and prescribed Forms there is no doubt that wholsome words being known and fitted to mens understandings are soonest received into their hearts and aptest to excite and carry along with them judicious and fervent affections In the eighth Paragraph thus he writes I could never fee any reason why any Christian should abhor or be forbidden to use the same Forms of Prayer since he prays to the same God believes in the same Saviour professeth the same Truth reads the same Scriptures hath the same Duties upon him and feels the same dayly wants for the most part both inward and outward which are common to the whole Church In the ninth Paragraph he goes on thus Sure we may as well before hand know what we pray as to whom we pray and in what words as to what sense when we desire the same things what hinders we may not use the same words our appetite and digestion too may be good when we use as we pray for our dayly bread I will write down here the thirteenth Paragraph which though it justifies Common Forms of Prayer yet condemns not but rather approves what our Adversary so magnifies as to down with set-set-Forms of Prayer provided it be done with a religious and prudential care His words follow Though I am not against modest discreet and humble use of Ministers Gifts in publick the better to fit and excite their own and the peoples affections to the present occasions yet I know no necessity why private and single abilities should quite justle out and deprive the Church of the joynt Abilities and concurrent Gifts of many learned and godly men such as the Composers of the Service-Book were who may in all reason be thought to have more Gifts and Graces inabling them to Compose with serious deliberations and concurrent advice such Forms of Prayers as may best fit the Churches common wants inform the hearers understandings and stir up that fiduciary and fervent application of their Spirits wherein consists the very life and soul of Prayer then any private man by his solitary abilities can be presumed to have with what they are many times even there where they make a great noise and shew the affectations emptiness impertinencies rudeness confusions flatness obscurity vain and ridiculous repetitions the sensless and oft-times blasphemous Expressions all these burthen'd with a most tedious and intolerable length do sufficiently convince all men but those who glory in that pharisaick way And the said King Charles having in the 15th Paragraph shewed the necessity of the use of Forms of publick Composure in the performance of Sacramental Administrations and the like in the 16th Paragraph his words are as follow A serious sense of which Inconvenience in the Church inavoidably following every mans several manner of Officiating no doubt first occasioned the Wisdom and Piety of the Antient Churches to remedy those Mischiefs by the use of constant Liturgies of Common Composure And now for a close at present as to my Meditations upon the present subject of common-Common-Prayer what can solidly or commendably be said against the Use of Set and Composed Forms of Prayer to put up to God the servent desires of our hearts by If the said Forms be lawful laudable and convenient as to the Matter and Expressions suiting together with our wants seeing we have such a cloud of Authentick Authors for it as David Jesus Christ our Saviour St. Paul John the Baptist besides the Fathers the Antient Churches the devout and pious Modern Divines yea and I might have recounted even all late Reformed Churches till these late upstart anti-Christian heady high-minded late Factions arose disturbing the Unity and blessed Peace of our and other true Churches of Christ denying the Lord that bought them and without Repentance bringing upon themselves and their Proselytes swift destruction And now I shall end my Meditations as to what preceded the Author's proposed fourteen Considerations following now to be considered of in the very Words of the before quoted King Charles of Blessed Memory with which he ends his Observations upon the said Ordinance against the Book of common-Common-Prayer I wish saith he their Repentance may be their only Punishment that seeing the mischeif the disuse of publick Liturgies hath already produced they may restore that Credit Use and Reverence to them which by the Antient Churches were given to Set Forms of sound and wholesome Words And now having shewed the groundless Oppositions of the Author to Common and Set Forms of Prayer given me to peruse and to give my opinion concerning the aforesaid subject and having also from the Sacred Scriptures and otherwise justified the Use and manifested the Aptness of Common-Prayers for our Devotions Worship and Service to be put up and performed to God I now come to speak to the Fourteen Considerations which the Author proposeth to the World as unanswerable Evidences in his judgement to make the aforesaid kind of Worship and Service though never so Conscientiously Sincerely and Heartity performed to be damnable because abominable to God and not required of us by him as is to be collected out of his four first Considerations I shall therefore now spend a little time about the said Considerations and look into the Bowels of them they being in the whole like the great Horse framed at the Seige of Troy in the Body whereof were inclosed men enough to deliver up the City to Destruction For in this Fabrick and Womb of these Considerations are inclosed conclusions and opinions enough to deliver up treacherously the City of God the Souls Redeemed by Christ's Blood to Hell and its Assistants the Beseigers thereof to Eternal Destruction if impenitently followed and persevered therein I will therefore open the Door of this Monster composed by deceitful Workers having transformed themselves in the Apostle's sence into the Ministers of Christ And letting out the deadly Enemies therein the false conclusions shall slay them with the two edged Sword of God's Word and known Truth That they make no further devastation hereabout upon them for whom Christ dyed In he Considerations the Author falls from the way he begâ—n in as to the quantity of a proposition namely the universality of his condemnation of Common-Prayer in his Indefinite term for now he endeavours especially to keep the Common-Prayer Book of our Church of England from a glorious Resurrection which had been Crucified Dead and Buried so long time by the long Parliament and their Armies For all his Magazine is spent in killing again what they thought they had killed before for ever namely the Common-Prayer Book In the four first Considerations are contained four positive Conclusions which the Author endeavours to make good by Scripture and thereby to overthrow the Common-Prayer Book of our Church for which purpose even the whole part of the following Pamphlet is spent Look upon the first Consideration beginning thus How Jealous the Lord of Heaven and Earth is of his own Worship and of all the parts
summ of this alledged out of St. Paul's practice to justifie set-set-Forms of Prayer whose Desire and Prayer to God for Israel was That they might be saved as Romans the 10th Vers 1. amounts to this That St. Paul Sosthenes Silvanus Timotheus and the brethren with Paul at Rome did put up their Prayers to God for his bestowing spiritual blessings upon the several Churches of Christ through the word of â—â—ace did put them up I say in a Common-Prayer in a set-composed or as the Separatists call it stinted Form of Prayer And considering that the afore-mentioned Christians and Saints continued so long in a Common set-set-Form of Prayer for those Churches I cannot think but the pride ignorance heady and high-minded Spirits of these men had they lived in days together would have charged St. Paul and the rest that joined with him in Devotion for the Churches with what they cast upon the painful orthodoxal conformable Clergy of our Church in the seventh Consideration where they call them Ignorant Scandalous Lazy and Formal Priests and Ministers to the deceiving and utter undoing of precious souls and should they have had but such Revenues Salaries Tithes and Gleabs gone along with their Labours as our reverend Bishops Deans and Chapters and some of our Clergy had with theirs their Conformity and Uniformity in Prayer especially it being so short how holy soever their lives had been was crime enough for their Houses to have been Plunder'd their Estates Sequestred and their Persons Imprisoned And now to leave off the further confirmation of this unjustly condemned Practice of Devotion by the use of set-set-Forms of Prayer in the times of the Old and New Testaments and in the times of the Antient Churches before Popery and in the days of the Reformed Churches fallen from the Pope I shall only commend to your consideration the Prayer of St. Chrysostom wherewith we even close our dayly Devotions as in all probability he and the people he was over did conclude their Worship of God in their set-set-Forms of Prayer Almighty God who hast given us Grace at this time with one accord c. I confess 't is not the Forms of Prayer be they never so Admirable as to Expressions without the fervent desires of the Heart be the man never so righteous that utters them that do avail ought with God but when a man from the ground of the heart ascends up to God in Forms be they never so antient short or Common provided they be lawful as to the Matter and laudable as to the manner of the Expression supplicating praying interceding and giving of thanks then they become at the Throne of Grace such as St. John in the 5th of the Revelations Vers 8. saw in Heaven when the 24 Elders fell down before the Lamb namely barps and golden vials full of odours even the prayer of Saints And hereupon was the exellency of David's Prayer of which he speaks Psalm 11â— Vers 58. I made my petition with my whole heart There are recorded in the Scripture divers Forms of Prayers and Thanksgivings Composed by David and other devout Worshippers of God questionless for the use of themselves and others in the frequent Commemorations of God's Mercies to them and for their Supplications to be made unto God their wants being again the same or alike as formerly But now that which made these Forms of Prayer effectual David mentions in the same place where he saith he did it with his whole heart All the powers and faculties of his Soul were now acting in their several places so as he might prevail with God to supply his wants And a devout soul setting dilligently to this as St. Peter and the rest of the Twelve resolved to do Acts the 6th Vers 4. namely give themselves much to prayer as David did namely petition the Lord with his whole heart let it be in a set-Form that that praying soul goes to God that soul cannot want success long For if the Spirit it self as St. Paul speaks Romans the 8th Vers 26. be not yet helping his Infirmities it will not be long before he be with him making Intercessions for him i. e. working in him gronings that cannot be uttered nor long unanswered by his God if the things petitioned may be consistant with God's glory and the petitioners true good and what hinders that this soul praying to or praising God in a Form as before limited may not be accepted of God seeing God hath his whole demand of him in a way not inhibited by him as is evident Prov. 23. Vers 26. My son give me thy heart So that what St. James said of faith without works and of faith with works may be said of Common or set-set-Forms of Prayer without the heart going up to God with them and with the heart going up to God in or by them In the 17 Verse of the second Chapter he saith that faith if it hath not works is dead being alone and in Verse the 26th as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also faith with out works is like the body without the spirit it acts nothing to the good thereof Even so the best Forms of common-Common-Prayer if there be wanting in the man that utters or uses them a spirit or heart of supplication they prevail nothing with God for him they may be Vials but they are without Odours or Incense and so no sweet savour to God But then in the 22 Vers the Apostle that faith by works was made perfect and in the 23 Vers that by virtue thereof faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousness and he was called the friend of God Even so Common Forms for Prayer by fervent earnest supplicating hearts going to God in them the Common Prayers but as dead in themselves are thereby made perfect yea lively and the praying man thereby is owned of God and dealt by as his friend I shall now end my reasoning for the lawful and justifiable use of Common Forms of Prayer that suit our wants our hearts being in a praying condition with the practice of our Saviour in his bitter Agonies Matth. 26. Vers 39 and 42. there is mention of Christ's praying to the father for the Cup to pass from him and having no grant and resolving to seek God further for it in the 44 Vers 't is said he went away again and prayed the third time saving the same words And lastly To prevail with ye to come off from the dangerous Frrour ye are in as concerning the present I shall mind ye with the Reasons King Charles the First of most blessed memory hath laid down for the present purpose in his Observations upon the Ordinance against the Book of Common-Prayer I will write down some Paragraphs in that Tractate that they that have not his Book may read the Judgment of that blessed Martyr concerning the matter now in hand In the sixth Paragraph his Words are these For the manner of using set
that have been and are but such as our Saviour said the Scribeâ— Pharisees and Hypocrites were Mat. 23 ver 13. where he said they did Shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men did neither go in themselves nor suffer them that were entering to go in But before I pass from the Consideration and Proposition I must touch a little upon the latter part thereof which is also by the Author misapply'd to our Liturgy and them that use it He looks upon our Worshipping of God in that form to be a false Service and the chief places he brings to discover what a false Service is are Isaiah 66. ver 3 4. and Jerem. cap. 9. ver 13 14. where the Prophets give the reasons why God had no respect to Israels offerings and why he gave up the Land to perish and to be burnt and it was they say because the People had forsaken God's Laws and followed their own ways and their own abominations Now all this makes nothing against our Liturgy or the Worshippers of God by it for our Service-Book hath nothing in it against the Will of God or his Worship set forth in the Scriptures I conclude therefore that had the Author applied the false Service he there spake of and the recited places out of Isaiah and Jeremiah to himself and the rest of the Factious as to their Worship and Service he had done rightly for I am sure that their Service both as to Prayer and Instruction in most things was truly what they falsely charge upon us namely a false Service As to their Prayers King Charles the First of most Blessed memory hath evidenced the falseness of their Service seeing God by St. Paul to Timothy 1 Epist cap. 2. ver 1 2. exhorts That Prayers and Supplications should be made for Kings and all in Authority For in the last Paragraph but one in his Observations upon the Ordinance against the Common-Prayer Book His words follow thus One of the greatest faults some men found with the Common-Prayer Book I believe was this that it taught them to pray so oft for me to which Petitions they had not Loyalty enough to say Amen Nor yet Charity enough to forbear reproaches and even Cursings of me in their own Forms instead of Praying for me Look upon the third Consideration beginning thus How sorely and severely hath he punished those Kings Priests Prophets and People that have been false Worshippers and swerved from his holy Commandments 1 Kings 11.6 Num. 11.34 The Author's Proposition in this Consideration is as followeth God hath sorely and severely punished those Kings Priests Prophets and People that have been false Worshippers and swerved from his holy Commandments His Proofs as before Answ The Proposition is true but nothing concerns them that worship God by the Common-Prayer Book nor are the places he quotes for Proof against them that serve God that way for that the Prayers of our Church are put up to the true God we are not gone to the Abominations of this Amorites nor to the Abominations of this Author nor of his Followers the Lord keep us in the Worship we are in and of his Mercy bring them back to us To the fourth Consideration I shall say no more nor otherwise than the Author hath there said to us mutatis mutandis Let them consider whether God doth call upon any of them to offer him any such Service as theirs is and hath been And whether he may not say to them for their so doing as they have done as he did once to Judah Who hath required this at your hands Isa 1.12 Look into the fifth Consideration being this How inconsistent with the Day and Light of the Gospel is this Service God having sent his Word more fully and plainly to direct his Ministers and People and given his Spirit in a more abundant measure to help and enable them to call upon him This Consideration in the beginning of it considering what in the beginning of the Treatise the Author writes to the Composers Imposers c. of common-Common-Prayer contains manifestly in the Author's opinion this following Proposition as a truth To make use of set Forms of Prayer in the time of the Day and Light of the Gospel to put up the desires of our Hearts to God by is no way justificable 'T is plainly his opinion for he saith that this kind of Service is inconsistent with the Day and Light of the Gospel And the following part of his Consideration is in manner of a reason to confirm it for he saith that in the Day and Light of the Gospel God hath sent his Word more fully and plainly to direct his Ministers and People and given his Spirit in a more abundant measure to help and enable them to call upon him than by that way of Common or Set Forms of Prayer In the beginning of my Confutation of this Author in my justifying set Forms of Prayer as there limited and that from the practice of our Saviour in his drawing up and commanding the use of his set Form As also from the practice of David of St. Paul Timothy and others I have sufficiently overthrown this Proposition and his Argument and Reason also brought for confirmation of it considering that it was the time and day of the fullest Light and Promulgation of the Gospel and of God's enabling Men by his Spirit to call upon him that ever was since in which was the justification of set Forms of Prayer after by the forementioned Examples and Precedents Well but yet for further Answer let enquiry be made what time the Author here means by the Day and Light of the Gospel in which he says the Spirit was given in a more abundant measure to help c. For satisfaction herein It was not meant of the time of Moses David Christ John Baptist or the Apostles for as hath been shewed set Forms were consistent with those Days of Light and help of the Spirit to call upon God 'T is certain therefore that by these words in his consideration namely the Day and Light of the Gospel the Author means the times of the late Wars and horrid Rebellion the times he wrote and inveighed against the best set Form for publick Worship and Service of God that ever was extant before it namely the common-Common-Prayer Book before this And now as for a fuller Answer I grant that with those their Days of Light which was as great a darkness as ever was since Christ as to Spiritual things the Glorious Liturgy of our Church was inconsistent being a Worship and Service according to God's and Christ's Rule and Doctrine for that the practice of the Opposers of the Common-Prayer Book was diametrically opposite to the Day and Light of the Gospel of Christ and his Apostles and therefore could have no more Concord together than St. Paul said 2 Cor. 6.17 Christ and Belial could have which was none at all therefore it was notable policy though nothing of true
salvation of men as is affirmed in the First to Timothy chap. 1. vers 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners And this he was to perform in two particulars First In giving himself by the Passion of his whole Life and Death a ransom for all 1 Tim. chap. 2. vers 6. And Secondly In teaching the World by himself and his Apostles the way to true Faith and due Obedience in order to their Salvation through the all-sufficient Sacrifice of himself offered upon the Altar of his Cross so expresly Acts the 3d vers 22 23. Moses said unto the fathers A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Now in answer to the Author's Opinion in this first Proposition it would be considered what Christ this Prophet and his Apostles have done in respect to this latter particular by Confirmation and Abolition of the Laws and Ordinances were in use and observation at his coming The Laws before Christ's coming are by Divines divided into Moral Judicial and Ceremonial The Moral Law contained in the Ten Commandments are 〈◊〉 veritatis of an everlasting truth There was no end put to these by Christ but were ratified by the Command and Observation of himself and his Apostles Matthew the 5th vers 19. I am not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfil Then there was the Judicial Laws imposed upon the Jewâ— by way of Penalties and other ways 〈◊〉 Upon the breach of some Moral Laws as stoning to death upon committing Adultery and restoring things stolen fourfold c. Secondly Upon the breach of some Ceremonial or Typical Laws as the stoning to death the man for gathering sticks upon the sabbath day Nam 1â— vers 32 33. and cutting off those that should cat Leaven seven days before the Passover and such like All which Judicial and also all Ceremonial Laws and Typical Prefigurations of Christ were ended by our Saviour's coming Doctrine and Death as is evident Colos 2. vers 14. blotting out the hand-writing of ordidinances which was against us which was contrary to us nailing it to his cross Yea I say they were all ended by him together with several of the Jewish Festivals which the Apostle calls Rudiments or weak and beggarly Elements as is to be seen Galat. 4. vers 10. Ye observe days and months and times and years I am afraid of ye But now it remains that I answer to the following words next laid down indefinitely and Traditions of men which must not be granted in its latitude By Tradition is understood for nothing taught by word or writing for mens observation of which Traditions some are abolished and others may or must be continued There were some Traditions besides Rudiments and Ordinances before spoken of that our Saviâ—â—r condemned one was the Command of the â—â—…ers concerning washing of hands before 〈◊〉 as a religious Duty to be performed before this our Saviour condemned Matt. â—5 vers 2 3. And there he condemned several Traditions of the Scribes and Pharisees which made the Laws of God of none effect But secondly Notwithstanding Christ's coming and putting an end to superstitious and wicked Traditions as before mentioned There are some Traditions must and others may and ought to be kept some must be kept namely such as the Apostle speaks of in the 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians chap. 2. vers 15. where he saith Hold fast the traditions which 〈◊〉 have been taught whether by word or our epistle These were the Doctrines and Directions of the Apostles in order to justifying Faith and a right worshipping and serving of God and were of Divine Authority and to be observed And secondly there were and are Traditions though not of the same absolute necessity with the former yet that may lawfully and ought to be observed Of this sort are the Instructions Exhortations and Reprehensions of the Ministers of the Word appointed and ordained by them in Authority to seed that part of the Flock of Christ they be set over Also of this sort of Traditions are all Injunctions Canons Liturgies Ceremonies provided first that they be either according to the Word of God or not against it And provided secondly that the end of imposing them be good that is not to make them essential parts of God's Worship as if God's Worship and way of Salvation were not compleated as to the Esse being or substantials of it by himself without them As also that the end of those things injoyned be but pro bene velmelius esse for the well or better being of our Worship in order to obtaining God's Favour and Mercy as also that we might tread the steps of the true Worshippers of God in our lawful Forms of Prayer joyning together and uniting one with another in a more powerful and prevailing way with our God than otherwise according to the Exhortations of David and St. Paul being for the forementioned end that of David Psal 34. vers 3. O saith he magnisie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together And the Prayer of St. Paul for the Romans and all believers to be like minded is for this very end and purpose Romans the 15th vers 5 6. Now the God of all patience and consolation graâ—t ye to be like minded ene towards another that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ But now how shall the Author make out the truth of what remains in the Proposition which is the point even only intended by him herein namely that the Common-Prayer Book Established in Queen Elizabeth's days c. as in the Proposition was one of those Rudiments or Traditions which Christ came to put an end to I think I have mentioned in my Answer to this Proposition most part of the Rudiments and Traditions that Christ ended and abolished at his coming into this World and at his death and I cannot but judge it a great piece of nonsence in the Author to say that Christ came to end that Liturgy which was not in being till above 1400 years after his coming Well but perhaps the Adversaries will say things that come to pass at any time have a being in the fore-sight and fore-knowledge of God before they have their actual being in the World as it was said of Christ Revelations 13. vers 8. That he was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the World To which I Answer Christ the Son of God was not the Lamb slain only from the foundation of the World in the sacrifice of the godly as in a type of him but was also said to be slain in respect to the foresight and design of God
the Father who of his everlasting love gave him a ransom for Mankind by his death And indeed to foresee and foretell things before they happen or come to pass is peculiar and proper only unto God as is evident Isaiah 41. vers 22 23. And therefore in this respect I can grant that the Common-Prayer Book had a being at or before Christ's coming But how can the Author make appear that either Christ or his Spirit have disallowed of it As for our Saviour he was so far from being against well composed Liturgies and consequently of being against ours because as King Charles the First the blessed Martyr said upon the Ordinance against the Common-Prayer Book in his seventh Paragraph that he held this to be a well composed one that indeed Christ composed a Liturgy himself to be used by all that should be his Disciples as Luke 11. vers 2. which Liturgy or Prayer of our Saviour as the aforesaid Martyr said in the Tenth Paragraph of those Observations was the Warrant and original Pattern of all set Liturgies in the Christian Church And I say especially of ours the Author so much inveighs against because if it be not the best that ever was extant before it yet it was a Liturgy inferiour to none So that for a blessed return and compliance of Dissenters to an Union with our Church I shall exhort all that shall peruse this small Tractate to consider diligently as to the Answers here to the several Errors couched in these Considerations so also diligently to ponder the exhortation of St. Paul to the Philippians chap. 2. vers 2 3. Fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves The second Proposition in the 13th Consideration is this The Book of Common-Prayer is against the Blood and Spirit and Gospel of Christ For proof whereof he alledgeth 1 Pet. 1. vers 18 19. Hebr. 9. vers 10 11. Answer Sure this man hath eaten shame as in the Proverb and digested it that he dare charge such apparent untruths upon our Church which is as full for Christ his Spirit and Gospel as any of the Churches in Christendom I appeal to any man that hath perused the Liturgy and Doctrine of our Church for the truth hereof for condemnation of this present Error Our Church in our Common-Prayer Book owns Christ the only Mediator of Redemption by the Merits of his active and passive Obedience according to that in 1 Pet. 1. vers 18 19 Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things c but with the precious blood For every where our Liturgy owns with the Apostle there that wâ— are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ And for evidence hereof consider the conclusions of our Prayers and Collects therein and they shall see all begged there of God for the sake merits or worthiness of Jesus Christ And if any man do but consider the Communion Service and that of the Sacrament of Baptism he must be wilfully if not maliciously blind to say that our Church or Liturgy is against the blood of Christ Further For evidence of the Author 's false charge here let men consider what Blessings and Thanksgivings we do annually offer to God for his giving his Son to us our all-sufficient Saviour and Redeemer in the joyful Commemorations of his Birth Resurrection and Ascension c. We own him the only Mediator of Intercession in Heaven and thereby to have obtained of the Father the sending of the Holy Ghost upon the Disciples in the day of Pentecost And that daily through his Intercession he sends the Holy Ghost into our hearts to sanctifie us to lead us into all truths guiding us thereby into the way of Peace and Salvation How are we then against the Blood or Spirit or Gospel of Christ If our Adversaries will peruse that Service-Book and the Doctrine of our Church contained in the 39 Articles and the Homilies they shall find all things therein agreeing with the Gospel and the Writings of the Holy Ghost deliver'd by Moses the Prophets Apostles and his other Penmen So that to conclude my Answer as to what is objected against the Common-Prayer Book of our Church in this 13th Consideration or elsewhere I cannot think but that if St. Paul were now upon earth taking the care of all the Churches as before he did he would give the like approbation of our Church both for Doctrine and Discipline as he did of the Colossian Church Coloss 2. vers 5. where he saith He was with them in Spirit joying and beholding their Order and stedfastness of their Faith in Christ To the 14th Consideration which is this Whether at the great and terrible day of Judgment any Magistrates Ministers or People can justifie before Christ the Making Imposing Reading or Hearing of this or the like Service To which I answer affirmative They all may justifie their so doing before Christ as hath been evidenced in the Answers to the Propositions and in what hath been laid down before for justification of set Forms as before limited in these Papers But then further In this 14th Consideration the Author would have men consider Whether good men as far as they build with this material namely by worshipping of God by this Book of common-Common-Prayer will not at the day of Judgment suffer loss To which I Answer Having consider'd of this Quaere and the excellency of building upon Christ the foundation of our hope by way of worshipping and serving God by way of Prayer and Thanksgiving as in our bounden duty to do and performing the said duty according to the Form of our common-Common-Prayer Book I see not how the Builders that build with this Material devoutly and fervently in spirit can suffer loss thereby that is lose their labour in so calling upon God For further evidence whereof I refer the Readers to my Observation of the great benefit King Charles the First of most blessed memory and divers there mentioned yea and the whole Kingdom have reaped thereby in my foregoing Discourse upon the the 6th Consideration But last of all he puts the Quaere Whether those can stand then in the Judgment without fear shame and sorrow that have cast out persecuted imprisoned or otherwise afflicted the true Preachers and Servants of God who did chuse to obey God rather than men and to obeserve his Divine Will rather than mens Traditions To which I Answer That if by the true Preachers and Servants of God he understand the Nonconformists to our Church before the 〈◊〉 Rebellion or if he thereby means the rebellionâ— Army and their Chaplains then his Argument â—alls to the ground because then he argues ex non supposins ex non supponendis of things not granted not to be granted for that they were neither true Preachers nor true Servants of God for evidence whereof I refer the Reader to my Discourse upon the first Proposition deducible out of this Author's 7th Consideration And for further Answer to this Quaere what the Author proposeth to the World to be consider'd of I wish earnestly might be laid to heart of all them that are alive of the late Rebellion for their true and unfeigned repentance that they might obtain at God's hand forgiveness of their sins that are as red as Crimson in Persesecuting Imprisoning Impoverishing Murthering and otherwise afflicting King Charles the First of most blessed memory the careful and godly Hierarchy of our Church the true Preachers of God's Word and others the most faithful Servants of the Almighty who did chuse rather to obey God and to observe his Divine Will rather than the Fanatical Inventions and Traditions of a rebellious multitude FINIS
A JUSTIFICATION OF Set FORMS of PRAYER And in Special of the LITURGY Of the Church of England In Answer to And Confutation of Vavasor Powel's Fourteen Considerations against all Composed and Imposed Forms of Prayer By Richard Lewthwat M.A. and Rector of Wethersdale in Suffolk LONDON Printed by A. Godbid and J. Playford for Robert Clavel at the Peacock in St. Pauls Church-Yard 16â—9 To the Right Honorable Henry Earl of Arundel Lord Mowbray c. and his Virtuous and Religious Countess Great Sir BEing put upon the Vindication of set-Set-Forms of Prayer and especially of the Liturgy of our Church and hearing of your Honour's resolution and beginning according thereto of becoming one in Religion Worship and Service of God in the way of the Church of England with your Illustrious and Devout Consort as ye are become one by Wedlock I thought it my bounden Duty upon the first Opportunity to make known to your Lordship and your religious Lady the great joy there is among us Protestants at your coming in as also to throw in my Mite and small help to settle and continue your Lordship in the Religion you profess with us which I can do no way better than by commending to you with our God and Saviour the daily reading and searching of the Holy Scriptures And as to perusing of Books upon them of which I may say with the Preacher in his prediction namely Ecclesiastes 12.12 there is no end I shall presume to recommend the same Method my Tutor at the Vniversity gave me to settle me firm in our Protestant Religion which was to be conversant in the Homilies of our Church and in the 39 Articles and Rogers upon them And withal I beg your Lordship's favour to do what I intended with all holiness and meekness of Spirit to have desired of your Honourable Father the Duke of Norfolk had he not gone beyond Sea namely to vouchsafe the reading of this short Tractate made publick at the request of divers persons by him who officiated sometimes as Chaplain to your Honourable Family and who is and shall be a truly devoted and well-wishing Servant to your Lordship and your religious Consort and to both your renouned Relations whilest he shall be Richard Lewthwat To my Reverend and Worthy Friend Dr. Laurence Womock Professor of Divinity and Archdeacon of Suffolk Reverend and Learned Sir ACcording to my bounden Duty and the earnest Desire was in my heart to reduce as many as I could of that great number of Scismaticks and Separatists that are about us to the Unity and Communion of our Church among other things in order thereto having received the worthy Tractate of Mr. Robert Conold most fit to help on that my Design I commended the perusal thereof to the chief head of the Independant Faction and most inflexible heart to Reformation about us so I take him to be for he told me then it would be to no purpose he being as in his own expression an old grown Oak in the Principles he was in But through much importunity I got promise of him to read it over and give me his Judgment of it both he granted upon condition that I should answer to things against the late Common-Prayer Book of our Church that were in Print that he would send me Whereupon I promised to give my Answer to the chief Objections whereby I became engaged to return an Answer to him of the things of greatest concern therein which promise of mine will be made good and he obliged to return something about that Tractate of Schism if there be deliver'd to him what I have drawn up to Mr. Powel's Fourteen Considerations in the beginning of his Book of which promise if he fail I hope there will be conviction of him and of his constant hearers and thereupon conversion of them to another Judgment and Practice Now having made known to several persons the said Considerations and my Answers thereto as I have at times drawn them up and my purpose of delivering them to the party in Writing Divers pâ—râ—â—ns have advised and desired me to endeavour the publishing of them by the Press alledging withall several Reasons to perswade me thereto As first because the Factions spreading them by Copies may willingly adulterate the Original and so disable it as to the conviction of them they communicate it to Secondly because if not Printed it will not be so commonly had for the benefit of the Multitude of their weak Proselytes who are captivated and held in the sad bondage of the following and like erroneous Rudiments and Traditions of the Jesuitical Heads of the several Factions in the Kingdom And thirdly because they hearing of my Promise made long since and not yet performed he and others give out that the Allegations in that Pamplet against set-Set-Forms of Prayer cannot be answer'd by my self or any of my Judgment Upon consideration whereof 't is presumed that if my Promise be not performed and published it may occasion the more secure Settlement of them in those dangerous Errors as also make a greater seduction of others to them than otherwise would have been For which reasons I have pitched upon the latter way of publication hereof if Authority shall permit Now if your self shall upon perusal approve the Answer as Orthodoxal and that it may be helpful to the bringing back but of the simple yet as I presume conscientious Multitude ledd away through good Words and fair Speeches as the Apostle speaketh of those who have caused Divisions and Offences contrary to sound Doctrine Then I most humbly beg that your self would Patronize this small Work being Dedicated to your Protection To which request if you shall condescend 't is very probable those Adversaries of our Church will not dare to rally Forces again about the present concerns or to give me another challenge fearing that if so you may become Second upon the next Quarrel whose success in conflicts of this kind they know to have been such that they will not venture upon any further Undertakings about this matter But Reverend Sir whilst I am arguing against these and other Errors near of kin to one another and reading these Answers to Mr. Powel's Errors to some loth to come out of them they tell me I am not of the same Opinion as formerly they say I was against Infant Baptism and the Book of Common-Prayer I now write for Sir to say a little to these Charges 'T is well known to your self by my Letters word of Mouth and Practice but best known to my self that I can easily take upon me by acknowledgment of my Errors and Mistakes for God's glory my own and others Eternal Safety all the shame and Temporal Evils incident thereupon which is much evident when through your discovering to me the Error I was in your self knew I came as willingly as through your help safely down from that high and dangerous Precipice I had climbed up to of absolute and irrespective as
well Reprobation as Election by giving too much credit to divers Authors of those Opinions and by not well comparing Scriptures with Scripture touching those Points And could I think that my Grant of what they cast upon me wrongfully would any thing further their return to us herein I speak it God bearing me witness I would take it all upon me per modum altissimi silentii But Sir I have found upon Inquisition that both those Reports have been rais'd and spread abroad by one not of their Judgment The falseness of that Report that I was against Infant Baptism will be apparent in that I have Testimony under his hand that raised it and malitiously spread it abroad that at least a year and a half before November the 19th 1660. I did in my Sermon from several places of Scripture maintain the Lawfulness of Infant Baptism Oportet mendacem esse memorem And I have to the same Testimonial the Subscriptions of the three chiefest men in Hardwick and Pulsham St. Mary the Virgin besides my Accuser Which Notes then deliver'd in Hardwick Pulpit were drawn up by me in 1656. after my Living of Wighton in Norfolk was taken from me and conferred upon Mr. Robert Hocknell And those Notes were drawn up by me at the request of divers going for Anabaptism to know my Judgment about that Point which Notes sent them altered their thoughts and strayed their further progress therein And whereas many say from the afore-said Mouth that I was against the Common-Prayer Book I now write for I confess that for some short time after his Majesty's Restauration I omitted Officiating by the Common-Prayer Book but did begin with the Confession Absolution and Lord's Prayer therein and after the Lessons repeated the Apostles Creed and after the Prayer for his Majesty and other Prayers and Collects I could repeat memoriter until I might as I expected hear from Authority the re-injoyning the Observation thereof punctually With which Service so performed the Loyal Party for a while rested contented but soon after the death of Thomas Glean Esq a man of known Loyalty to the Crown and Conformity to the Church of England the Major now Sir Peter Glean his Son was offended left the Parish Church in his own person went to Shelton and told me so he would do till I observed the Book of Common-Prayer as I ought to do Whereupon considering with my self that I was for set Forms and had no Exceptions against our Liturgy and that the major part of the Parish was for that way I told Sir Peter I was resolved if the Parish procured the Book punctually to use it I remember Sir Peter's Expression presently was this Cosin I am as glad of your Resolution as of an Hundred Pounds given me And the next Sunday after according to mutual agreement he deliver'd to me in presence of the Congregation before any thing said by me the Book of Common-Prayer and desired my Observation of it which was performed by me accordingly But Sir were all truth that is suggested against me I know not why the remembrancing me thereof should allay my Proceedings herein according to my Promise though so â—st alledged by them as I judge for that end considering the Charge given to St. Peter Luke 22. v. 32. When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren And truly had I been against set Forms of Prayer and our Liturgy as this Author was at the drawing up of these Considerations and afterward should have been convinced of the Greatness of the Error and the Damage to the Church of Christ through perseverance therein as my Conscience tells me they all are guilty of who stand off from joyning with us herein the first thing I should have undertaken should have been to imitate St. Paul converted to the Faith by the heavenly Vision who forthwith Preached that Faith he once destroyed Gal. 1. v. 23. I should soon have endeavoured thereupon by this way I now am in to have brought men to unite in this way of Devotion with our holy Mother the Church of England Thus praying God to bless you with Health all happiness and length of days I rest very much devoted to serve and honour you whil'st Richard Lewthwat Norf. VVE whose Names are here under-written do Certifie whom it may concern That Richard Lewthwat Rector of Hardwick in our said County hath to our Personal Knowledge for the space of two Years last past been of a Peaceable Sober and good Conversation hath by his Doctrine been Instrumental under God for the increase of our Knowledge and Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and profitable to the Instruction of our Youth And that in our hearing at least as we compute a year and half since did in his Sermon from several places of Scripture maintain the Lawfulness of Infant Baptism Witness our Hands c. And he doth Affirm to us That it is yet his Judgment and Opinion This I Affirm from the bottom of my Heart Witness my Hand Rich. Lewthwat Tho. Gleane Peter Gleane Tho. Sayer Joh. Ebbettes Subscribed this 19th day of November 1660. THE PREFACE TO the Readers but especially to them of the same Judgment and Practice with him that occasioned the ensuing Discourse is composed chiefly to remembrance them with the great concern and necessity of the being of Uniformity in Doctrine and Discipline among them that in the Apostle's sence name the Name of Christ or that do take upon them the profession of Christianity And for the evidence of the necessity hereof among us I shall mind them first with that of our Saviour in his Prayer a little before his Passion John 17. vers 11. Holy Father said he keep through thy Name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are Judas having received the sop as in the 13 Chapter of this Gospel vers 39. and was gone from Christ and the other Disciples to betray him then Christ in his Prayer desires the Father to keep his Disciples in his absence through his Almighty Power in an holy Unity of Faith Spirit and Worship which is the sum of these words namely that they may be one as we are For in these words Christ did not respect the substance of the Father and himself in which respect indeed they both were one but the consent and agreement betwixt them as doing or having of things done which was ever one and the same as is evident from that of the Apostle to the Hebrews quoted out of the Psalms Hebr. 10. vers 7. When the Father's will is for the Son to come the Son is as ready to come be it from whatsoever happiness to whatsoever misery it shall be When the Father will be pleased with no typical Sacrifices longer but will have the substance the Son to take a body of our nature fitted for a Peace-offering to be sacrificed for the expiation of our sins then the Son's will is one with his Then said he lo I come to
hast standred thine own mother's son In the third place God's Spirit denys ye to be Churches of Christ or else at least he charges ye with such evil Customs as none of them have or at least as they ought not to have for those words of the Apostle 1 Corin. 11. v. 16. belong to you and to such as you are If any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome neither the Churches of God The Factions do not only seem contentious they have too deeply engaged themselves therein for either their own or others spiritual good In the last place Ye are by the Apostle deliver'd with the incestuous person up to Satan As I may say he hath excommunicated you Romans 16. v. 17. Mark them that cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine ye have learned and avoid them If ye will be holding forth the Word as ye call it the Apostle would have ye have no other Auditors than the Walls and Stools are with ye he orders all to avoid ye none to hear ye or associate with ye unless for your conversion And now from my Heart for your conversion to us in the Apostle's words to the Corinthians the 1st Epistle chap. 1. vers 10. I do exhort ye and beseech ye in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ That ye all speak the same thing that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together with us in the same mind and in the same judgment And to prevail with ye all to joyn with us speedily in Worshipping the God of Peace and Unity I convince ye in the words of the Apostle Philippians 2. vers 1 2 3. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded have the same love being of one accord of one mind with us Let nothing henceforth be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves So biddeth farewel to ye all Richard Lewthwat February 26. 1677. Mr. Lewthwat I Have heard read and consider'd of your Treatise Intituled A Justification of set Forms of Prayer and in especial of the Liturgy of the Church of England in Answer to and Confutation of Vavasor Powel's Fourteen Considerations against Composed and Imposed Forms c. And upon the whole matter I conceive it may be very Useful and Profitable especially to the vulgar sort of seduced Dissenters to with-draw them from their former Errors and procure their Return to the Way of Divine Worship prescribed in the Church of England if you will be perswaded to permit it to be made Publick by the Press Hen. Nerford B. D. Rector of Attleburgh Norf. I Edward Atkinson Rector of Bunwell Norf. desire the same thing To the Composers Imposers Readers and Hearers of COMMON-PRAYER to the Disputers and Writers for COMMON-PRAYER I Would desire ye all in the Name and Fear of the All-seeing Almighty and All judging God to set these following and the like Considerations to your Hearts and your Hearts to them First How jealous the Lord of Heaven and Earth is of his own Worship and of all the Parts and Circumstances thereto belonging Deut. 5.9 Hos 5.11 Matth. 15.3 Col. 2.21 Rev. 22.14.20 2. How abominable and unacceptable to this holy just God have been and is all Idolatrous Superstitious and False Services and all that do serve him in any way or thing which he hath not himself commanded and appointed Deut. 7.25 26. Isa 30.22 and the 66.3 4. Jerem. 9.13 14. Ezr. 20.4 3. How sorely and severely hath he punished those Kings Priests Prophets and people that have been false Worshippers and swerved from his holy Commandments 1 Kings 11.6 Numb 11.34 4. Consider whether God doth call upon any of you all to offer him any such Service as this is and whether he may not say to you as he did once to Judah Who hath required this at your hand Isai 1.12 5. How inconsistant with the day and light of the Gospel is this Service God having sent his Word more fully and plainly to direct his Ministers and People and given his Spirit in a more abundant measure to help and enable them to call upon him 6. How little good if any at all hath been done by the long use of the Service-Book though men have prayed long by it that the rest of their lives might be holy and righteous and yet they still continue profane and unrighteous 7. How much hurt it hath done in sholdering and thrusting out many godly painful soul-saving Preachers and in bringing in and maintaining so many ignorant scandalous lazy and formal Priests and Curats to the deceiving and utter undoing of precious souls 8. Whether the imposing of the Scotish Liturgy which in some things was better though in some others was worse than the English was not the beginning and the first cause of the late grievous Wars and if so whether men should not be more cautious to do the like for the future 9. Whether if the truth were throughly and truly weighed and examined the first end of Composing the Common-Prayer-Book which do's so much symbolize with the Mass was not to bring Papists to Church but it effected so little therein not because they so much disliked it as because it was not in Latin and commanded by the Pope that it rather confirm'd them in their Mass-service 10. Whether some may not intend by the re-establishing this Book to oppose and put down that excellent and gracions Spirit of Prayer and Preaching which God hath poured out upon his Ministers and to make this a snare and net against all Preachers and people that out of Conscience cannot conform thereto 11. Whether any persons can produce any such Liturgy or Form of Prayer from the beginning of the World either among the Jews or Geztiles till above three hundred years after Christ when Anti-Christ began to exercise Papal Power 12. Whether if there were no other reason but that this Book hath been so much Idoliz'd by the generality of men and offensive to so many Christians it should not be done with as the Brasen Serpent was by Hezekiah 1 Kings 13. Whether one end of Christ's coming into and one part of his work in the World was not to redeem men from the Rudiments and Traditions of men of which this is one And whether it be not a sin against the Blood and Spirit and Gospel of Christ to impose maintain and continue still the use of the same 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Heb. 9.10 11. 14. Whether at the great and terrible day of Judgment any Magistrates and Ministers or People can justifie before Christ the making imposing reading or hearing of this or the like Service And whether good men as far as they build with this Material will not suffer loss And whether those can stand then in the Judgment
without fear shame and sorrow that have cast out persecuted imprisoned or otherwise afflicted the true Preachers and Servants of God who did choose to obey God rather than men And to observe his Divine Will rather than the Traditions of men Consider what I say and the Lord give thee you understanding in all things 2 Tim. 2.7 I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Psalm 119.128 With these fourteen Considerations Vavasor Powel begins his Invectives against Liturgies set-set-Forms of Prayer and Common-Prayer Books c. which was Printed at London for Livewell Chapman Anno 1661 and was deliver'd to me to peruse and to give my judgment thereof the fore-mention'd part whereof I have consider'd and according to promise do return some of my thoughts upon these considerations in the following words To the Opposers Contemners and Neglecters of Common-Prayer and to the Disputers and Writers against Common-Prayer I Would desire you all in the Name and Fear of the All-seeing All-mighty and All-judging God to set these following Propositions Conclusions c. to your Hearts and your Hearts to them being evidently enough though secretly closed and couched in the wombs of the fore-mentioned Considerations But before I come to open the Contents of the Considerations which I presume are framed especially for a Scare-crow to the Worshippers and Servers of God in the Way of our Church of England by the Book of Common-Prayer and by a Composed Form or Forms of Prayer by the Ministers before their Sermons I desire all that admire the reasons laid down against this kind of Worship to consider that the Author doth not intend only the Condemnation of our Common-Prayers but of any Common-Prayer whatever hath been Composed or shall be for he writes to the Disputers and Writers for Common-Prayer and to the Composers Imposers c. of Common-Praver which terms are indefinite and are equipollent in Logic to Universality so that the Author is against all Common-Prayer whatever have been or shall be Composed or Imposed c. so that you may see by the Immediate succeeding discourse there is no less then a condemnation by the Author of David of St. Paul of all the ancient and modern Churches and Divines yea and of Jesus Christ himself that came into the World to seek and to save that was lost And now to shew ye the blindness of this Guide Disputing and Writing against Common-Prayer and the danger of them that follow him and such as are of his erroneous Judgment First I desire ye to search the Scriptures as concerning this matter where we find Records that Common-Prayers and set-Forms have been Composed Imposed and Used by them that were sanctified yea by them that had Authority from Heaven to instruct and guide men in the Worship and Service of God In the 1 Chron. 16. vers 7. Then on that day David delivered first this Psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren if ye look upon what follows ye have the form of the Thanksgiving If ye look before that 7th Verse ye shall see the occasion thereof and the Quire appointed to sing it unto the Lord in the Ears of the Congregation But come we to look into the Gospel and that in the 11th of St. Luke at Verse the first our Saviour's Disciples desired him to teach them to pray as John also taught his Disciples hereupon Christ composed a Prayer the Form being Our Father which art in Heaven c. yea and imposed it upon them to be used by them when ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. Now this Prayer was and is Common-Prayer 't is a Prayer belongs to every one of Christ's Disciples because it sutes all their occasions and 't is commanded That they use it as oft as they pray When ye pray say Our Father c. but yet not so injoined that they should use no other when they pray but that as good Expositors give the meaning as is the practice of the best Reformed Churches and men of the soundest judgments they should either at the beginning or ending or in some part of their Devotions send up the desires of their hearts to God in that form of Prayer And if upon these Considerations that Prayer be not Common or a set-set-Form of Prayer I know not what is meant by the notions of Common or set-set-Form of Prayer King Charles the First of most blessed memory in his Contemplations upon the Ordinance against the Common-Prayer-Book saith of this our Lord's Prayer that it is the warrant and original pattern of set-Liturgies in the Christian Church Further considering Christ's Disciples request there 't is more then probable that John the Baptist had Composed a set-set-Form of Prayer to be used by his Disciples in their Devotions and Service of God One Precedent more I shall mind ye of for justification for Composing and Using set-set-Forms of Prayer in the Churches of Christ which I bring from the practice of St. Paul in the beginning of his Epistles to the several Churches of Christ St. Paul knowing as he saith in the 1 Corinth Chap. 3. Verse 6 7. That 't is not of his planting nor of Apollo's watering by the word alone that Grace is begotten or increased in men but that 't is by God's blessing the word thereto doubtless hereupon it was that he ever began his Epistles with prayer to God for spiritual blessings to be to them through the word he sent them And if ye peruse the beginning of his Epistles he being to bring down the same blessings upon the several Churches from God by his Epistles and Prayer to God he useth ever the same set-set-Form of Praâ—er Rom. 1. Vers 7. and Ephes 1. Vers 2. his Prayer for them is in the same form of words Gâ—ace be to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ See St. Paul having the same mercies of Grace and Peace to seek at God's hand to be power'd down upon those Churches by his Epistles to them his heart ascends up in desire to God for their spiritual benefit thereby in the same words Nay and 't is not a Common-Prayer or Liturgy for himself only to pray by but for others also for himself and Sosthenes 1 Corinth Vers 2. for himself and Timothy 2 Corin. Chap. 1. Vers 2. and Philip. Chap. 1. Vers 1 2. and Colos Chap. 1. Vers 1 2. Yea 't is a set-Form for himself Silvanus and Timotheus Epist 1. Thessal 1. Vers 1 and 2. Thessal Chap. 1. Vers 1 2. Yea further 'T is a set-set-Form for himself and the Brethren with him at Rome praying to God through the means of that Epistle for the re-establishing the Galatians in the Gospel from which they were fallen 't is the Prayer for them all Grace be to ye and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Galat. Chap. 1. Vers 1 2 3. So that the
and circumstances thereto belonging Deut. 5. vers 9. c. and withall look upon the latter part of the second Consideration at these words All that do serve him in any way or thing which he hath not himself commanded or appointed Deut. 7. vers 25 26 c. And ye shall see thus much to be imply'd and inserred The Proposition The Lord in the Scriptures hath set forth his own Worship and Service for us to perform and observe as to all the parts circumstances way and things thereto belonging Parts Circumstances any way and things are his own words as ye may read in the first and second Considerations and are secretly affirmed there by the Author of the Worship and Service of God to the same purpose I have predicated them in the Proposition To which I thus Answer As to the essential and absolutely necessary parts of our Worshipping and Serving God or as to what is to be believed and morally done by us to be saved I do grant they are contained and set forth first fully in the Old Testament and that by Moses from the Mouth of God though not so cleerly as since because of the Vail that was over so that then they could not steadfastly see to the end of them as St. Paul speaks 2 Cor. 3. vers 13. And they are again fully set forth in the New Testament and that by Jesu◠Christ from the Father John 12. vers 50. Whatsoever I speak therefore even as the father said unto me so I speak Whereupon Christ is called the Word John 1. vers 1. that is the Word of the Father because as the Father taught him so he spake John 8. vers 28. Therefore in respect to the setting forth fully the Worship and Service of God and way to Salvation as to the essential parts thereof both Christ and Moses have approbation by the Author to the Hebrews cap. 3. vers 1 2. Consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Christ Jesus 〈◊〉 faithful to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithful in all his house But to grant that the Worship and Service of God set forth so sufficiently by Moses or Christ as before granted was directed and order'd as to all the circumstances words ways and things by them or any under them is to grant more than can be proved by the Scriptures For to instance in one particular essential part or duty of Worship or Service we see that when God by Moses or his Son or by any under them have commanded men to call upon God by Prayer in time of need or to praise him for his goodness to them all the Circumstances of this Duty as to words or forms or places or number of times of Praying to God or Praising of him are not fully set forth by them neither by Precept nor Example for we see the Examples herein dissering Psal 119. vers 164. the Psalmist is at his Devotion seven times a day and Daniel is but three times Daniel 6. vers 10. And so as to the Posture or Gesture in performance of the Duty have not been the same Daniel's posture was kneeling in the place aforesaid Luke 18. vers 13. the Publican's was standing Deut. 9. vers 18. Moses's posture was sometimes falling down upon his Face at his Prayers And as much may be shewed as to other Duties So that from this hath been said 't is evident the circumstances wayes and things as the Author calls them as to the Worship and Service of God were not all commanded and appointed by God in the Author's sence Wherefore I cannot see but that our Church Liturgies are more justifiable than either the set Forms of the factious Persons which some of them desire should not seem to be set Forms by reason of their disuse of them for some considerable time yea and more justifiable than their Extemporary Prayers which they falsely and blasphemously call Praying by the Spirit Considering that both in their Composed Forms and Extemporary Prayers for the most part if not always they consent not to wholsome Words even the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ nor to the Doctrin which is according to Godliness to use the Apostle's Phrase in the first to Timothy cap. 6. vers 3. with neither of which can they charge our former or present Common-Prayer Book Look upon the former part of the second Consideration which begins thus How abominable and unacceptable to this holy just God have been all Idolatrous superstitious and false Services The Proposition is this as the Author's opinion All Idolatrous Superstitious and false Services are abominable and unacceptable to God Answer This Proposition I grant to be a Truth for God wills us to own him to be God yea and him alone 2 Kings cap. 19. vers 15. and Exod. 20. vers 2 3. I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land c. Thou shalt have no other gods but me As to godship lordship and absolute Supremacy God will indure no Corival in the heart of Man And whosoever ascribes to any Creature what the Scriptures have peculiarly attributed to God is guilty of Idolatry and Superstition also All therefore that is to be faulted in this consideration is the Author's misapplication of the Proposition for he applies it to them that worship God devoutly and call upon him fervently in a justifiable Form of Prayer And I see not but the Author in so applying the forementioned Proposition issuing out of that consideration how he can be guilty of less than Blasphemy in terming that Service of ours Idolatrous seeing we worship the true God rightly Where is our Idolatry or false Service in that Worship and Invocation Is it in our going to God by Prayer in time of need through the only Mediator betwixt God and Man Christ Jesus our Saviour As we do confessing with our Mouths because believing with our hearts that God is both able and willing to supply our wants as is necessary to be in devout souls in order to obtain at God's hands Hebrews 11. vers 6. In all this I hope we are neither Idolatrous nor false in our Service The Author might rightly have applied to himself and his Proselytes the Doctrin or Proposition considering his words in the seventh Consideration where he terms their own Speakers Soul-saving Teachers for in so saying he is both Idolatrous and Superstitious in ascribing that to themselves which is the peculiar of the infinite Wise God Isaiah 43. ver 11. I even I am the Lord and beside me there is no Saviour Is he not therein Idolatrous and Superstitious in ascribing to their own Teachers to be both the Fountain and Cunduit-pipe of Salvation or saving Grace as there he doth If not so I am sure he falls thereupon under St. Paul's reprehension of the carnal and ignorant Factions in the 1 Corimh cap. 3. ver 6. For indeed it will be evident when I come to speak of the aforesaid consideration that
Vain-glory or of Covetousness even by the same Spirit or ends our Saviour said was in the Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites whose Prayers were lengthned for a shew or for pretences Luke 20.47 and Matt. 23. vers 14. But let 's see what can be said for their pretended more abundant help of the Spirit in respect to their Extemporary and Unpremeditated mode of Praying To this I answer If any will go thus to God in Prayer in private but especially in publick that is without a due premeditation and consultation with himself of the mercies received he and the people are to be thankful for or of the things they stand in need of and are to beg of God 't is no less than unwarranted singularity and rash presumption in respect to authentick and Scripture Precedents and Instructions and to term it praying by the help of God's Spirit 't is no less than Blasphemy in the highest nature Let 's look into the Scriptures for the truth hereof Gen. 24. vers 63. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field Another Translation renders it he went out to pray And the reason of these differing Translations Vatablus affirms to be because the word in the original which is Suach signifies both to Meditate and to Pray so that it might have been render'd Isaac went out to Meditate and to Pray And then it commends thus much to our Practice and the present purpose First we must meditate of God's goodness to us and our wants and that done then put up our Praises and Prayers to God being by that premeditation better inabled to perform that Duty than without it A Marginal Note upon this place saith That this was the Exercise of the godly Fathers in those times to meditate of God's merciful Pronuses and then to pray for the accomplishing of them And this was the practice of David Psal 63 vers 5 6 7. My mouth shall praise thee with joyfullips look on and you shall see David will not enter upon this Duty rashly without meditation of God's help and goodness what it was this he said he would do when he had remembred him upon his bed and meditated on him in the night watches because he had been his help The resolution of the Twelve Acts the 6th vers 4. will joyn in condemnation of this their mode of praying without premeditation at least there the Twelve said we will give our selves unto prayer continually and to the ministry of the word I presume that by their resolution of giving themselves much to prayer they neither meant a constant heathenish nor pharisaical length of prayer nor at all the late 〈…〉 kind of unpremeditated supplication both which modes have been and yet are too much in use No the Twelve by giving themselves to prayer considering the practice of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scriptures 〈◊〉 by the same Spirit with the Twelve it was â—eâ—…t of Composing Forms of Prayer for themselves and others to put up their Prayers by or at least of searching to know by meditation their own and others 〈◊〉 they were to take care of and then to seek up with Mâ—sâ—s David and others inabled by the same Spirit of Prayer such arguments and reasons from consideration of God's promises and properties and of Christ's undertakings and from considerations of mens wants and necessities that thereby they might put up to Godâ—… effectual and servent Prayers for themselves and those they were setover by Christ Which gloss may very well be admitted as the meaning of the twelve Apostles there considering St. Paul's direction concerning Prayer who was of the same dedication with the twelve both as to Prayer and the Ministry of the Word 1 Tim. 2. vers 1 2 3. the Apostle there directing Timothy and all other Ministers of Christ after him as to the manner of praying to God He doth not there exhort to the performing of that duty in such way as that praying in this or the fore mentioned mode or manner it should be done according to God's will His Exhortation is not that men pray for Kings and all in Authority The Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I exhort that Prayers be made which word bears to be composed prepared or made ready as in a form up to God to put the desires of their hearts for all men for Kings and all in Authority that we may lead a peaceable and quiet life in all godliness and honesty 'T is confest that in the Apostles times among other miraculous gifts of the holy Ghost some had their Extemporary Effusions 1 Cor. 11.14 15. and with the 2â—th Every one of you hath a Psalm c. but the Apostle observing that this begâ—t so much Emulation Faction and confusion among them he restrained the use of those Gifts and injoyned that all things should be done decently and to that effect that they should be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to rule appointment and order vers 23. and the 40th Or again the former gloss upon the resolution of the twelve Apostles of giving themselves much to Prayer may be admitted as their meaning there considering what it was for them to give themselves to the Ministry of the Word for what is meant of giving themselves to the word is meant of giving themselves to Prayer Now the Apostles by giving themselves to the Ministry of the Word was meant their searching into the will of God their studying and meditating of the mind of Christ by comparing as St. Paul speaks spiritual things with spiritual Scripture with Scripture and by consulting one with another of the sure way of salvation as we see was their practice when the difference arose about Circumcision Acts 15. from vers 1. to the 30th Which thing is also evident from the practice of the Apostle St. Paul whose giving himself to the Ministry of the Word was doing what he commended in others 1 Tim. 5. vers 17. namely labouring in the Word and Doctrine by study and meditation of the word of God joyned to the assistance of God's spirit that was helping of him So that I see not but that that place where the twelve Apostles resolved to give themselves much to Prayer rightly expounded gives a suffrage with the practice of Isaac David and others in condemning this mode of unpremeditated praying to God And so I shall end my declamation against it with part of the second Verse of the fifth Chapter of Ecclesiastes the end whereof before with other places of Scripture gave sentence against the heathenish and pharisaical mode of Prayer Be not rash with your mouths and let not your hearts be hasty henceforth to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and you upon earth But though I have said thus much against the two former modes of Prayer as they be used by the factious against both Scripture Precedents and Rules for Devotion yet I would have the Adversaries know that I am not so against sudden and unpremeditated Prayers or
long Prayers either as that God's people should never use them there is sometimes occasion for both and a time when neither is to be neglected for a sudden Prayer we have warrant for and encouragement to from the practice and prevalency of the Disciples Matt. 8.25 When upon a sudden storm the ship was ready to sink and they to perish they run to Christ with Lord save us we perish And there is occasion sometimes for long Prayers as there was in the time of God's provocation by the sins of Israel and Aaron when it was the Lord's resolution to have destroi'd them Deut. 9. vers 18 19. then Moses is at Prayer forty days and forty nights Which is also upon extraordinary occasions the practice of our Church for in the times of God's heavy Judgments upon the Land or upon some particular place theref the sure Evidences of God's displeasure because of our sins then our Church appoints days of Humiliation and the Prayers to God upon those days are lengthned then as well as fitted to the present occasions Which is also ordinarily the practice of our Church it being our duty from St. Paul's churge sometimes to remember in our Prayers all Men Kings and all in Authority Hereâ—â—on our Church lengthens our Prayers at times by the Litany and so that 't is hard to find where the concern of any one man is neglected yea and so well 't is composed also as to brevity fulness and 〈◊〉 to the dispatch of the Duty injoyned that I heard our late Bishop Reynolds where judgment was of high esteem with them of the Author's faction if they did not dissemble 〈◊〉 give it this Eâ—comium That it was the most excellent composed Prayer that ever was used in the Worship of God since the times of Christ and his Apostles and said He was of opinion that is â—ll the Divines then living shoulâ— join 〈◊〉 in making another they couldl not parallel it But let 's look now upon the third respect their lat City of refuge as to the present concern which is their more spiritual powerful and aâ—â— mentative way to be used in Prayer to prevail with God In which respect I preâ—â—â—e they challenge to themselves a more abundant help of the Spirit as to Prayer than others yea than those that composed this Form of Common Prayer for the Church and themselves to seek God by Well now as to the trval hereof we must to the Orale or Word of God and consider of the Precedents and Directions therein as to the way of powerfulness and prevalency with God by Prayer and see whose Pravers the Churches or theirs be best sitted to help the souls of people to a fiduciary servent and effectual way of praying to God or which be most sutable to Scripture Directions herein And as to lead to this we need go no further than to our blessed Saviour helping his Church in their Devotions and Pravers mait 6. vers 9. After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father which art in heaven c. Heb. 11. vers 6. The spirit of Christ tells us that without Faith it is impossible to please God in the performance of any Duty and there concludes that he that goes to God by Prayer effectually he must believe that God is both able and willing to relieve them that diligently seek him that is the summ of that place Now Christ as helping devont souls to obtain at God's hands the things they stood in need of by Prayer directs them in the beginning to the minding of that may raise and continue in the praying foul a faith or belief in God in order to a diligent seeking of God so as he may obtain Our Father which art in heaven for there he remembers them with the power of God to help in that he tells them God is in heaven to whom they pray and therefore above the reach of earthly things to hinder his will he also there minds them that he is as willing to relieve as able in remembrancing them he is their Father And in the close of his Direction he teacheth them to argue even undeniably with God to grant their requests For says he thine is the kingdom the power and the glory here are strong Arguments to incline a God of power of truth of justice of mercy and of greatness as God is to vouchsafe the things he directed his Church to ask and whereof they stand in need For there he teacheth his Church to remembrance God that he doth no wrong to any in granting their desired necessities they mind him he hath right to dispose of where he please the things they begged Secondly they mind him 't is in his power to grant their desires And lastly in the close of all they mind God of his own advantage upon the grant of their requests yea and enter into a Covenant also to be for ever thankful to God upon his granting their requests all these are couched together in that close commonly called by Divines the Doxology of that Prayer for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever and over Amen And now having briefly considered of the direction of our Saviour as to the most powerful and effectual way of Prayer let 's peruse some of the Prayers of our Church Liturgy and some of the Prayers of them who have so undervalued and neglected the same and let the World and themselves judge who come nearest the Directory and Liturgy of our Saviour and the practice of God's Saints in the Scriptures herein And I 'le begin with the beginning of our Liturgy that pithy and effectual though short Form of Confession and Supplication in order to forgiveness of sins past and of amendment of life for the future As the due and fullest confession of sins is an infallible way so also 't is an only way to obtain forgiveness of sins upon supplication thereof through Christ Which we see in the Prodigal being come to himself and after that to his Father in the same way Luke 15. vers 17 21 22. Now that devout souls might come up to a due performance of both our Church follows our Saviour's fore-mentioned Directions It begins with Almighty and most merciful Father A Procemium fitted to help every sinful confitent and petitioner to faith to continuance and increase in faith so as they may return with the Prodigal's hope and desire to God their heavenly Father Almighty God and with as happy a success as he did to his For here is means fit to help sinners to go to God in 〈◊〉 faithful hope of forgiveness and consequently to seek it of him diligently For here they are briefly instructed they are going to him for forgiveness and for their wants who is the most merciful Father in the World nay to him whose compassion and inclination to forgiveness is as far beyond an earthly Father's as the Heavens are higher than the Earth Isa 55. vers 9. which thing is argued by our
positively and indefinitely he saith though men have prayed long by it that the rest of their lives might be holy and righteous yet they still continue profane and unrighteous To which I answer This being the judgment and sentence of the Author or of any that read his Pamphlet let them return speedily with a penitent heart for and from these thoughts For I see not but they may be ranked with the man of sin St. Paul speaks of in the 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians chap. 2. vers 4. who as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing and professing himself that he is God For in the I st of the Corinthians chap. 3. vers 17. A Church of God a Congregation of believers are there called the Temple of God Now this man or any following this his opinion living with or among a Church of God a company of true Worshippers of God he or they holding and professing the aforesaid opinion are got into the Temple of God hereby professing themselves that they are God in judging and condemning a great part of God's Church before Christ to whom is committed all Judgment be come in the clouds to justifie some and condemn others Or if they may not be ranked there I am sure they may with them St Paul in the 2 Epistle to Timothy chap. the 3d at the first vers and so on said should come in the last and perilous times namely blasphemers and despisers of those that are good which evidently belongs to them if ye do but consider the conversations and spiritual comforts of the late reverend Bishops Deans Prebends and of others outed sequestred persecuted imprisoned and murthered both of Clergy and Laity that were constant Worshippers of God in that Form of the Service-Book in publick whilst it could be so used and in private afterwards Seeing that these through the grace and help of God serving God that way might and I believe did in and from their hearts say in St. Paul's hope as well as words 2 Epist to Tim. chap. 4. vers 7. namely that they had fought a good fight and kept the faith and that there was laid up for them a crown of righteousness Nay their blasphemy and unparallelable despications upon this their condemnation are yet more evident and rise yet higher in their not excepting our late King Charles the blessed Martyr It cannot be denied but that he was a constant Worshipper of God in Publick by the Service-Book And prayed even to the last unto God by it Now I do positively say and who shall contradict it that there was much sanctifying grace to him from God upon his Devotion and Worshipping God thereby which will be evident if his Book Composed by him were but perused Where ye may see a testimony of his Spiritual Comforts and of Sanctifying Righteousness vouchsafed him of God yea and of his possession of Christ's and Steven's Spirit at his approaching death in both freely forgiving and fervently praying for his cruel Enemies Nor can it be thought but that God through the use of that Service-Book did vouchsafe him help cheerfully to drink off that Cup of Death so imbitter'd by his Enemies especially considering the true report goes of his Morning-Worship the day before he suffer'd His Majesty being to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper the Morning before his Passion being the 30th of January The Service was to be performed by the Book of Common-Prayer which Bishop Juxen then officiating observed punctually and coming to the second Lesson to be read named it the 27 chap. of St. Matthew At the Bishop's naming the Lesson being the History of our Saviour's Passion His Majesty in all probability not eying the Calender as then it concerned him not to do steps to the Bishop and in meekness asked Why he did apply that Chapter to the present occasion The Bishop replied to this purpose and said It was the portion of Scripture that by providence was appointed for the second Lesson by the Common-Prayer Book for the Morning-Service Then said his Majesty Go on So that at the dreadful hour of his death being then at greatest need of help to suffer as Christ Jesus was in his bloody Agonies at the approaching of the hour of his Passion God by this his appointed Lesson for his Majesty's Passion made the Common-Prayer Book do for this blessed Martyr at that time what the Angel did for Christ when appearing to him in his Agomes from Heaven strengthning him for thereby questionless God helped his Majesty to pass towards the gate of death calmly undauntedly and chearfully as he did as thousands can yet testifie nor can I see how it should be less or otherwise seeing that God thereby gave an unexpected and extraordinary Testimony to him that that day he was to suffer with him even as he did one for many and consequently to reign with him and that he should this life ended be with him in Paradise sitting with the noble Army of Martyrs praising and magnifying the God of his salvation And last of all to conclude against this most false and damnable determination of the Author let it be consider'd of that God hath often given testimony of his acceptance of that Form of Prayer and of the Worshippers of him thereby seeing that when God at any time hath shewed his Indignation against the sinful people of this Land by his sore Judgments upon some places thereof why the repenting Inhabitants humbling themselves before this God and seeking his atonement and reconciliation in this Form of Worship and Service together with some few set Prayers and Portions of holy Scripture fitted to the present occasions why I say this Common-Prayer Book with those few apt alterations have oft-times done for England what David's rearing an Altar at the Word of God and offering burnt-offerings and peace-offerings thereon did for Israel 2 Sam. chap. 24. ver 25. it hath not been long before the Lord hath been intreated and the Judgments stayed To the 7th Consideration How much hurt it hath done in shouldering and thrusting out many godly painful soul-saving Preachers c. I presume that in this Consideration the Author hath respect to the times before the beginning of the long Parliament and the Wars they raised against his late Majesty of blessed memory when according to the Law of the Land as now it is the same the Ministers that would not conform to the Book of Common-Prayer could neither hold their Livings nor Preach In this respect he means the Service-Book shoulder'd and thrust out many godly painful soul-saving Preachers this being the sense of the Author in this former part of the Consideration as I verily believe it is it contains this following Proposition Those Ministers that would not conform to the Book of Common-Prayer were godly painful soul-saving Preachers Answer To make which Proposition true the Author must have recourse to some of their new light for I am sure that the old light the Old and
New Testament neither by Precedents nor Precepts therein can they prove themselves to be either in a godly or soul-saving way of themselves or of them that did adhere to their Doctrines For so soon as his Majesty's Grant was ratified for the two Houses of Parliament to sit during their pleasure there was soon a foundation for a Rebellion laid by them and the Synod of Divines sitting with them Which was no sooner done but those Dissenters from the Common-Prayer Book some having gone beyond Sea and others retiring into secret places at home for a while soon joyned all their Forces to carry on the late most damnable Rebellion and Disobedience So that instead of being owned godly and soul-saving Preachers they may justly be termed what the Pharisees were of John the Baptist namely an off-spring of Vipers For as 't is the property of the off-spring of Vipers to destroy their Dams that gave them their being so did these forsaker of the Service-Book soon help to destroy our most gracious Sovereign that under God gave them their safe being and preservation as English-men and for a long while destroyed their Mother the true Protestant Church of England which gave them their spiritual saving and Christian light and grace if ever they had any So that for the just condemnation of the former part of the Author's 7th Consideration what God said against Judah and Hicrusalem by Isaiah chap. 1. vers 2. may justly be applied to these opposers of the King State and Church of England Hear O Heaven and give car O Earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me Now something would be said to the latter part of this 7th Consideration where the Service-Book lies under a great condemnation in respect to bringing in and maintaining many ignonorant scandalous lazy and formal Priests and Curats to the deceiving and utter undoing of many precious souls In which latter Paragraph I presume the Author had respect to the Times before the long Parliament and the late unhappy Wars and do mean thereby that the Ministers in the foregoing times which would subscribe and conform to the Book of Common-Prayer though but of mean parts were admitted to Livings and suffer'd to serve their Cures in which respect I presume the Author means the Service-Book brought in and maintained many ignorant c. as above said To which Accusation I make this ensuing Apologetical Answer I remember that in those times many of the Clergy brought into the Ministry in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory as also for some while after by reason of a scarcity of Learned Men occasioned by the sharp Persecution of such Divines in Queen Mary's days and in another respect alledged by a Bishop at the Conference at Hampton-Court I say I remember many of those Ministers of very mean ability were then alive and remained in their Livings And indeed I confess that in that respect it may be said that the Service-Book brought in and maintained some Ministers of but mean Abilities but yet were nothing so impudently and wickedly ignorant as Butchers and other Mechanick Teachers put into publick places after the said Service-Book was crucified for though these former Ministers knew not much yet what they knew they knew rightly but these latter thinking they knew any thing as St. Paul 1 Corinth chap. 8. vers 2. they knew nothing as they ought to know In the next place the Author saith this Service-Book did bring in and maintain scandalous and lazy Priests and Curats that is first men of an open wicked Coversation To which I Answer 'T is a charge as nonsensical as false and as false as any thing can be Let him shew where the Rubrick or any part of the Book yea or any Canons or Constitutions of our Church give Toleration or countenance of any such Minister in that Office If there be any such scandalous Minister in the Church the fault lies in the Officers in not presenting of them not in the Service-Book nor in them in Ecclesiastical Authority For as our Bishop when Arch-Deacon hearing by flying reports of some scandalous Ministers to be in his Jurisdiction and meeting with no Informations thereof at his general Visitation he told the Officers of the reports but withall told them there could not be a debauched Clergy in England unless there were a perjured Laity And whereas the Author saith they were lazy that probably might be spoken how diligent soever because they prated not nonsensically twice or thrice a week in the Pulpits as some of their gang did use to do But if the Works and Sermons of most of the Clergy Printed and weekly Preached were duly consider'd of both in these times and in the days he complains of in this Consideration they would be found generally a Clergy so labouring in the Word and Doctrine as they might be thought justly worthy of double honour and in that respect free with St. Paul from the blood of all men neither deceiving nor undoing any soul as the Author uncharitably and blasphemously charges here upon many Ministers To the 8th Consideration Whether the imposing of the Scottish Liturgy which in some things was better though in some others worse than the English was not the beginning and the first cause of the late grievous Wars and if so whether men should not be more cautious to do the like for the future I presume that upon this Consideration the Author would have this believed and granted that the Imposing of the Scottish Liturgy to be used in their Publick Worship and Service of God was the beginning and the first just cause of the late grievous Wars Or thus That the Scots and late long Parliament in England were justifiable in Levying Wars against his Majesty King Charles the First and his Loyal Subjects upon sending or commanding or commending to them the aforesaid Liturgy to be used in their Publick Worship and Service of God One of these Propositions or Assertions containing the meaning of the Author in this Consideration in the close thereof he makes use and application in these following words And if so whether men should not be more cantions c. The Proposition being granted to be truth whereof he would have no man doubt He makes the Application by way of an inferential Caveat or Advice And that is that no Men Kings or Church should afterwards commend or tender the like that is any Liturgy or set Form of Prayer to the people especially of Scotland to be used in the Publick Worship of God for the future considering that Wars have been raised before in Scotland and England thereupon To which I Answer Considering the Scots received Knox his Form of Prayer and England ever had one I shall not conclude with the Author that the Imposition of that Liturgy was the first cause or beginning of the late grievious Wars Which I heard Mr. Peters boast of in
Pretensions in appointing a Committee of Bishops for that purpose where and when Bishop Reynolds had the Chair So that indeed all that can be said as to the Book in the intention of any of the Composers thereof as concerning net or snare in respect to the Penalties made thereby to be inflicted upon the Nonconformists to it they were only made against perverse obstinate and wilful opposers of the same and so are to be clear'd from the charge of any evil intention against tender Consciences To the 11th Consideration Whether any person can produce any such Liturgy or Form of Prayer from the beginning of the World either among Jews or Gentiles c. As to the justification of Liturgies and set Forms of Prayer I have spoken at large in the beginning of this Fractate and shall therefore answer the Author's Question in this Consideration no otherwise than as our Saviour answer'd the Question put to him in the Temple Mark 11. vers 29 30. And that is by giving a Question to him and his followers to answer and it is this Whether any persons can produce any such long tautological extempory nonsensical Prayers or any such soul-destroying damning Doctrins or Sermons since the beginning of the World either among the Jews or Gentiles or any Churches of Christ till this Rebellion in Scotland and England as theirs were Let any of them answer me this Question and I will answer further to this 11th Consideration To the 12th Consideration Whether if there were no other reason but that this Book hath been so much idolizeâ— by the generality of men and offensive tâ— so many Christians it should not be done with as the brazen Serpent was by Hezekiah 2 Kings 18. vers 4. The opinion of the Author may be set forth in this Proposition The generality of men have much Idolized the Book of Common-Prayer and 't is a just offence to many Christians also Here the Author chargeth first a great evil to have been committed by most men in praying unto God and in worshipping of him in thaâ— Form of the common-Common-Prayer Book And that is that they have Idolized it Now to Idolize a Creature or Thing is taken several ways out of mentioning two of them is first to esteem it as their God or Saviour In this respect it may be the Author means the generality of men Idolized the Service-Book To which I answer I am confident there 's not a man will set hiâ— heart to that part of the Consideration for who can think men so ignorant as to esteem that their God or Christ to save them which is that Form whereby they go to God and Christ their Redeemer and Mediator for forgiveness of sins and salvation But then secondly To idolize any thing is inordinately to set the heart upon it trusting in it more than in God and above him in this respect Covetousness is called Idolatry Colos 3. vers 5. Thus Mr. Wilson in his Christian Dictionary But thirdly We commonly say men idolize a thing when they have a greater respect to and esteem of a thing than it deserves In this respect I presume the Author means most men did idolize the Service-Book which he thinks sufficiently manifested by their so constant and frequent Worshipping and Invocating of God thereby To which I answer Considering the Counsel or rather the Command of God as to the frequent performance of this Duty of Prayer and Thanksgiving by St. Paul 1 Thess 5. ver 17 18. where he bids us Pray without ceasing and in every thing give thanks because 't is the will of God in Christ Jesus Considering that I say King Charles the first of most blessed memory in his Observations upon the Ordinance against the Common Prayer Book doth fully make void the Author's fore-mentioned Charge and Reason alledged for defence of it in the Eighth and Ninth Paragraphs The King's words I could never see any reason why any Christian should abhor or be forbidden to use the same Form of Prayer since he prays to the same God believes in the same Saviour professeth the same truths reads the same Scriptures hath the same Duties upon him and feels the same daily wants for the most part both inward and outward which are common to the whole Church Sure we may as well before hand know whâ—â— we pray as to whom we pray and in what words as to what sense when we desire the same things what hinders we may not use the same words our appetite and digestion too may be good when we use as we pray for our daily bread Now considering all this where is any cause for taking away this Book of Common-Prayer from the people as the brazen Serpent from them of Israel and Judah But 't is no marvel that the Author and his Followers charge men with Idolizing this Book in offering in Publick unto God their Prayers and Thanksgivings thereby according to the Order and Authority of the Church when I have heard them charge men with idolizing the Lord's Prayer using it but according to the Command of Jesus Christ himself that is in the several Services and Prayers of the Church fitted and appointed to be used upon several occasions before Mattens or Even song be over whereof by especial command of Christ the Lord's Prayer is to be part Luke 11. vers 2. When I consider the impudent Charge I my self heard from one of the Author 's chief fellow Chaplains against some of the Petitions of the Lord's Prayer in condemning one of them in the Pulpit unlawful as to the matter and another not fit to be used by most Hugh Peters at Norwich said of that Petition thy will be done c. What said he pray for an impossible thing and condemning another Petition said See what the Petitions are of that you call the Lord's Prayer as also when I consider the total neglect of our Lord's Prayer in these mens Devotions drawn up by Christ for a Form of Prayer as well as for an help to compose our own Prayers by I say when I consider these things then what David said seeing the transgressions of the wicked of his heart I say of mine namely thus I have said in my heart that they say in their hearts though not in right down words that Christ in Composing and Commanding that Prayer to be said as oft as men pray is accessary to a very great and general guiltiness of Idolatry in this last respect at least Or if they should not own this yet I am sure the total neglect of using it in their Devotions prove plainly they look upon it as a Prayer unworthy to be used which is no less than in their hearts to blaspheme the Saviour of the World But then further he saith the Book was offensive to many Christians He doth not say it was offensive to the Brethren or the weak Brethren as is usually the Phrase in the Scriptures in such cases as this here of the Author And
that perhaps because he would not have the Church of England nor the Worshippers of God by the said Book to have the honour to be thought to share with them in the happy events of their ways Verily I think none shall need to be offended at their secluding them from their Fellowship or Fraternity therein for both Presbyterian and Independant in most of their undertakings were but like Simeon and Levi brethren in Iniquity and at the last day without repentance must have the same doom they had from their father Jacob Gen. 49 vers â— Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel Well but to take it in his own terms that it was offensive to many Christians This term of Christian was the ancient and best name was given to true believers in Christ after his Assension this name is in the opinion of Divines that St. James spake of in 2d chap. vers 7. which he saith was the worthy name whereby believers were called And Divines describe a Christian as followeth namely to be one that is endowed through Grace with Faith and the holy Ghost serving God in righteousness and true holiness all his days as a person dedicated to Christ Now if the Author should produce any Christian according to this description which I am confident he cannot do or according to any description hereof congruous to the Scripture sence that ever was offended at the worshipping of God in this Form of Prayer yet there 's but little said to the Author's fore-mentioned purpose namely of that Book being an offence to many Christians it being but an offence taken where none is justly given I can easily grant that the Book of Common-Prayer was offensive to such Christians as this Author means and as himself was and so was many parts of the whole Bible In the 1st Book of the Kings chap. 22. vers 8. Ahab loved not to enquire of the Lord by Micaiah because he prophesied no good concerning him but evil And if the Author and others offended at the Book would publish the reason thereof from their hearts 't is probable 't is because there 's nothing of good for them there but evil being in those perverse ways For as I said before should they have used that Liturgy in the time of the Wars using the Forms of Prayer they must as much as in them lay have been blessing them they were fighting against and cursing themselves and their cursed undertakings And truly from those Lessons Epistles and Gospels culled out of the Scriptures and injoined by the Liturgy to be read in our daily Service The whole Book is but a Micaiah to them prophecying no good to them but evil for therein they must have found themselves an Army fighting against the Almighty God to their sudden both present and eternal overthrow and confusion without repentance Now to have done speaking to the groundless exceptions against the Common-Prayer Book in this 12th Consideration I have this following Opinion That if the Author and his Party could upon the two former reasons have procured our Church and the Civil State of the Kingdom to have serpentized the Book of Common-Prayer as Hezekiah did the Nehushtan they would be soon Scribling and Printing either to have the Scriptures the full set and stinted Rule for Faith and Obedience to be taken away and destroyed they having the Spirit in a more abundant measure than formerly as to help to call upon God as in Consideration the Fifth So also to set up upon their Assertions another fuller and righter Rule for Faith and Obedience leading to salvation or else at least to have the Romish Priviledge of an Expurging Index to have the Texts in the Scriptures expunged and left out in the Printed Bibles that make for Obedience and Subjection to the higher Powers either in Church or State And also all places that command or commend Unity Order Peace or Conformity in or to the Churches of Christ and whatsoever in the Bible make against their Opinions and Practices Which Opinion of mine may be looked upon as charitable or true considering among other things of that kind I could instance and prove was acted at Much-Hâ—â—â—…um Church in Hartford-shire by Mr. Hardwick Chaplain to the Earl of Warwick usurping the Cure after Doctor Pask Master of Clare-Hall was outed and sequestred for the said Hardwick reading in the Church for part of his own or the Morning-Service before Sermon the 1â—2 Psalm having read to the last Verse which contained God's Promise of clothing the Enemies of his anointed with shame c. he passed by the Verse and then went on Which Mr. Hern there present observing went out of the Church immediately and according to his resolution upon Hardwick's not owning one place of Scripture as well as another heard him no more the time he lived in Town And thus the Dissenters from the Church of England that have lived and do live among us through pretence of their New Light which is the blackness of darkness here their contrary Revelations to those in the time of the Gospel and before and through their false and groundless Expositions of holy Scripture they have darkned the Heavens of God and the light of his Grace so in this life that they have done in this our Age as our Saviour said the Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites had done then Matt. 23. vers 13. namely shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before men neither going in themselves nor suffering many that would enter to go in Blessed Lord in whose hands are the heads and hearts of all men lighten the darkness of all their understandings change and soften all their hearts that they may recover their strength and strengthen all them they have seduced before they go hence and be not seen To the 13th Consideration which is this Whether one end of Christ's coming into the World was not to redeem men from the Rudiments and Traditions of men of which this is one And whether it be not against the Blood and Spirit and Gospel of Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Hebr. 9.10 11. The Opinion of the Author in this Consideration may be set forth in two Propositions The first is this One end of Christ's coming into the World was to put an end to the Use and Observation of the Ruliments and Traditions of men and to the Use of the Common-Prayer Book Established in the Church of England by Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles the First in the years 1500 and 1600 after his coming into the World or going out of it The latter part of the Proposition is evidently a conclusion flowing from the Consideration for he saith that this Book of Common-Prayer was one of the Rudiments or Traditions that Christ came to put an end to In answer to which Proposition I say The end of Christ's coming into the World was to compleat the love and kindness of God to Mankind which was the redemption and