bread Now the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternall glory by Christ Iesus who also is able to build you up direct you make you perfect stablish 1 Pet. 5.10 strengthen settle you which is and shall bee the prayer of Your assured Friend and servant in Iesus Christ. L.W. FINIS An Appendix AND now by way of an Appendix I thinke it not amisse to set downe with what zeale and paines this Liturgy hath beene compiled with what thank fulnesse received and to what good purposes it hath been alleaged by good Protestants For the framing of it Wee read that those which were appointed by King Edward 6. and his Councell to compile the Common-Prayer-Booke Acts and Mon. printed Lond. 1631. vol. a. f. 660. had as well an eye and respect unto the most sincere and pure Christian Religion taught by the holy Scriptures as also to the usages of the Primitive Church * They did not make the Masse book their rule and it doth not symbolize so much with that Popish form as the Testament of Boza's translation doth with that of Rhemes and yet that is not a sufficient ground for us to dislike and reject it and so guided went on to draw and make one convenient and meet order rite and fashion of Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments to bee had and used within this his Realme of England and the dominions of the same Who after most godly and learned conferences through the aid of the Holy Ghost with one uniforme agreement did conclude set forth and deliver unto the Kings Highnesse a booke of Common Prayer c. which being exhibited by the King to the Lords and Commons in Parliament Novemb. 4. 2 Ed. ann 1548. they considering the godly prayers orders c. and the altering those things that were altered and retaining those things which were retained in the same as also the honour of God and great quietnesse which should by the grace of God ensue c. gave his Highnesse lowly and hearty thankes and prayed him it might be enacted c. And page 667. Col. 2. lin 20. In an answer to those insolent demands of the Rebels of Devonshire against this forme of Religion the King saith thus Whatsoever is therein ordered hath been long debated and consulted by many learned Bishops Doctors and other men of great learning in this Realm concluded In nothing was so much labour and time spent of late time nothing so fully ended Now that you may not doubt of the aime of the King and his Parliament consider 1. the Kings sincerity and constancie in that speech to the Rebels moving against an act of Parliament pag. 668. Col. 1. What is our power if Lawes should be thus neglected Yea what is your safety if Lawes be not kept And for his piety wee read of his purpose to abolish popish Religion and reforme the Church according to the word of God a Mortuo Henrico Rege Angliae Edoardus ejus filius de consilio tutorum maxime Edoardi Ducis somersetensis auurculi sui ac Thomae Cranmeri Archiepiscopi Cantuariensis to tius Anglie primatis pontisiciam religionem abolere ecclesias juxta verbum deireformare statuit Orat de vita obit Pet. Marrytis at his first entrance to the Crowne and his speech Act. Mon. p. 667. Col. 2. lin 51. discovereth his zeale in the execution If any wise saith he we could advance Gods honour more then we doe we would doe it And that the Parliament was zealous to cut off both root and branch of Popery that not so much as any shadow or footestep of it might remaine Wee may collect from letters sent by b In hoc Parliamento nisi valde fallimur veram Religionem restituetis Divirum profectò concilium nos vna Deum rogannus omnes ut nevestigium quidem papisticae fecis in ulla parte Religionis quaecunque illa fuerit amplius residear Thetrue subject to the Rebell preface the whole Vniversity of Cambridge to the Lord Marquesse of Northampton And as for the divines intrusted with the composing of it you heard before out of the booke of martyrs they had respect herein unto the most sincere and pure Christian Religion taught by the holy scriptures And how this should become guilty of so much poperie now that was so cleere and innocent then I cannot imagine unlesse wee have more zeale more knowledge take more paines and have a better touchstone then they had to try it If we descend to Qu Maries dayes The Archbishop of Canterbury assisted by Peter Martyr not guilty of the lest graine of poperie and some other offered to defend the doctrine of the booke of common Prayer both by Scriptures and c Act. Mon. vol. 3. p. 18. Doctors It should have needed no great defence if it had been so popish as is pretended Calvin to the Lord protector of England Quod ad formam precum Rituum Ecclesiarum valde probo ut certa illa extet a qua pastoribus in sua functione discedere non liceat To which I might adde the approbation of Bucer Grindall c. d See the Defensive vindication pa. 5.6.7.8 And it should seeme Qu. Mary and her adherents could not sympathize with it for in her dayes the act by which it was authorized was repealed and that with no great contentment to the Protestants if we may beleeue Q. Elizabeth of blessed memory and her Parliament which tells us it was taken away in the fift yeere of the raigne of Qu. Mary to the great decay of the due honour of God In the beginning of the Act for the vniformity of Common prayer bound up before the Booke of Common Prayer and discomfort to the professors of the truth of Christs Religion Whereupon it was againe established by Act of Parliament And King Iames of famous memorie tels us concerning this businesse We found mighty and vehement informations such as those in these present times supported with so weake and slender proofes as it appeareth unto us and our Councell that there was no cause why any change should have been at all in that which was most impugned the book of Common Prayer containing the forme of the publike service of God here established neither in the doctrine which appeared to be sincere nor in the formes and rites which were justified out of the practice of the primitive Church Notwithstanding wee thought meet that some smal things might rather be explained then changed not that the same might not very well have been borne with by men Read the proclamation for Authorizing c. before the Booke of Common Prayer who would have made a reasonable construction of them but for that in a matter concerning the service of God we were nice or rather jealous that the publike forme thereof should bee free not onely from blame but from suspition so as neither the common adversary should have
BEATEN OYLE FOR THE LAMPS OF THE SANCTVARIE OR The great Controversie concerning Set Prayers and our Liturgie examined in an Epistle to a private friend with an Appendix that answers the Paralell and the most materiall objections of others against it Unto which are added some usefull observations touching Christian Libertie and things indifferent 1 THES 5.21 Prove all things but hold sast that which is good IAM 4.3 Yee aske and have not because ye aske amisse MAT. 6.9 After this manner therefore pray yee Requirit eliam aedificatio ordo Ecclesie ut ad preces publicas cert is non tantum diebus sed horis fideles conveniant in quibus etiam nec illicitum nec inutile est certam precum ordinararium for mulam usurpare modo fiat absque superslitione Disputat Theol. Festi Hom. Eccles Lugdun pastor adversus pontificios Disput 68. num 5. Peter Martyr loc com clas 3 c. 5. sect 6. Cavenda etiam infirmorum scandels quibus it a accommodare te dâ—bes ut sacilius à sua infirmitate ad meliorem statum traducantur Quod si tua servitute abuti voluerint ad suam infirmitatem defendendam ne redigaris sub eorum potestatem tua utere libertate LONDON Printed by I.D. for I.W. and are to be sold by William Beesley in Charles street in Coven garden neere the Peates 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE WILLIAM Lord PAGET Baron of Beau-desert Right Honourable and my very gracious Lord AMongst the rest of troublesome Petitioners I most humbly addresse my suite unto your Lordship hoping to find a protection in your Iustice for my Cause in your Goodnesse for my selfe Of all those grievances that have opened the mouthes and sharpened the pens of Complainants none can bee greater then to have our prayers turned into sin And yet this is done in effect and by those too that would needs seeme Pillars of the Church Their darke perspective cannot survey hearts and yet mens devotions are doom'd by their act of Reprobation 'T is the common form is quarrel'd at and through the paper sides of that they wound the chiefe because publike practice of your pietie Something I have written formerly upon this argument that proved not altogether unsuccessefull What discharg'd it selfe then under a private superscription now requires a publike Dedication and in that imploreth Patronage and whiles your Lordship holds up a shield before it you do but the right of selfe defence to your owne conscience you do but vindicate the reputation and how deare should that be to you of your owne reasonable service of God This advantage I shall procure from your name which is not more honourable in the Noblenesse of title then of desert that I shall have the credit to be read and to bee beleeved For as 't is knowne you will not have a hand so it may bee well presum'd that you would not willingly have your name in a cause that carries an appearance of injustice The Lord preserve you to his glory and the good of Church and Kingdome and blesse you with the blessings of this life and that which is to come as it becommeth him to pray who is Your Lordships most humble servant and Chaplaine L. Wemocke To the Reader REader before thou proceedest any further let mee salute thee at the doore and acquaint thee with two things for thy satisfaction The first concernes the matter the second concernes the publication of this discourse There are but two sorts of evills in the world the one of sin and the other of punishment and both these are fastned vpon our Liturgie Some fly from it that can winke I am sure at greater appearances of evill In their opinion it is sinfull to communicate in the vse of it Others that would seeme to bee of a milder temper would have this used rather as a rod of Discipline then as a rule of devotion If any though it please God to deny this supernaturall gift to him prone insufficient to discharge the duty of prayer in a conceived way they * Smect pag. 14. would have it imposed on him as a punishment to vse set formes and no other A strange thing that this wholesome provision made for the advancement of Gods glory and the benefit of the people in their Regular service of God should be turned into a Schedule of pennance for the shame of the Minister By this wee may perceive what disesteeme they have of a sett forme of Prayer But whither it be guiltie of so high a provocation the ensuing discourse will as I suppose determine My confidence is not so transcendent as theirs that pretend a commandement of the Lord for their assertions 1 Cor. 7.25 Yet I give my judgement as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord hitherto to bee faithfull Sure I am our Liturgie hath passed the muster often and marched thorow a field of vntainted blood under the conduct of many glorious Martyrs And 't is pitty goodnesse should be ever the worse reputed for being of a diffusiue nature and yet we see Manna of a heavenly descent and at first accordingly entertained with the sociable affections of delight and admiration even this when t was growne common notwithstanding ministred by the hands of Angels became loathsome Howbeit the change was not in the bread but in them that gather'd it We see Gods Attributes are never the lesse glorious because communicable But our comfort is and yet it should be our sorrow also that some of those which except against our Liturgy are not very wel affected to that prayer of our Lords owne making It were to gather grapes of thornes to expect their liking unto any that are not wound up with their owne key and made tunable to their humour Whole Squadrons of Quaeres are set in battell array against us but I hope those shall never so much triumph over reason as to lead the publike formes of our devotion captiue If every triviall claime were a good plea against those that are setled in possession we should then haue no petitions but for warrants of ejection 'T is true a fardle of grievances have of late been extracted out of the booke of common prayer but 't is with as much faith and as good successe as the Philosophers stone is by the Chymists from the Sun the Moone and Mercury Yet this blaze kindled of Stubble not worth the gathering vp to the scandall of our Religion hath warm'd and strengthned the hands of our adversaries that were before enfeebled and by the light hereof they see into the distempers of mens bosomes to their advantage Two daies are not yet expired since I heard a Papist vpbraid the folly and injustice of one of this way that they did inflict punishments vpon the Catholiques with severity for not frequenting that Service of the Church which themselves disgusted Those passages at which offence is taken are not so considerable that we should need to fire the
unto all these words the devise of man then S. Paul was unto some men the worke of Gods hands If I should not wish that those were cut off that trouble you I read in the 14. Levit. 14.39 c. of Levit. That when a house was tainted with the leprosie and the plague spread in the wals thereof the Priest had an order from the Lord to view it And upon discovery of the infection hee was to command them to take away the stones in which the plague was and put other in their places and to cause the wals to be scraped and plaistered with other morter And if after all this upon the Priests review the plague had not spread in the house vers 48. hee was to pronounce it cleane the plague was healed But if the plague brake out againe after the Priest had caused it to be swept and garnished as aforesaid then the Priest was to demolish it and the ruines thereof were to bee carried forth out of the Citie into an uncleane place for it was a fretting leprosie So I may say of the old Roman Liturgy vers 43.44.45 It was a leprous house the plague was spread in it but our wise Reformers purg'd it from all appearance of infection They picked out all the stumbling stones of Idolatry those bricks the workemanship of the spirit of infernall bondage were broken downe and their Roome was supplyed with hewne and well polisht stone the wals were scraped and cleansed from the dust of superstition and new plaistered with well tempered morter If after all this paines the plague should appeare to spread againe in it I should submit to have it rendered as inhabitable as the torrid Zone that no soule no affection of our Communion may lodge in it That the leaves thereof may be shut up and have a seale stampt upon them that may marke out their infection that the contents be never understood amongst us but by that fatall superscription usually affixed to those doores by which the destroying Angel's entred Lord have mercy upon us But I must tell you that although you have visited this body your selfe and brought it to Friest after Priest to be reviewed and accus'd it of many plague-sores prickt those sores as deepe as your charity would suffer you yet hitherto no corruption hath appeared and therefore 't is to be judged cleane by law and to enter into the holy Campe. If we doe find some defects in it we must consider the Compilers were no moro inspired then our selves They had many woulds and sores to heale and those very old and deepe festered and therefore no marvell if upon the sudden healing the skin was a litle contracted and tuckt up with wrinckles A man driven with sicknesse and desperately diseased will admit and embrace health though attenà ed with deformity When you view the scarres in this body you should looke backe upon the sores that caus'd them and learne to be thankefull for the present soundnesse to which it is restored Before the people were led to hell blind-folded by the way of superstition and Idolatry understanding nothing of their devotions but the number of the beads they prai'd by but now your hearts are made acquainted with their owne desires which their 's in a manner were not you know what you doe and wherefore The vastnesse besides the benefit of this alteration may seeme to make some small defects pardonable Though Rome was not built in a day shee was soone pull'd downe here That alone was a worke of wonder though the structures built upon her ruines wanted more of that state and comelinesse which is desired Bee but candid in your interpretation of them and there are no blemishes but are more tolerable then a violation of the sacred bond of peace for the untying of the girdle of Christs Spouse is a great step to her deflowring The time will come when the Church shall ascend up to the Mount of God like our Saviour and be transfigured in her devotions til her face shine more gloriously then the face of Moses but to forsake * Primùm te hortor ne oblatâ—e functioâ—â— te subdacas extrasunctioxem permanentes con emendabitis quae displicent imò vix concessa retinchitis Quodsi ad guvornacula ecclesiae sedcatis spes est multa et sinon omnia p sse corrigi Pet. Mart. Amico cuilam in Angliam inter Epistolas ad sinem loc com pag. 1 127. her is not the next way to further and hasten her ascention Is there still that Antipathy betwixt you that either your selfe or this †Booke of Common Prayer book must be banisht from the holy Congregation I desire you would take up a serious resolution to bethinke you and not suffer your selfe to be transported or misled by fancie Sense is apt to bee deluded being so much subject to fallibility looke with a single sted-fast and discerning eye before you give your judgement If you discover any spots that are assuredly plague-tokens you have just cause of feare administred and a firme ground raised for your removall But if not I beseech you remember the words of the Apostle Heb. 10.23 24 25. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good workes Not for saking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another Surely the Apostle or the spirit that directed him foresaw what strange opinions you would dwell upon or else hee could not have brought this peece so home to your very threshold yet I am perswaded no man presse the footsteps of the Apostle in the former part of that exhortation with a more upright foot then your selfe but take heed your foot slip not in the latter and so deceive you for if you take a fall now your bones will feele it and make you complaine hereafter Iob 20.11 To conclude those may make sweet musicke that play by booke And it was the water of a standing poole which was troubled by the descending of an Angell and received the gift of healing No man when he hath drunk old wine desires new a Luke 5. v. 39. if his palate be as well affected as our Saviours for he saith the old is better Looke not after a new vintage when the Church hath preserved old bottles of spiced wine for you In his Church God breaks 'to us the bread of life b Cant. 8.21 in our private houses we are indeed under Gods Table but there we can find fragments onely some few scattered crums of his spirituall refection As long as I have my teeth to chew it I care not much for having my bread grated I am sure Gods ordinances are wholsome for me if I have but a heart to receive and ponder them and therefore I will take my portion thankfully as God distributes it in his ministery And Lord evermore give me this
advantage to wrest ought therein contained to other sense then the Church of England intendeth nor any troublesome or ignorant person of this Church be able to take the least occasion of cavill against it Thus that oracle of wisedome And how should we thinke that service guilty of any known popery in King Edward 6. his time when wee find this clause in their Letany From the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities from all false doctrine c. good Lord deliver vs. And although this clause was left out in Queen Elizabeths time perhaps for avoyding of scandall yet in one of the prayers of our publike Service f wee still pray unto God to root out that Babylonish and Antichristian Sect and to cut off those Workers of Iniquity Prayer for the 5. of Novemb whose Religion is rebellion whose faith is faction c. And surely a Liturgy that directeth us to pray thus carries not a Pope in the belly of it But I should rather incline to the opinion of Mr. Burton that the Jnnovation alteration Mr. Burtons Apol. and dashing out of some of the prayers of our Liturgy was a signe of some dangerous plots to change the Orthodoxe Religion established in England and to bring in Romish superstition in the roome of it And to him I shall joyn this opinion of Mr. Prin concerning this Booke of Common Prayer In his Anti-arminianisme Mr. Prin his Anti-Arminian Edit 2. wherein seven Anti-Arminian Orthodox Tents are evidently proved their seven opposite Arminian once popish pelagian errours are manifestly disproved to be the ancient established undoubted doctrine of the Primitive and modern Church of England So in the title of his book Then alleadging the Booke of Common Prayer saith In this Booke of Common Prayer established by Act of Parliament in our Church there are sundry passages to prove these severall Anti-arminian positions See page 21 22 23 24 25 26. And concludes thus you see now by all these premises that these our Anti-arminian not their opposite Arminian assertions are the apparent and resolved doctrine of our Common Prayer Booke composed by the first Reformers of our Church who concurred wholly in opinion with us Therfore they must needs be the undoubted the established the received doctrines of our Church Thus that learned man where I desire the Reader at least to beleeve Mr. Prin of whom the world is so wel perswaded that he is not guilty of the least tang of Popery I say beleeve him that those which composed our Com. Prayer Booke concurred wholly in opinion with us and therfore wee need not have a suspition that they give us Rats-bane in our prayers To him I may adde a Booke put forth since the sitting of this honourable Parliament which I pray God to direct and prosper by Fran. Taylor B.D. Rector in Clapham in Surrey He gives the Book of common Prayer the first place amongst the Authentick Records of the Church as he cals them 't is dedicated to Sir Edward Dering and beares this title The faith of the Church of England concerning Gods worke on mans will wherein he proves all these severall points against the Arminians out of the prayers of our Liturgy Gods omnipotencie in our conversion Gods speciall grace Gods worke in Infants Giving of internall grace to men The internall effect of grace The Purification of the heart The externall effects of grace Gods governing us Gods preserving us in godlinesse and from sinne The progresse of the Begenerate Gods grants Other proofes he might have produced for our own insufficiency as the Collect for the second Sunday in Lent c. and likewise for the confirmation of almost all our Doctrines against Popish Arminian errors And indeed neither our Homilies nor our Articles are so good so inviolable evidences of the Churches doctrine as her prayers for we see what glosses and Coments both Papists and i Sancta clara Arminians k Mont. can make upon those of the first sort to countenance their assertions but 't is not possible any man should so befoole us out of our devotions as to make us beleeve we did not understand the sense and meaning of our prayers And therefore it were good Christian policy to retaine our formes of prayer though it were done only upon those grounds upon which saith Smectymnus i Answer to the Remon pag. 7. set and imposed forms were introduced which was not saith he how truly let the defence of the Remonstrance witnesse untill the time that the Arian and Pelagian heresies did invade the Church and then because those Heretikes did convey and spread their poyson in their formes of Prayer and Himnes the Church thought it convenient to restraine the liberty of making and using publike formes And for as much as too much poyson may be vented this way and in the opinion of some hath beene and is in these present times I should thinke it would not bee amisse to retaine the use of this Liturgy amongst us that it may be as a standard to regulate the rest of our devotions This booke hath beene accused of swearing often though many that have as good eares and have beene as diligent observers of it as others could never heare it but I never knew that it had beene convicted of perjury before that the testimony of it should now grow invalid amongst us But whether it be fit that that which hath beene alleaged so often as good evidence for our Doctrine in Queene Maries dayes against the Papists in our owne times against Arminians and Innovators whether it be fit I say that this without any fault committed for its owne part should now be arraigned at the Bar of life and death I will not say as our late Soveraigne does m upon the frivolous suggestions of any light spirit but upon so weake an accusation and be as it were condemned before it can be heard speak for it selfe whether this be justice I leave to every wise and indifferent Reader to consider But for my part I must say Amen to that curse that hath beene lately sealed by so very great Authority * Babilons downfall published by order of the honourable house of Commons Cursed shall hee be that removes the ancient Land-markes and let all the people say Amen What is the ancient Land-marke of England but our Lawes and Religion which containes as well facienda as credenda and hath as well the Liturgy as the Articles and Homilies for her Boundaries and therefore if any man shall remove this Land-marke cursed shall he be of the Lord cursed and let all the people say Amen And although the Author of that Booke intituled Christ on his Throne n Case 6. p. 23. thinkes it enough to startle Christians as he termes it that this is an extract out of Romes Latine Service yet hee might remember how himselfe seemes to unfold that command given us to come out of
5.1.2 Act. 15.20 24 28 29. Act. 16.3 Act. 18.18 In other cases the Apostles condemne the abuse of christian Liberty as as a turning of that grace of God into lasciviousnesse as was before observed A conscience truly weake and scrupulous after an humble and diligent search for a satisfactory information may challenge our charitable and christian condescention But there 's no yoke of bondage that doth so much intangle us as the wilfull and froward obstinacy of an intemperate humour To returne whence wee have digressed If a constant forme of prayer be a vaine repetition we must condemne the Saints of God in all ages the Church triumphant and Christ * Christ vsed that great Hallelujah which the Iewes used at their Passover Mat. 26.30 Vid. Bezam Sup. Mat 26.20 himselfe Wee of the same Church must not onely speake the same thing in respect of Doctrine but also with one mind and one mouth glorifie b Rom. 15.6 God Which is done as well if not more in prayer then in preaching A harmony of confessions ring a loud peale in the eares of men and a sweet one in the eares of God when all the devotions of a whole kingdome are twisted into one Cable it must needs be strong and almost invincible with the Almighty You will say he that ties us to one forme of prayer in the Church might with as much reason tie us continually to one and the same Sermon I answer the comparison is lame being made betweene a forme of prayer that is or may be perfect in all parts essentiall and a sermon that consist onely of some few points of doctrine Let face answer face in your comparison and institute it betweene prayer and doctrine as it should be and then the argument will of it selfe fall to nothing For thus it must run if you will make reason of it All things necessary to salvation may not be preached at once therefore I may not at once pray for them And now we may discover falshood as well in the Antecedent as in the Consequence Falshood in the Antecedent which sayes all things necessary to salvation may not be preached at once May not Who sayes so Hath God forbidden it The whole Scripture is Gods epistle wherby he discloseth his mind to us 'T is his intent and that witnessed by command that wee should read it over If you could have the patience or the minister take the pains it might be dispatcht at once That they are delivered to us but in parcels is our owne fault but Gods goodnesse for God willing more abundantly to shew to the heires of promise the riches of his goodnesse doth fit his yoake to our neckes that it may be easie distilling his heavenly doctrine in the ministery by proportions sutable to our capacity and suspending the rest till our infirmities may admit of another measure Christ spake the word pre anditorum Captu as they were able to heare it Mark 4.33 And he tels his Disciples Ioh. 16.12 I have many things to say unto you but yee cannot beare them now The best soile may be over-seeded and therefore the prophet saith precept must be upon precept precept upon precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little Isaiah 28.10 Thus you see t is not so much Gods will as our own frailty that renders us vncapable to carry away this gold as t is compact in the wedge we must take of the Lambe according to our eating proportionable to our faculty of disgestion The Cōmandements of God are exceeding broad saith David it will take up our whole life yea eternity to survey them But wee are little shallow vessels and may poure out our whole soules at once in prayer And hereupon we see our saviour who preacht so many sermons taught us but one forme of prayer Oh let me escape to this Zoar is it not a little one and my soule shall live The end and the meanes by which wee attaine unto it make up that string on which we hang all our petitions as so many holy jewels The end hath a double aspect Gods glory and our owne salvation The meanes are woven of a party coloured thred Some directly tending to that end others removing obstacles that would hinder us The direct meanes are our obsequiousnesse to the will of God in cheife and accommodations for this life as subsidiary we desire but two sorts of obstacles should bee removed those are the evill of sinne and the evill of punishment All these accomplished set us above mount Nebo they give us possession of the heavenly Canaan and all this Christ hath summ'd up in sixe or at most in seven petitions The Lords prayer Preaching hath a larger field or scope then praier to run in I may preach of the Virgin Mary I may no more pray for her then to her I may not pray for the dead though I preach a funerall sermon These two duties are like the two sisters that entertain'd our Saviour preaching like Martha is cumbred about many things prayer like Mary sits quietly at the feet of Christ in possession of the better part and why should it be so often taken from her We thinke it a great sacriledge in rude Souldiers to ravish a prayer booke from the hands of a Disciple and make a spoile of the devotions of their captives If you will still contend that the comparison may hold between prayer and Doctrine then our prayers not onely may but must be stinted for we are tied to a forme of doctrine and if an Angell from heaven should bring any other wee must reject it 'T is a forme of prayer you desire should be renewed I am sure you would not have every Sermon a new forme of doctrine Why may we not say the Collect as oft as the Epistle our of which it is taken and to which it is ad-apted But to drive this naile home and fasten it it upon your selfe you could have said nothing more directly against the extemporary prayer you sue for For the best sermons are elaborate and your divine Orator must study to retaine the forme of sound words Tit. 2.8 Sound speech that cannot be condemned Let Solomon award this difference and submit to his determination And because the preacher was wise hee still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many proverbs The preacher sought to find out acceptable words or words of delight and that which was written was upright even words of truth Thus saith the inspired Oracle of wisedome Eccles 12.9.10 And the Prophet denounces a curse against him that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Ier. 48. Shall we be lesse carefull to compose our selves in our adresses to God then we are in our discourse to men You will say we have emergent evils which a set forme can neither include nor provide for I answer Ecclesia non judicat de occultis
up I conceive the Ancients caused it so to be ordered for the dignity of the Gospell And the Church may for the like reason order that in the reading the Gospell should be ushered in with an Epistle 2. If the Author were put to that streight that he should have but one part of the new Testament I am perswaded that he would preferre the Gospel of our Saviour and yet I should have more charity in mee then to conclude in his words That hereby The Epistle was contumeliously debased but the Gospell superstitiously exalted Pag. 21. A second abuse is Pag. 20. and surely 't is a great one that the Acts Revelation c. are stiled Epistles and surely he abused the Scripture very much that said It was the Epistle of Almighty God sent to his Church The third abuse is Pag. 21. that never a full passage is read but a shred And I pray why Why because wee begin after the beginning of a Chapter And truly he might have said as much of a Chapter if he had pleased that it is but a shread though I dare not say so for all men know the holy Pen-men of the Scriptures did not divide their Writings into Chapters but it was done afterwards and we see that men have differed too in the division of them and I see no reason but any particular Church may appoint what portions of Scripture she thinks fittest to be read at severall times Now whereas he sayes there is not a full passage read because they cut off before the end of a Chapter I would faine have any man instance in any one Epistle or Gospel where the sense shuts not up as fully as the 21 Chapter of the Acts doth As for the Gospel in particular I say but two things 1. That hee may finde better reasons for the choise of them then conformity with Sarum if hee would take the paines to consult with Hooker who hath abundantly answered all cavels about the Liturgie 2. If there be any foolish superstitions in the heads of some men about the Gospel we must not so farre runne into prophanenesse as to make the Gospel guilty of it nor faulty for it for upon such grounds wee should shortly have cause to abandon our whole Bible as well as our Liturgie I think there is no man will speake against the Pag. 22. Creed which is produced in the next place except Jo. Turner would have his inserted in stead of that which was drawne up by a Councell Pag. 24. For the predication as he calls it or Sermon I think none can speake against it but Shelford and birds of the same feather that commonly sing the same note too Thus I have done with that which seemes to make against our Liturgie which perhaps the Author did not intend to such a purpose for in other parts of his book hee hath beene a good compurgator as I shall observe in the second place His whole book I may stile a perfect glasse in which we may see how cleane the face of our Liturgie is washed from all Popish superstitions how decently dressed Pag. 6. Wee may see to use his owne words how that black body that most mistie and dark piece is cleared And who can see this change from darknesse to light and not be thankfull In the first place He saith of the Homilies of the Church of England Pag. 26. they are most orthodox The same is said at the Assembly in Glasgow p. 88. and composed by the most sound Fathers of that English Church since the Reformation And why shal not the Liturgie composed by some and approved by others of them be of the same stamp Concerning the offertory Chap. 4. Page 31. He sayes that all the Rubricks in our English Liturgie hinder the abuse and misapplication of the almes of the people Pag. 33. The Church of England detesting this abuse offering up of the bread and wine plucked it up by the root put it far away from their book Pag. 36. But no wayes the English for in this place they passe the honour of the Saints they speake not of the benefit of the dead and the blessings they crave to the living have no reference at all to the oblation of bread and wine for they have plucked up by the root that pestiferous weed Pag. 43. Cap. 5. Pag. 43. Speaking of those peeces of the Canon whereby the consecration and oblation of the great Sacrifice as they call it is performed he saith This unhappy heart the English had pulled out that the serpent might never againe revive amongst them Pag. 44. Pag. 44. A Rubrick for consecration alone then had beene suspicious especially here where the English Pag. 44. yea no reformed Liturgie had any formes of consecration Note here hee acknowledgeth that there are reformed Liturgies besides ours Pag. 47. Pag. 47. When the prayer which stood here in the English Liturgie is some impediment in their way opposing their Popish consecration c. Pag. 50. The English book hath two sentences which crosse transubstantiation and are against the corporall presence in the elements Pag. 61. Cap. 6. Pag. 61. A Rubrick for oblation they the English have none The most of this prayer in the English is put after the Communion to be a thanksgiving and a spirituall sacrifice of praise to God for the blessings in the communion received Pag. 62. Pag. 62. These words Accept this our Sacrifice c. as in the English Liturgie they stand in a thanks-giving after the Communion have no such shew of a proper outward unbloody Sacrifice Pag. 75. The English avoid all these superstitions Cap. 7. Innocents rule Pag. 75. to say it The Lords prayer on the consecrate hostie they abhorre and put the prayer in a place where it cannot be possibly so abused Pag. 76. Pag. 76. The English have indeed this prayer That our bodies may be clensed by his body c. But in a place that puts it out of all suspition to wit before the consecration Pag. 82. Pag. 82. That golden sentence of the English Liturgie that served much to hinder what ever evill imagination people might have taken of a grosse corporall presence of Christs body and blood in the elements or on the Altar either from the words in hand or any other that golden saying Eate this in remembrance of me The Speech at Glasgow p. 60. For feare of Popish transubstantiation the English put to this sentence Drink this in remembrance c. These words of the Masse Vt fiat corpus sanguis whence all Papists this day conclude Transubstantiation the English put out of their booke for feare to further by them this heresie pag. 93. Pag. 93. The golden sentences of the English which here were put in as Antidotes to the venome of Transubstantiation Reader by this thou may'st see the great evils wherewith saith R. B. K. * In the Preface to his Parallel the English Liturgie hath afflicted both Church and State Surely that was one which hee speakes of pag. 47. That some of these prayers were an impediment in their way that compiled the Scotish Booke opposing their Popish consecration Me thinks our Liturgie might take up the words of our Saviour against his enemies Many good works have I shewed you for which of them doe you stone me Touching the third part which I made of the book a Discoverie of errours I shall heartily joyn in evidence with the Author and sue for Justice But yet I must professe that notwithstanding all that is demonstrated against it I can see no reason but that all those most abominable passages of the Masse may in good reason be refused and abhorred too by those that doe cordially embrace the English Liturgie Lord we beseech thee to keepe thy Church and household continually in thy true Religion that they which doe leane onely upon the hope of thy heavenly grace may evermore be defended by thy mighty power through Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS Errata Read through every page An Epistle to a private friend p. 6. l. 28 r. in this valley p. 23. l. 23. r. to be beaten p. 30. l. 36. r. ebullition p. 31 l. 13. r. affect In the Margin Pag. 10 r. Granad p. 13. r. in Domino