the turning God and Christ and all the Articles of the Creed out of mens brains also and not as yet it is onely out of their hearts what is the necessitie of doing it will not so easily be resolved even by him that hath imbibed the Assemblers principles unlesse it be to gratifie the Separatists who are profest deniers of one Article that of the Holy Catholick Church resolving the end and the effect of the Holy Ghosts descent to have been onely to constitute particular Congregations and none else As for the great pattern of the Presbyterians the practice of Geneva or Scotland that appears by Knocks Common Prayer Book to have allowed a set form of Confession of Faith and designed it for the publick use as the first thing in that Booke of Prayers though the truth is the Apostles or other ancient Creeds being set aside one of the Geneva forming is fain to supply the place of them which yet by the setting the severall parts of the Apostles Creed in the margent both there and in the order of Baptisme appears rather to be an interpretation of it and so still the Separatists must be the onely men in the Church fit to be considered or else apparently there is no such Politicall necessitie of this neither Sect. 34 For the fifth thing the so frequent repetition of the Lords Prayer and Prayers for the King in our Service this account may be briefly given of it For the former that in our Common-Prayer Book there be severall Services for severall occasions of the Sacraments c. for severall dayes as the Letany for severall times in the day not onely Morning and Evening but one part to be said earlier in the morning and then toward noone a return to another part as the ancient Primitives had three Services in a forenoon 1. that for the Catechumeni consisting of Prayers Psalms and Readings then a 2. for the Penitents such as our Letany and a 3. for the Fideles the Faithfull our Communion Service and even that which is assigned to one time so discontinued by Psalms and Hymnes and Lessons that it becomes in a manner two Services clearly two times of Prayer Now our Saviour commanding when you pray say our Father we have accordingly so assigned it to be once repeated in every such part of Service and I remember to have heard one of the gravest and most reverend men of the Assembly being asked his opinion about the use of the Lords Prayer to have answer'd to this purpose God forbid that I should ever be upon my knees in Prayer and rise up without adding Christs form to my imperfect petitions And whereas this Directory is so bountifull as to recommend this Praier to be used in the Praiers of the Church and yet so wary as but to recommend it it is thereby confest that it is lawfull to retain a set Form for that is surely so and then the often using of a lawfull thing will not make it unlawfull but withall that Christs command in point of his Service shall no more oblige to obedience then the commands of men for if it did this would be more then recommended And now why that which may say they commendably must say we necessarily in obedience to Christ be used in the Prayers of the Church and being repeated oftner then once shall be usefull to him who was not come at the first saying or may be said more attentively by him who had before been too negligent should be necessary to be used but once when all mens zeal or understanding of so divine a Forme or perhaps presence at that part of the Service shall not necessarily go along with it I leave to more subtle Diuiners to instruct us This I am sure of that God hath made a peculiar promise to importunity in Prayer to a coming often to him on the same errand and Luk. 18. 5. by a phrase in the Parable seems to say that he that comes oft to God in this manner will at length force him to shame if he do not grant his Petition for that is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And from thence the Fathers use a bold phrase in their Liturgies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I put thee to shame i. e. importune thee Basil in Liturg and in the Psaltery of the Greek Church which hath many Prayers mixt with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlesse thy own goodnesse put thee to shame c. Now that this will not be subject to the censure of vain repetitions Mat. 6. 7. which is the onely exception made against it if the example of David Psal 136. be not sufficient to authorize the repeating any Form often which is as faultlesse as that was might largely be evidenced 1. by the nature of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used which both Hesychius and Suidas apply to another matter and explain it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long idle unseasonable forms such as Battus used in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his long-winded Hymns so full of Tautologies which Munster therefore rendreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not multiply words unprofitably or unseasonably 2. by the customes of the Heathens which Christ there referres to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 use not c. as the Heathens and which are evident in their writers especially their Tragedians where 't is plain that their manner was to sound or chant for many houres together some few empty words to the honour of their Gods such the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their Bacchanals from the noise of which they were call'd Evantes such in Sophocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and especially in the Virgins Chorus of Aeschylus's Tragedy called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where there are near an hundred verses made up of meer Tautologies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and an enumeration of the severall names of the Gods with unsignificant noises added to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and within two verses the same again and much more of the same stile Two notable examples of this Heathenish custome the Scripture affords us one 1. Kings 18. 26. where the Prophets of Baal from morning till noon cry O Baal hear us and it follows they cryed with a loud voice and cut themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their custome or rites that loud crying the same words so long together was as much a heathenish rite as the cutting of themselves The other of Ephesians Acts 19. 34. who are affirm'd to have cryed with one voice for two houres space 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great is Diana of the Ephesians and 3. by the designed end that Christ observes of that heathen custome 1. that they may be heard by that long noise for which Elias scoâ—â—es them 1. Kings 18. 27. Cry aloud perhaps your God is a talking or a pursuing c. 2. that their Petitions may be more intelligible to their
about the time of the Jews destruction Gamâ—liel and his Sanhedrim added a nineteenth Prayer and after him others so that at length the daily service grew to an 100 Prayers That it is likely that the Pagans come to use their set Forms in their Sacrifice also and perhaps the Mahumedans too by the example of the Jewish Church for which he there referres the Reader to many Books of the Learned I conceive the authoritie of this Gentleman hath not been despised by the House of Commons and the Assemblers when it hath chanced to agree with their designes or interest and therefore I have thus farre as an Argument ad homines insisted on it Sect. 16 3. The not onely practice but precept of Christ in the New Testament who did not only use himself a set form of words in prayer three times together using the same words Matth. 26. 44. and upon the Crosse in the same manner praying in the Psalmists words onely changed into the Syriack dialect which was then the vulgar but also commanded the use of those very words of his perfect form which it seems he meant not onely as a pattern but a form it self as the Standard weight is not only the measure of all weights but may it self be used Luke 11. 2. when you pray say Our Father c. which precept no man can with a good conscience ever obey that holds all set forms necessary to be cast out of the Church Sect. 17 4. The practice not onely of John the Baptist who taught his disciples to pray Luke 11. 1. which occasioned Christs Disciples to demand and him to give them a form of Prayer but especially of the Apostles of which we find intimations 1. Cor. 14. 26. When you come together every one of you hath a Psalm which sure referres to some of the Psalms of David or Asaph used then ordinarily in their devotions and that as even now I said authorized by the example of Christ himself upon the Crosse who it is thought repeated the whole 22. Psalm it is certain the first verse of it My God my God why hast thou for saken me and so certainly a set form and that of Prayer too of which thanksgivings and Praises are a part But because every one had his severall Psalm it is therefore reprehended by the Apostle as tending to confusion and by that consequence S. Pauls judgement is thence deducible for the joyning of all in the same form as being the onely course tending to edification in the end of that verse and then sure 't would be hard that that which the Apostle conceived the onely course for edifying should now be necessarie to be turn'd out of the Church as contrary to edification Farther yet 't is clear by text that the Apostles when they met together to holy duties such are Fasting Prayer receiving the Sacrament continued very long time sometimes a whole day together This being too much to be alwayes continued in the Church and unsuteable to every mans businesse is said to have been the occasion that S. James first made choice of some speciall Prayers most frequently by them used which was after called his Liturgie which or some other in the disguise of that the Greek Church still use on solemn dayes This also being of the longest for every dayes use St Basil is said to have shortned and that again St Chrisostome how certain these reports are I shall not take upon me to affirm but onely adde that the Greek Church who are most likely to know the truth of it by their records do retain all these three Liturgies and would loudly laugh at any man that should make doubt whether St James St Basil and St Chrysostome were not the Authours of them 2. That the judgement of that Church if they are deceived also and may not be thought worthy to be heeded by our Assemblers is yet an argument of great authoritie to any prudent man if not that these Liturgies were purely the same with those which were written by that Apostle and those holy men yet that there were such things as Liturgies of their penning The like might be added of that short form of St Peters which alone they say was used in the Roman Church for a great while till after by some Popes it was augmented and the same of St Marks Liturgy I am sure St Augustine speaking of some forms retained in the Church and still to be found in our Liturgie particularly that of Sursum corda Lift up your hearts c. faith that they are verba ab ipsis Apostolorum temporibus petita words fetcht from the times of the Apostles which supposes that they did use such Forms And for that particular mentioned by St Augustine it is agreeable to the Constitutions of the Apostles l. 8. c. 16. which collection if it be not so ancient as it pretends doth yet imitate Apostolicall antiquity and so in St James's and Basils and Chrysostomes Liturgy in the same words with our Book as farre as to the word bounden and for many other such particular Forms used by us we find them in Cyril of Jerusalems Catechisme one of the ancientest Authours we have and then that it should be necessary for the Church to turn out what the Apostles had thus brought into it will not easily be made good by our Assemblers Sect. 18 Fifthly The practice of the Universall Church from that time to this which is so notorious to any that is conversant in the writings of the Ancient Fathers and of which so many testimonies are gathered together for many mens satisfaction by Cassander and other writers of the Liturgica that 't were a reproach to the Reader to detain or importune him with testimonies of that nature To omit the practice of Constantine who prescribed a form for his Souldiers a Copy of which we have in Euseb de vit Const l. 4. c. 20. I shall onely mention two grand testimonies for set Forms one in the 23 Canon of the third Councell of Carthage Quascunque sibipreces aliquis describet noniis utatur â—ise priùs oas cum instructioribus fratribus contulerit No man may use any Prayers which he hath made unlesse he first consult with other learneder Christians about theÌ„ And the other more punctuall Concil Milev c. 12. Placuit ut precesquae probatae fuerintin Concilio ab omnibus celebrentur Nec alia omninò dicaÌ„tur in Ecclesia nisi quae à prudentioribus tractantur vel comprobatae in Synode fuerint no fortè aliquid contra fidem aut per ignorantiam aut per minus studium sit compositum It was resolv'd on that the Prayers that were approv'd in the Councell should be used by all that no other should be said in the Church but those that had been weighed by the more prudent or approv'd in a Synod lest any thing either through ignorance or negligence should be doÌ„ne against the Faith Instead of such Citations and because
and that the Liturgie doth better to prescribe it at fit times then the Directory to omit all mention of it at all times unlesse by way of dislike and prohibition Which conclusion will be the more easily evinced against them by asking them whether in their Family-Parlour-Prayers or in their private Closet-prayers they do not approve and practice that gesture which as I believe in charity they do so I must from thence infer that by them the house of God is the onely place thought fit to be despised And if it be replyed that the Directory forbids not kneeling but onely commands it not leaving it free to use or not to use I answer 1. That the effect of this liberty is very remarkable among them and equall to that of a prohibition no man almost of their perswasion ever kneeling in their Churches 2. That the never so much as recommending it is very near a forbidding of it 3. That bowing or adoration is directly forbidden once which by the way is as much the defining of a Ceremony viz. that of standing or going upright and so as contrary to the Independants perswasions and to the great clamorous complaint for Liberty in Ceremonies as any prescription of kneeling or bowing can be 4. That kneeling also is at the receiving of the Sacrament forbidden by necessity of consequence sitting being prescribed and therefore that that reply or excuse is false also And so now what speciall advantage this is like to bring in to this Church of ours to have the bodies of negligent or prophane or Factious men left without any so much as an admonition to their own inclinations and so what depth of Ecclesiasticall policy there was which made this change so necessary I desire now may be judged Sect. 24 Thirdly For uniformity in that Service which our Liturgie labours to set up by prescribing the manner of it but the Directory hath taken away by leaving all to the chance of mens wills which can no more be thought likely to concurre in one form then Democritus's Atomes to have met together into a world of beautifull Creatures without any hand of providence to dispose them it hath certainly the approbation of all wise men and command of St Paul 1 Cor. 14. 40. in that grand place Let all things be done decently and in order Of which I conceive the clear importance to be that all be done in the Church according to custome and appointment The former implyed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 custome being the onely rule of decency and therefore the indecency of wearing long hair is proved by being against nature i. e saith Suidas in the Scripture phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a custome of some continuance in that place and thereupon St Paul thinks it enough against an Ecclesiasticall usage and that which might supersede all strife about it 1 Cor. 11. 16. we have no such customes c. and the latter in plain words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to order or appointment for so the words literally import and then upon these two grounds is uniformitie built and necessarily results where all that is done in the Church is ruled by one of these by custome or by Law which being here commanded by St. Paul is a proof of the more then lawfulnesse of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prescription of Ceremonies in a Church and of uniformity therein And then what necessitie there is or can be that St Pauls command shall be so neglected all care of uniformitie so disclaimed all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constitution or ordinance for any Ecclesiasticall matter unlesse their ordinance against all such constitutions so solemnly disavowed it will be hard to imagine or guesse unlesse it be on purpose to observe Master Prynnes rule of Conforming the Church to the State to fill one as full of disorder and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and confusion as the other I remember a saying of Socrates which Plato and Cicero record from him Mutatâ Musicâ mutantur mores that the change of a kinde of Musick had a great influence on mens minds and had a generall change of manners consequent to it I conceive uniformitie in Gods service to be parallel to Musick being it self an outward concord or harmony of the most different affections and that that should be not onely changed but lost I cannot understand any necessity unlesse it be that some such like effects may be wrought in Religion also Sect. 25 For the fourth the Peoples bearing some part in the service whether by way of response in the Prayers and hymnes or by reading every other verse in the Psalm mentioned in Theodorets story l. 2. c. 24. where speaking of Flavianus and Diodorus he saith of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They divided the Quire of Singers into two parts and appointed them to sing the Psalms successively which custome began by them who saith he were admirable men labour'd extreamly to stir up all men to Piety to that end invented this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prevaild over the whole world or by way of mutuall charity returning a prayer for the Priest who began one peculiarly for them which Innocentius referres to in his letter to Aurelius and Augustino calling the communes alternas preces to which he there attributes more force quà m privatis then to private or by way of following the Presbyter in Confession of sins both at the beginning of the Service and before the Communion or in Profession of Faith in the Creeds wherein every the meanest Christian is to have his part it is certainly designed by the Church from the example of pure antiquity to very gainfull uses to quicken devotion which the length of continued hearing may have leave to dull and slacken and to recall those thoughts which may upon the like temptation have diverted to other objects in a word to engage every one to be made no idle of unprofitable Spectator of the Service and as long as there is still need of that help to these so necessary ends and not the least shew or pretence of objection against it how necessarie it can be to reject it wholly and lay all the task upon the Priest and not require so much as an Amen which it seems was in fashion in St Pauls time of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Lay person I leave to the most prejudicate Reader to give sentence for me Sect. 26 As for the Letany wherein the People are more exercised then in any other part of the Service it is certainly designed to make it more proportionable to the title bestowed on it by the Ancients of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earnest or intense Prayer and in Methodius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earnest Petitions in the Greek Liturgie simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intense or earnest from Act. 12. 5. Luke 22. 44. This continuall joyning of the people in every passage of it tending very much both to the improving and