ipsum implorent illius misericordiam Junius in Loc. Zach. But why all this may not be as well in a petitioner that prays in a set forme as in him who pretends to the Spirit and yet utters so much cold and low stuff on a sudden no wise man can imagin Compare but these extempore raptures with the words of Moses David and Asaph the Seer with the prayers intercessions Hymns and Psalms of the Servants and Prophets and holy men of God uttered and left upon record and then it will be easie to put the difference betwixt those who are truly taught by the Spirit and those who presume to be taught For from the one hath proceeded prayers and supplications and forms of thanksgiving so high and admirable that they are beyond imitation from the other a shower of words so flat so jejune so confused so unsignificant that sometime they passe all understanding Will you but have patience to hear the Censure of Brown himself after his conversion Bancroft ser preach'd 1588. who thus speaks to his friends concerning their extempore prayers Good God what worship or prayer do you use I am asham'd to name the boldnesse and folly of some who scarce able to utter three words orderly will yet take upon them to babble out a tedious long and stuttering prayer wherein every tenth word shall be the repeating of O heavenly Father O merciful Father O dear Father O good Lord O merciful God c. and all things so foolishly pack'd together that their prayer seems rather the lisping and prattling of an infant that would tell a great tale could he hit of it then the petition of a zealous devout soul to his God These are the words of Brown the Patriarch and woful experience doth justifie him for in many Extemporaries the matter of the prayer is so indigested the words so incongruous the periods so broken and interrupted the length so tedious the Tautologies so many that a mean capacity may be apt to say The prayer was never dictated by the Spirit To break off from this to pray by the Spirit is two ways taken Either for prayers made by the assistance of the Spirit and so they which use premeditated prayers or set forms may pray by the Spirit as well as others for the Spirit assists in the premeditation and in the delivery Or else to pray by the Spirit is to pray by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit as the Prophets and Apostles spoke and wrote and thus neither they who now use set forms nor yet they who pray extempore can be said to pray for then their prayers should be of equal authority with the Psalms of David and Asaph and other prayers set down and taught by divine inspiration And it seemes that wisdome is the daughter of time for even they in whose mouths there were no other prayers lawful but extempore have now perswaded and commended to their proselytes the Practice of Piety and advised them to make use of those set formes in their devotions which I am sure will as much stint the spirit as any Collect in the Liturgy 2. But I leave the old Prophets and that which occasioned this discourse and come to the Christian Church Christ did not onely use himself a set forme of words in prayer but three times together used the same words Mat. 26. Luk. 11. Saint John Baptist taught his disciples to pray and it cannot be conceived but it was in a set forme for two reasons For had he said to them the Spirit shall teach you then he had not taught them but the Spirit Secondly a forme sure it was that the disciples came to be taught to pray as John taught his disciples and upon it Christ prescribed them a forme When you pray say In Matthew indeed it is When you pray say thus but in Saint Luke where the forme is prescribed say This Our Father c. It seemes he meant it not onely as a patterne but as a forme it self as the standard-bushel is not onely a measure of all bushels but may it self be used which precept no man can with a good conscience obey that holds all set formes of necessity to be cast out of the Church August epist 59. Tertull. in exposit orationis dominicae And therefore the ancient Churches began and concluded their Liturgies with it This Tertullian calls Legitima oratio and affirms that this being premised men have liberty to adde other petitions praemissa legitima ordinaria oratione quasi fundamento accidentium jus est desideriorum jus est extruendi extrinsecas petitiones His words are very material This prayer is lawful and legitimate this is ordinary it must be premised it must be the foundation of our petitions and this being laid then a man may lay his right and claime upon it to build other desires other petitions And as the Ancients would begin with it so also they had a care to end with it also it being a comprehensive prayer Directory Perkins on the Lords prayer that whatsoever might be defective in the rest this might complete it And this again is the most powerful eloquence to draw God to audience Could we speak with the tongues of men and Angels yet certainly our petitions cannot finde so easie an entrance into our heavenly Fathers ears as when we tender them in his Sons own words This was the judgment both of Cyprian and Chrysologus Qui fecit vivere docuit orare ut dum prece oratione quam filius docuit apud patrem loquimur audiamur agnoscit filii sui verba Cyprian de orat dominicae cum precem facimus in dictandis precibus vota supplicum praevenit Adde to this a man is bound to say Amen at the end of a prayer now a man may much scruple whether he is bound to say Amen to such a prayer which he hath not time to weigh which he hath not time to consider For put case that he who takes upon him to speak unto you in the Name of God Chrysologus in eadem shall teach some false doctrine or covertly deliver unto the people some errour and after pray that God would blesse the seed which he hath sown is it not dangerous to joyne with him in his desires Such a thing may possibly fall out And this inconvenience is quite removed partly by subjoyning this prayer partly by using those forms the Church hath enjoyned to which a man may upon deliberation say Amen But this is not the sole example we have in the New Testament patterns for set formes The Apostle nine times reiterates the same words The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all And to put the matter out of doubt the Saints for their victory over the Beast sang the triumphal song as Moses and the Israelites sang of old when they were delivered from the Egyptians No marvail if the same benefit be celebrated with
pious performances as stinted worship Quiristers singing of Psalms with all the Rubrique postures I could forgive you the rest because you acknowledge these performances to be pious for if they had piety in them I see no reason why you or any body else have cause to note them for corruptions But when I came to this place I entred into debate with my self which part of Solomons counsel I should take whether I should answer or not answer Not to answer Dr. Bancroft Featly Hammond Fulke Taylour Hooker Prideaux Preston might give you occasion to boast I could not And to answer was to say over again that which hath been so often sayd by worthy and learned men whom if you have not consulted you are to blame and I wish you would if you have and are not satisfied I fear my labour will be lost However I shall set before you what they have said before me And first I shall speak to your stinted worship 1. And here give me leave first to ask you to what you referre this word stinted whether you strictly restrain it to the word worship or to the Spirit by which we are to worship If to the first I see you are against all set forms of worship if to the last that you think the Spirit is restrained by these set forms And because both are said by your party I shall answer to both and to the last first These conceiv'd forms are either premeditate or extempore if premeditate then the Spirit is as much limited in their conceiv'd forms as by any forme conceiv'd by the Church But if extempore then the Spirit only of him that makes the prayer is left at liberty for the whole Congregation is by that means as much stinted and bound to a set forme to wit of those words the Minister conceivs as if he read them out of a book And is not the Spirit restrain'd when the Congregation shall be confined to the forme of this one mans composing If this be not stinted worship if this be not to stint the Spirit I know not what it is And I can see but one way to avoid it that every one in the Congregation conceive and offer up a prayer with his own spirit and not be forced and confin'd to the Ministers single dictate this would preserve entirely that liberty of the Spirit you pretend that other will not To this if you will not yield as I know you will not it lies upon you to answer the objection which I never saw yet done 2. As for set forms of prayer which I conceive you principally intend by stinted worship I shall next endeavour to justifie them upon many grounds 1. In the old Testament we find set forms of blessing and thanksgiving and prayers appointed by God himself He it was that fram'd to his Priests the very words with which they were to blesse the people Numb 6.23.24 25 26. Numb 10.35.36 2 Chron. 29.30 Exod. 15. Selden in Eutychium Speak to Aaron and his Sonnes saying in this wise shall ye blesse the people The Lord blesse and keep thee c. At the remove of the Arke a forme is set and taught the Priests exurgat Deus dissipentur inimici At the Arks return a form Return O Lord into thy resting place Hezekiah prescribed to the Priests to sing praise to the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the Seer Moses Hymn for the overthrow of Pharaoh is extant and in the same chapter taken up and sung by Miriam which afterward grew a part of the Jewish ordinary Church Liturgy for such they had being instituted by Ezra and the Consistory What should I tell you that the 92. Psalm is a Psalm compos'd for the Sabbath The 20. Psalm to be sung by the people when the King went forth to battaile The 113. to the 118. the great Hallelujah 13. whole Psalms or as some say 15. viz. from 119. to 134. Songs of degrees Moller Ames Musculut in Ps 21. because upon every one of the steps which were 15. betwixt the peoples court and the Temple the Priests made a stay and sung one of these Psalms and the 21. Psalm composed by David to be sung by the people for the King when he came home with victory Yea but say some this was in the infancy and minority of the Church as children then they needed their Festra's as infirm bodies their crutches but now under the Gospel it is otherwise we have more light and gifts of the Spirit than they had True more light we have because the Mystery kept secret from the beginning of the world is more clearly revealed to us then it was to them but that 's not the question prove they should if they speak to the purpose that we have now more ability to compose a prayer then they had more of the Spirit of Grace and supplications Men may have a high conceit of their own abilities but I suppose no wise man will conceive but that Aaron and his sonnes Moses and the Priests Hezekiah and the Levites had as great an ability to pray ex tempore as great a measure of the Spirit of grace and supplications as any man that now lives and yet they used and prescribed set forms Their minority then was in respect of the object of faith not in respect of the spirit of supplications These men therefore shew themselves children to talke of Festra's and cripples in their understanding to talk of crutches since those mens legs were far stronger then theirs and their graces of the Spirit far beyond any Enthusiasts in these days We may think of these forms as meanly as we please but Chrysostome was of another judgement Chrysost Hom. 1. of prayer for thus he begins one of his Homilies of prayer For two reasons it becomes Gods servants to wonder and blesse him both for the hope we have in their prayers and that preserving in writing the Hymns and Orisons they offer'd to God with fear and joy they have deliver'd to us their treasure that so they might draw all posterity to their zeale and imitation Yea but the Spirit must teach us to pray it helps all our infirmities 't is the promise of God to his Church I will poure upon them the Spirit of Grace and supplications Zach. 12.10 And all this may be done in a set forme as well as by any extempore prayer True it is the Spirit must teach us to pray both for matter and forme for we know not what to ask and must teach us how to pray for we know not how to ask zeal and fervour and faith and perseverance and importunity all necessary affections in every supplicant are gifts of the Spirit and groans and sighs proceed from the Spirit he moves the heart first to supplicate brings a man to see in what a wretched case he is one that by his sins hath pierced the Son of God therefore to deprecate ask pardon deprecentur
the same song In these passage Revel 15.3 Bright in lec of holy Scripture we have set formes of prayer somewhere commended somewhere commanded somewhere used somewhere reiterated and all inspired by the holy Ghost and therefore certainly the use of them can be no quenching of the holy Spirit whom we finde to enflame our hearts in rehearsal of these sacred formes 3. And in the last place if we look upon the custome of Gods people find we shall that in all places and in all ages they have made use of publique set and sanctified forms of prayer Hâ—gesippus an ancient writer one that was near the Apostles times writes that St. James chosen Bishop of Jerusalem by the Apostles themselves for a forme of service or common prayer compos'd by him for that Church yet extant was call'd Jacobus Liturgus To omit Justin Martyr in whom I find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Common prayers and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prescribed prayers in Origen Just Mart. Apol 2. Orig. lib. 6. contr Cels Cypr. in Orat. dominicae Perk. resut of the real presence Fox Mart. fol. 1275. In Cyprian we find the Priest before prayer using this Preface Sâ—rsum corda and the people answering habemus ad Dominum which forme as Perkins confesses was used in all Liturges of the ancient Church This then was no rag of Rome but as Mr. Fox truly saith was borrowed from the Greek not the Latin Church Which is so true that the Centurists confesse that in the blessed Martyr Cyprians dayes without all doubt formulas quasdum precum habuerunt Be pleased to look in the latter end of my Catechisme where you shall finde the old Lyturgies cited to that purpose And as Christianity begun more and more to flourish so were the Fathers of the Church careful that the people should not be destitute of these excellent means to serve God the Bishops for their several Diocesses composing their Liturgies Basil for Cappodocia and those parts Chrysostome for Constantinople and the Greek Church under his jurisdiction Ambrose for Milan Gregory and Isidore for the Westerne Churches all which are extant to this day and out of these and some more ancient attributed to the Apostles themselves all the famous and known Churches of the world have composed their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we among the rest so that it was no vaine brag which Arch-bishop Cranmer made that if he might be admitted to call Peter Martyr and four or five more unto him he would make it appear that the same forme of worship which was set forth in the Book of Common Prayer had continued for substance even then one thousand five hundred years and give me leave to adde this to the honourable burial of it since it must be buried that before it was authorized and published in that beauty we lately saw it it went under the file fifteen times And by what men even by those who many of them sealed the truth of it with their blood in the fire It should seeme about those former times when those Liturgies were first published there were some so wedded to their own fancies that they preferred their own conceptions before the Churches Ordinances and yet they came not to that brain-sick-fancie as to bring into the Church extempore prayers Angry they were not with set formes but displeased because they might not make them And against these two famous Councels have provided Concil Laod. Ca. 18. Can. 159. Concil Mil. c. 12. Caranza legit comprobatae first that of Laodicea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad horam nonam vesperum celebretur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in Africa the Milevitan Councel more expressely Placuit ut preces orationes quae probatae fuerunt in Concilio ab omnibus celebrentur nec aliae omnino dicantur in Ecclesia nisi quae à prudentioribus tractatae vel compositae in Synodo fuerunt sufficiently divised considered or approved by the wiser men and allowed in a Synod and the reason which the Councel addes is most essectual ne forte aliquid contra fidem vel per ignorantiam vel per minus studium sit compositum Which is the very reason that Master Selden one of the last Assembly gives for the Jewish Liturgy from Ezra's time Seldens notes in Eutychium The Jews saith he about the end of the Babylonish Captivity had their ancient manners as well as language so depraved that without a Master they either were not able to pray as they ought or had not confidence to do it And therefore that for the future they might not recede either in the matter of their prayers through corruption or expression through ignorance from that forme of piety commanded by God this remedy was applyed by the men of the great Synagogue Ezra and his one hundred and twenty Colleagues out of which words Doctor Hammond makes this collection Ham. viero of the Direct Sect 15. That one special use and benefit of a set forme is not onely to provide for the ignorance but to be a hedge to the true Religion to keep out all mixtures and corruptions out of a Church To this purpose 't is no newes to tell you that all reformed Churches abroad have some forme of worship or other that Master Knox in Scotland composed a Liturgy for that Church That those zealous brethren who were so earnest for Reformation in Queen Elizabeths dayes Anno 1585. though they complained to the Lord Burleigh against the Church Common Prayer-book yet professed they were not against Liturgy and 't is evident they were not by the composing of two formes one year after another And here I cannot choose but put you in minde of a passage of Master Cartwright which I have seen in a little Manual of his in answer to one that charg'd him as an enemy to set formes To which his reply was that he was so farre from this conceit that if any were pleased to come to Coventry where he then did preach and hear his Lectures they should before and after his Sermons hear the same prayers used by him except that portion of Scripture upon which he insisted gave him occasion to adde some few words I shall shut up this point with the judgement and practice of Master Calvin Calvin epist ad Protect his judgement he hath fully declared in his Epistle to the Protectour then Quod ad formulam precum c. As for formes of Prayers and Ecclesiastical rites I very much approve that it be set or certain From which it may not be lawful for the Pastours in their function to depart that so there may be provision made for the simplicity and unskilfulnesse of some and that the consent of all the Churches among themselves may more certainly appear and lastly also that the extravagant levity of some who affect novelties may be prevented Thus he And his practice is evident The Liturgy by him composed for Geneva being yet extant I
am no Prophet nor the sonne of a Prophet yet thus much I dare be bold to fore-cast that when all hears and animosities being deposed men shall returne to an humble sober and Christian temper some forme or other for prayer will be judged necessary to be composed set forth enjoyned without which the dislocated parts of a Church will never kindly joyne The experience of the present distractions ever since a set forme as you in a Sarcasme call them stinted prayers hath been cast out of the Church will make men wiser for the future Let men in private use what forms they please and choose their own helps to which they may adde as occasion requires words suited to their present necessities But when they are to joyn with the Church the petitions being such as are more necessary for the whole Corps of Christians than for any one part fit it is that the mother be judge what is useful for her children and teach them what and how to aske Leave men to their own inventions and possible it is that the petition be not framed to the present exigent which the Church in all particulars hath taken care of Yet if this fall out another inconvenience there is that too often happens These extempore men dealing by their prayers as school-boyes do by their lessons or Musicians with their plain song Those the children vary into so many formula's for want of judgement till they come to non-sense and the unskilful artists run so far in their divisions and descants till they marre the plain-song And the like will happen to thi great service of God when it shall fall to the variations descants of inartificial swaines and heavie-headed Mechaniques The house of prayer will be a house of pratlin and Sion turned into Babel To conclude with the words of a wise man I never yet could see any reason why any Christian should abhorre or be forbidden to use the same forms of prayer since he prayes 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 wants daily for the most part both inward and outward which are common to the whole Church When we desire the same things what hinders but we may use the same words except we measure our God to be like our own appetites and stomachs which are best pleased with fresh and fresh I go on 1. Quiristers and singing of Psalmes with all the Rubrick postures The Rubrick I have consulted and I meet not with any posture at all prescribed at the singing of any Hymne or Psalme But say it had some posture or other must be used and had it been the worse because prescribed I trow not For prescriptions in adiaphorous things doth not so alter their natures as to make them nought to prostrate the body in prayer to lift up the eyes and pure hands are actions of indifferency and do they become nought because God in his Word prescribes them God in his Word hath given the Church liberty to prescribe in these things Let all things be done decently and in order Say then the Church had prescribed by the Rubrick that a man should have stood have kneeled have sate have lift up his eyes and hands at the singing of this or that Psalme respectively she might have done it and the singing of the Psalme had been nere the more un-Christian had the Rubrick posture been observed You needed not therefore have girded at this and the rather because it was not But I see nothing can escape you not the poor boy the Quirister But happily you will say you take it in a larger sense and by it mean the whole Quire and so I think you do and therefore I shall shape my answer accordingly 2. Quiristers and singing of Psalmes Could I imagine that you were of the Anabaptists opinion who will not admit of singing of Psalms in the Church I should put you in minde of that which Saint Paul writes to the Ephesians and Colossians Be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Hymns and Psalmes Eph. 5.18 19. Col. 3.16 Beza in loc and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. Beza conceives that the Apostle alludes to that Musick then in use among the Jews who had their Mismorim their Tehillim their Schirim Be it then which you here object that these were taken up by Jewish imitation yet it follows not they were the worse for we have here Apostolical authority to make good the use let this then be cast in our teeth no more The Christian Psalmes were like the Jewish Mismorim Odes they were either Doctrinal or Ethical Hieron Chrysost written upon sundry matters or arguments exhortatory consolatory precaâ—ory deprecatory such as are many Psalms of David 2. The Hymns were like their Tehillim setting forth the praises of God for his greatnesse and goodnesse to the sonnes of men such were the Hymns of Moses Deborah Zachary Mary Simeon 3. The songs answered to their Schirum which were peculiar songs composed for general blessings praises they continued but in a more large and universal sense When any of these were expressed by voice and instrument together they were called properly Psalms when by voice alone without the concent of instruments they were named Hymns and songs Zanchy in loc This is the descant that the Learned have used in their Expositions of these words that we are hence to collect is that Musick hath its use in the service of God 1. By this the honour of God is more magnified and celebrated then it could be by a still and soft voice To speak of God doth well to whisper out his Name is commendable this is for those who have received primitias Spiritus but such who are filled with the Spirit they ought to go further as the Apostle exhorts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they will magnifie his Name in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs and so make his praise to be glorious The concealment of Gods praise did never like him no nor the cold expression of it as if men would slip it over it hath been best pleasing to him when it hath been most made known And therefore he hath had in all Ages perpetual remembrances of what he hath done Chronicles Annals Books of Record These indeed speak out his noble Acts but it is for the most part to the Wise and Learned But let but one of these be conveyed into a song and it will quickly be upon the tongue of the unlearned you shall have the Maid at her wheele the Prentice in the shop warbling upon it and if any be skilful in Musick it will please him to sing to his Harp or Viol the wonderful works of God The praises of our God are conveyed into the soul with more delight are fastned with more affection are perpetuated
celebrare After it came to signifie the whole form of publick prayer which the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we our Liturgy Lastly it was most strictly taken for the administration of the Eucharist whereunto the Converts unbaptized the Catechumeni the Penitents the Energumeni were not admitted but dismissed and commanded to depart For when the celebration of those mysteries began the Deacon stood up and said a loud to those Ite missa est Now let it be taken in which of these senses you will there can be no great harm in the name Masse being a suffix to these dayes For it is not intended that thereby men should meet on these dayes or any other to say Masse i. e. to offer a propiatory sacrifice for the quick and dead But onely that they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meet and convene in Gods house that there they should have the glad tydings which the Angels proclaimed to the Shepherds hodie natus est vobis that they should praise God for it and pray that as he was born for them so he may be given to them Of which the Sacrament being a signe and a seal they there met together to be partakers of it This is all that to a good intelligent Christian the Masse can import and if any be other minded they may be easily informed and then I see not what scandal can be taken at the name of Christ-Masse And I am sure much lesse at the Feast For if ever God bestowed a blessing upon the world it was his Sonne and the flesh of the Sonne of God is the Channel in which it flows to us This flesh he took at his birth his birth day then is worth remembrance that then we performe opus diei in die suo and the opus diei is that we be glad and rejoyce in it Never fear there is no Judaisme in it then I am certain in this you cannot imitate for they are enemies to his name enemies to his birth enemies to his day they if they could would expunge his memory out of the hearts of Christians out of the Calender joyne not with this perverse and obstinate generation I shall set before you a more noble example to imitate the first Martyrs the first Confessours the first Fathers of the Church for these worthies kept this day to them it was a holy no working day on that day they did feast not scorn and revile Telesphorus celebrated it in the Romane Church but it is so ancient Caranza in vita Telesp and of so general observance in the Church that Zanchy confesseth he knowes not when it began No Council instituted it that we know of and therefore by Austins rule it should be ab Apostolis traditum That it was a very ancient and universal Feast of the whole Church appears by that Sermon of Cyprian and he lived divers years before the Nicene Council which he preached upon the day Cypr. Sermo de nativitate Domini which he begins with these words Adest Christi multum desiderata expectata nativitas Adest solemnitas inclyta in praesentia salvatoris grates laudes visitatori suo per orbem terrarum sancta reddit Ecclesia Whence it is evident that it was a solemn universal Feast in his time kept with thanks with praise and after him there is so frequent mention of it in all the Fathers and their Sermons as of Basil Nazianzene Chrysostome Leo and who not extant preached on the day in honour of Christ and his birth day that it were to light a Candle to the Sunne to produce them Other men may follow what new lights they please but I shall desire to be guided by these old Lamps in this practise of praise and thankfulnesse I know there is no superstition no imitation of Judaisme in it It is a Christian a laudable a pious a profitable duty and 't is no feare of a shadow shall drive me from it 2. And so having accompted for this particular Festival I come to answer for our Church holy-dayes in general Christ is both the Authour and Finisher of our Redemption which work before it could be consummated the purchase must be made applyed proclaimed That he might be apt to lay down the price he must be made man conceived of the Holy Ghost born of a woman a Virgin born under the Law of which he gave an evidence when he was circumcised the eighth day presented in the Temple at his Mothers purification and baptized by John in Jordan This shewed that he took upon him the form of a servant and humbled himself But he thought himself not low enough till he humbled himself to the death even that bloody shameful painful accursed death of the Crosse upon which he was crucified upon which he dyed and was afterward buried By all this the purchase was fully made and the ransome fully paid Consummatum est But it must be applyed also and conveyed to us or we are nere the better To effect this he rose again for our justification he ascended into heaven to make intercession and prepare a place for us he sent down his Spirit to make all sure And that all this might be made known published and proclaimed he gave some to be Apostles some to be Evangelists these to write the whole story and those to attest it publish it and apply it in their Epistles Now this is the original of our Festivals there being not one retained in our Church which is not to the honour of Christ to the memory of some Evangelist or Apostle The wisdome of the Church was such that she would not have so great benefits forgotten nor the purchase nor the application nor the proclamation Into the Creed they are all put but words are like wind they may quickly passe away The wise founders therefore of our Church and first planters of Religion set out a day for every Article that in the time to come when the children shall ask their fathers What meaneth these dayes these Festivals they should answer and say This day Christ was conceived this day he was born this day he was circumcised this day his Mother was purified this day he was baptized this day he was crucified and so laid down a ransome for us and so redeemed us that were all lost And that we might know that what he undertook he went through and hath conveyed unto us this day he arose from the grave this day he ascended to heaven this day he sent down his holy Spirit upon the Apostles who have proclaimed and published so much to the world and with their blood sealed the testimony to be true All this was the work of the whole Trinity for the Father he gave the Sonne he was given and the Holy Ghost filled him full of grace for this work And that so great benefits might never slip out of our minds these dayes are set apart for commemoration for praise for thanksgiving for imitation Men
the Parish Parson being turned out of dores all the ill-favourednesse and unholinesse went out with him 3. Against this poor Parson you are very bitter arraigned he must be brought to the Bar to take his trial And him you endite for luke-warmnesse like he is to the Angel of Laodicea not hot nor cold and therefore condemned he is to lye under the lash and take his correction kindly 'T is manifest indeed that all luke-warme hypocritical Professours shall be spued out of Christs mouth for vomitum faciunt Deo To him they are as luke-warme water to the stomach that procures a vomit and if so 't is good counsel you give him or any other in his case to receive what ever correction shall be as a cordial of love administred unto him for preventing of what may follow But here I must put you to it to prove your enditement the punishment he is under will never do it careat successibus opto Quisquis ab eventu facta notanda putet This will prove him culpable and guilty and so I admit he was but whether he were hot or cold an hypocrite or otherwise is more than you can ever know For zeal and sincerity in Religion are qualities that lye very much inward and he that is cold in it may seem to be very zealous as did Jehu and he whose heart is not upright may pretend to be very sincere as did the Pharisees Now how can you passe your judgment in such a case And it seems you cannot for you confesse there may be hypocrites luke-warme men even in your Combinational Churches which if you knew you would cast out from among you and so would we do spue them out after Gods example Forbear therefore hereafter these harsh and uncharitable censures especially against a whole order of men For they must â—and and fall to their own Master Were they ignorant and scandalous so were these But now I remember it this is no signe of luke-warmnesse in the Parish Parson since they who were truly ignorant and scandal â— were for the most part kept in and those who were knowing and blamelesse were cast out 1. But now I pray tell me in what sense it is that you accuse them is it for being Parsons or for preaching or for preaching Parsons Take it in what qualification you will beware upon whom this blow will light and what a company of precious ones you will presently endite to be like the luke-warme Angel of Laodicea For how many of your Preachers are now become Parsons you know they have the fattest Benefices of this whole Country If plurality were an argument of the Parish Parsons luke-warmnesse it is theirs If non-residence an argument they are guilty of it If handling the flesh-hook too much none more guilty If neglect of Catechizing they cannot be excused If frequent preaching they exceed If forbearance of Sacramental administrations this by them is seldome done That I say not that in life and example they are no whit better In Gods name therefore since in luke-warmnesse they are so like the old odde head the Parish Parson let them lye down under the lash with him and with shame and confusion of face to themselves receive a sharp correction that they may prevent the spuing of their names out of Christs mouth as it is manifest by what is foretold Revel 3.19 One thing onely I may not forget that whereas the old odde head you mention did least harme this last Parish Parson you have imposed upon us does all the mischief 4. In your conclusion yet God be thanked you shew more charity to the Parish than to the Parson of it you say that the whole half-blind political body doth yet appear not to be utterly uncurable You do so load your sentences with strong words that they passe my capacity I know not what to make of this political body of a Parish for I never understood they were under any other policy then that of the Common-wealth or Church in which they lived nor that they were any Corporation at all I profess I understand not what you mean if you intend any thing besides this But whatsoever you intend by it this I finde that you affirme the whole was half-blind they have not yet then lost their sight altogether that little light they have may in good time make them see how they have been deluded and so free them from all the fallacies that have been put upon them which when it happens both you and I are in hope of their cure But that you say must not be expected so long as they remain in their present condition For in respect of its present posture and numerous abominations it is altogether unapprovable and I say the same too and upon the very self same ground because it rejects the Commandments of God that it may observe the traditions of men For what is the whole constitution of your Church but the tradition of men what 's your plea all this while but a tradition of men That a company collected under a Covenant without either Pastours or Elders is a true Church is a tradition of men That they may create elect ordain their Pastours and Elders is another tradition of men That the power of the Keys subjectively and authoritatively to invest and devest is in them is a third tradition of men That there must be Lay-Presbyters which must be Ruling Elders in the Church is a fourth tradition of men That the erection of the Cathedral Parochial Provincial National Church was the corruption of the Combinational is another tradition of men That the Supreme power in any Nation is a violent head the Arch-Bishop a haughty horrible head the Diocesan an idle and addle head the Parish Parson an odde head is another of your traditions That there may be no set forms of prayer used in the Church no singing of Psalms in mixt Congregations That the Scripture may not be read in the Church except expounded That those Rites which you call but falsly Romish and Humane may not be used in the Church That Godfathers and Godmothers may not be used in Baptisme nor the children of those who are out of your Combinational Church baptized That those whom you usually call profane ignorant scandalous persons may not be admitted to the Sacrament That there must be an upper seat erected for the Elders to sit in their ranks as Aldermen upon the Bench in the Church That there must be Tables set up for the maintenance of the Ruling Elders All these are the traditions of men and doctrines of men and therefore I give this counsel to the whole half-blinde political body of the Parishes where you have prevailed most that while they are curable they tender their health and to beware of the Scribes and Pharisees who in vain worship God teaching for doctrines the Commandments of men and to beware lest any man spoile them through Philosophy or vain deceit through the tradition of men