake for sinne This frustrateth his prophecie with those persons so that they haue no benefite by it But his prophecie hardeneth and not onely softeneth and there be in the Church such as waxe worse and worse as well as those which waxe better and better And Christ is a Prophet vnto both Neither the lawes nor the publike teaching doe mind or propound this that the word of God should be disobeied or that any should make it a couer for sinne The fault of some persons may not be imputed to the whole Church nor to the lawes and gouernment Another thing whereby we weaken or quite frustrate they say the prophecie of Christ amongst vs is because we seeke not a true ministerie but mainteine a false of which sort they say the whole ministerie of the land is which are permitted to teach in the publike places to whom eare is giuen Such are their words This accusation is very large and grieuous No true ministers in the whole land All false ministers Why do they so account vs Is it because we teach false doctrine or haue corrupted the faith or do teach heresies No such thing They obiect none of these against vs. Then I hope we may answere them the easier and be heard the more willingly purging our selues They cannot obiect vnto vs heresie nor false doctrine nor teaching of any thing that destroyeth the grounds of saluation What be the things then which they say make vs a false ministerie I will recite vnto you all which they lay against vs I will dissemble nothing the crimes then are these First they say we haue not the names of Ministers of the gospel but are called Priests Parsons Vicars and Curates It is not in our power what other men will call vs. Some of these names are giuen of the maintenaunce whereby we liue and pertaine not to our callings we delight to be counted the Ministers of the Gospell But this about the names is a vaine cauill Secondly they condemne our preparation to the ministerie which is by studie and bringing vp in the Vniuersities Schooles and Vniuersities they cannot whollie condēne The Church of the Iewes had the schooles of the Prophets and euer among Christians they haue bene esteemed as the best nurses of the ministerie They condemne them for the study of humaine learning and for certaine vices among some persons If for the faults of some of the persons that professe any kind of life the trade it self be to be condemned then no course of life must be taken in the world The studie of Logike Rhetorike Philosophie and the Mathematicals is so necessarie that without them we should be barbarous and but by the helpe of them neuer can any perfection by ordinary meanes be attained in Phisike Lawe or Diuinitie There are none but madde men which can condemne Vniuersities Thirdly they mislike our entrance into the ministerie none of vs is chosen by a whole congregation nor ordayned by laying on of the hands of the Eldershippe nor iust tryall made of giftes and conuersation But we are ordained by one man the Byshoppe and are thrust vpon the places where we take charge whether the people will or no. The ordaining of a minister by one or fewe is not against the word of God Paul and Barnabas appointed Elders by the laying on of hands at Antioch And Titus was left in Creta to ordaine Elders in euery citie Wherefore it wanteth not the word of God that Pastours are ordayned by one that hath skill yet that one with vs doth it not alone Cyprian and other ancient fathers acknowledge themselues to haue aucthoritie to doe the like If they be not examined and tryed as they ought the fault is in the Byshoppe That they are preferred by one to their charge that is not against the word seeing there is nothing in the word that commandeth or cōmendeth the election by the multitude or inioineth it to be perpetuall The fourth accusation is against the vnlearned vnpreaching ministers which is a crime that they make to touch al. for so much as they are no ministers at all that cannot preach therefore they thēselues to be condēned then all the rest eyther by silence or by consent or by preaching in their charges or by defending them to be ministers are also guilty And the whole people are wrapped they say by them in the same sentence of dānation for either keeping vnder thē or suffering thē And hereupō they make that they are no sacraments no praiers no word of promise and saluation that is vttered by them but that all their actions are voyd and frustrate This being so great a matter would be examined by it selfe at large But in a word to touch it The reader bringeth the word of reconciliation and forgiuenesse of sinnes in Christ sheweth the way of repentaunce and amendement of life mininistreth the Sacramentes and prayers in a publike function layde vpon him by the Church therefore he is a minister and a man may safely heare him and receiue the sacrament at his hand Hee nourisheth fayth by reading therefore he may beget it for wherewith it is nourished therewith it is begotten By the same meanes wherewith our best preachers haue bin both at the planting of the Gospell after the darkenes of Poperie in this land and are made now dayly and continued in their sufficiencie by the same meanes may the people come to faith and be continued in it And who seeth not that reading both begetteth and chiefly confirmeth and nourisheth many preachers And
Church altogether Nowe then how shall we knowe whether a thing be popish and Antichristian or no By the names that can not be Names of their nature be indifferent the thinges contained in the names as they are vsed of vs must be examined And how shall we finde whether they bee popish and Antichristian If they serue to promote poperie then are they popish then are they Antichristian But if they further Christs glorie his kingdome then may they bee retained in the Church of Christ and we hauing them bee his Church Therefore if none of these offices nor courtes nor Ministers helpe to maintaine idolatrie or the Popes supremacie or mens traditions against the written worde or free wil against the grace of Christ or mens merites against iustification by faith or the Idole and sacrifice of the Masse or pilgrimages or purgatorie or prayer for the dead or auricular confession or satisfactions for sinnes by penance or indulgences or the keeping of the worde of God from the people in an vnknowen tongue or such like if they doe not maintaine vice nor iniustice nor heresie among vs but are directed to roote out poperie to keepe vs in the true faith to aduance the worde of God to establish our iustification by faith to further repentance and good workes to punish sinne to define that which is equall and right to keepe the common peace of the Churche then are they not popish seeing they are bent and exercised to the ruine of poperie but they are Christian and holie and appertaining to the Church of Christ for as much as they further the kingdome and glorie of Christ our Sauiour All that are zealous striue for two thinges wherein all men are to put to their helpe by counsel by credite by authoritie by power and by all lawfull meanes that bee in them One that the worde of God maye bee more diligently and commonly taught the other that sinne may bee more seuerely and generally punished If these two may by this gouernement bee more set forwarde much of these troubles and contentions will be easier stopped There is no fault in the names or in the offices but they may helpe forward these or any good things Wherfore they be not simplie popish or Antichristian but in the abuse they were in the right vse they are now holie Christianlike Now let vs see what scripture doth condemne these names and offices Two places are brought out against thē One out of the Psalme The kings of the earth band themselues and the princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ let vs breake their bands and cast their cords from vs. But do our gouerners all the people in this estate band themselues against the Lord and against his Christ doe they not band themselues for the glorie of the Lorde and of Iesus Christ It might be done I knowe more plentifullie yet this gouernement setteth forth Christ onely to vs with his benefits to saluation Christs deitie Christs gospel Christs sacrifice Christs iustice Christs kingdome by this is aduanced Wherefore they band not themselues against Christ neither do they say let vs breake their bands cast their cordes frō vs but rather they willinglie receaue the bands yea the chaines of Christ if neede be We are contēt that his lawe binde our feete hands eyes and hearts also but we cast off their bands because we cast away their gouernement by Elders They are not the bandes of Christ they are but small threeds that wil easily bee broken Luke 19.14 The other place which they alleage against those titles offices is in Luke Now his citizens hated him and sent an embassage after him saying we wil not haue this man to reigne ouer vs. These places that were spoken of the obstinate Iewes that hated the name faith of Christ of the heathen idolaters that worshipped false Gods and would not acknowledge Christ to be God of the Mahometicall sect that reiect Christs gospel denie his redēption of the Antichristian popish rable which keepe his name and denie his efficacie sufficiencie in redeeming vs those I saye they bring against them that acknowledge all which they thēselues doe for sufficiencie of saluatiō for infalliblenes of his truth and for all his benefites onelie because wee yeeld not to thē for a certaine forme of outward gouernment But they must proue more euidentlie that those thinges are euill or else we will not be terrified by those places but that we may safelie say that that true Church of Iesus Christ is with vs euen in this gouernmēt To returne againe to their other notes which remaine whereby they will describe a visible church of Christ they say that Christs Church must be gouerned by his own lawes takē out of the olde newe Testament and no other They thinke as it seemeth that no lawes neede more to be made for any thing but that the lawes of Moses shoulde stand be sufficient to determine all matters Or if for ciuil matters they will admit more yet for punishments in matters Ecclesiasticall it is certaine they will acknowledge no more nor anie other Their groundes for this opinion are these scriptures First out of Saint Matthewe Mat. 17.5 This is my beloued sonne heare him It extendeth to matters of doctrine and saluation and all that hee hath taught but not to matters of gouernement Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall in particular For hee hath not made such lawes The next is out of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 3.6 Hee is Lorde of the house 1. Cor. 2.16 therefore hee is to bee obeyed in so much as hee hath set downe Particular ordināces he hath not prescribed for gouernmēt but left it free Thē they bring this out of the Epistle to the Corinthians We haue the minde of Christ hee meaneth for matters of saluation and the worship of God but not for particular actions that must be considered in gouernement After this commeth that to the Galathians Gal. 3.15 A mans testament when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate or addeth to it Paul speaketh of iustification by faith whereto works as a cause of iustification must not be added nothing there of outward gouernement Now as for their other places 1. Tim. 6.13 they inferre not that in the worde are sufficient lawes set downe for all thinges but that such as are commanded should be obserued as that to Timothie I charge thee that thou keep the commandement without spot and vnrebukeable vntil the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ That which Paul hath set downe as a commandement to be kept or hath so declared that must be kept for euer But who can saye that Paul hath set downe lawes for all things in that Epistle Ephe. 4.11 And that to the Ephesians doth not conclude their purpose Hee hath giuen Apostles for the worke of the Ministerie and gathering together of the Saintes til we all meete