whole Parish To the minister himselfe either in reading some Psalmes each day of every month or of the rest of the Bible partly out of the Canonicall Scripture partly out of the Apocrypha bookes and that within the yeare The reading of Psalmes and other parts of Scripture is not preaching but the word read is like a loafe unbroken or not divided in peeces and morsels And therefore it is not a right set forme of service to prescribe all the Psalmes to bee read within the space of a month or so many lessons of the Scripture within a year to take up the time which should be spent in preaching Lesse Scripture read and withall explained and opened up to the use of the hearers is more profitable And if the other prejudge this howbeit the matter be good for it is the good word of God so much as is canonicall yet the forme is naught and in this case unlawfull Then as for the reading of the Psalmes they make daily prayers of them when as they bee not all prayers or else the matter of these which are praâ—ers doth not agree to the present time and state of the Church but are read hand over head The Apocrypha bookes should not receive that honour as to be read publickly in the Church as canonicall Scripture is Because they containe sundry false and frivolous things and suppose not yet they are not the trompets which are set apart and sanctified by God to bee blowne by his priests in his temple The church of the Iewes read no other scripture but Canonical Moses and the Prophets and the Psalmes and the Christian Church in the purer times onley the monuments of the Prophets and Apostles The Councell of Laodicea decreed the same also The reading of them in the Church hath made the people beleeve that they are portions of the old and new testament Sundry of the Prelates take texts out of the Apocrypha sayth the authour of the petition to the Queen Divers chapters of the Apocrypha are appointed to be read for extraordinarie lessons upon Feast daies and some parts of the canonicall Scripture are omitted The directories which direct in such things as belong to the whole Parish are anent observing feast dayes and daies of abstinence from flesh They have a number of feasts and fasting daies more then the Iewes had appointed to them The holy dayes observed by them besides the weekely Sabboths are these following the dayes of the Feasts of the Circumcision of the Epiphâ—â—ie of the Purification of the blessed Virgin of S. Matthias the Apostle of the annuntiation of the virgine of Saint Mark the Euangelist of Saint Philip and Iacob the Apostles of Christs Ascension of the nativitie of Iohn Baptist of S. Peter the Apostle of Iames the Apostle of Bartholomew the Apostle of S. Matthew the Apostle of S. Michael the Arch-Angel of S. Luke the Euangelist of S. Simon and Iude the Apostles of all Saints of Saint Andrew the Apostle of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Christs Nativitie of S. Steven the Martyr of S. Iohn the Euangelist of the holy Innocents Munday and Tuesday in Easter weeke and Munday and Tuesday in Whitson weeke This is their number and order as it is set downe in the beginning of their service booke They keep the same order in the observation of them that the Popish church observeth with the same distance of time from other upon the same dayes Gospels Epistles Collects and proper lessons the same howbeit some time fewer with the like observation of rest And howbeit S. George be left out in this reckoning yet is his day honoured This Saint saith Barrow hath no small entertainment with his solemne procession and that by no small estates but even the greatest of the land with Cornets Trumpets Harbe Shackebuts Psâ—lteries Duâ—â—imer and all instruments of musicke c This Saint beside his noble ordour of Knighthood hath also his peculiar Chaplaine Palatine of the order who it to weare a gold ring on his thomb The holy dayes are dedicate to the Trinite to Christ alone to Saints to Angels As for the day dedicated to the honour of the Trinitie Bellarmine doth confesse that it is recent that it was not observed at Rome in the dayes of Pope Alexander the third It was celebrated in some particular Provinces but not received into Rome till the time of Pope Iohn the 22. It was thought needlesse seeing the Trinitie was remembred either one way or other in the daily service but especially upon the Lords day for the Preface of the Trinitie day was of old sung upon the Lords day and the Creed wherein the Trinitie is remembred was not omitted If there should be a holy day for every great mysterie of our religion then must we have many more holy daies then we have yet had If a particular day for the Trinitie entred but of late in the Church for the respects foresaid then what mysterie of Religion is remembred frequently on the Lords day in hymne prayer confession creed or sermon needeth not a speciall day and a set service with bodily rest for that mysterie You see then that the feast which was rejected a long time by the Popes themselves the English doe retaine As for the feastgoelonging to the life death of Christ the most â—enoumed most ancient is Easter and yet it was not observed by the Apostles The hote contentions about it whether it should be observed upon the day of the full Moone or the Sabboth after declareth that they did not institute it for they could have easily decided that question whether shall we be conforme to the Iewes in observing the same day with them or not yea the Apostle 1. Cor. 5. 8. speaking of the celebration of our Easter tyeth us not to a certaine number of dayes as the Iewes were who after the eating of the Lambe might not have any levened bread in their house for seven daies but sayth ours is all the yeare long to be observed ye through our whole life with other kind of unleavned bread both by particular Churches persons No where doth he refer us to anniversary Easter The Christian Pentecost was not observed by the Apostles howsoever sometime some of theÌ„ went up to Ierusalem at the Iewish Pentecost to confirme or â—ucrifie the Iewes as long as the Temple stood If the Apostles theÌ„selves upon whom the gifts of the H. Spirit were powred that day did not observ it themselves who were the receivers of the benefit what warrant haue we to observe it If neither Easter nor Pentecost were Apostolical institutions far lesse the Ascension day and the Nativitie The feast of Circumcision Bellar. saith is very recent it is to be observed that they have a service day or holy time for Christs circumcis but not for his Baptism for upon the Eâ—iph day they make mention of the 3 wisem the star but nothing of Chr. Baptism in their
epistles and gospells for every day which no other week in the yeare hath say the ministers of Lincolne in their Abridgement p. 90. 91. They observe likewise that not one day in all they care hath three collects but good Friday the Friday before Easter May we not see then that the end of their Lent fast is the same with the Popish to wit that they may be prepared to receive the communion at Easter as if that communion needed a greater preparation then at other times or had a greater vertue Item to be prepared against the celebration of the feast of the resurrection to repent for the sinnes of the whole yeare to imitate Christs fast of 40. dayes which was a miraculous fast a fast of another kind for it was without hungring a fast for one time and not used againe either by himselfe or his Apostles Mat. 9. The Ember weekes which were called Ieâ—unia quatuor temporum are appoynted they say for praying and fasting because the Bishop is to give orders upon the Sundayes immediately following as it is sayd in their latest Canons They tie the giving of orders to set seasons of the yeare when as ministers should be thrust out into the Lords harvest whensoever there is need Then againe such are enioyned to fast as have no need of a pastor for all the parishes of the Diocie are not destitute Where there is no feele of a want the prayers will bee cold It is expedient indeed that the particular congregation which hath need humble themselves Thirdly this their fast is but abstinence from flesh but not from fish or any other delicacies which they can get as if flesh were an uncleane creature and polluted So their fast in all the orders and rites of it is the Popish fast Lastly they joyne not fasting and giving of orders together as they should doe if they followed aright that example which is set downe Act. 13. 1. 2. but they observe their ceremonious fast or rather superstitious abstinence from flesh on the week before and not upon the Lords day following when they give orders For upon the Lords day they thinke it unlawfull to fast And yet they will rather sever their ceremoniall fast from the action then that it should not be performed upon the Lords day for why that was the day on which the fierie tongues came downe upon the Apostles and they observe the third houre of the day commonly that is about nine a clocke because it was about that time that the gifts of the holy Ghost were powred on them For the Bishop must say to the Priest Receive the Holy Ghost And so one superstition is at jarre with another and great confusion there is and disorder in their rites and ceremonies and no wonder for they are Babylonish Yet for all their apish imitations the cloven tongues come never downe upon any of their silly Curates The Friday fast is like the rest and dependeth upon their mother good Friday which hath bred them These are their set and superstitious fasts Extraordinary and occasionall fasts for urgent calamities and the miseries either of their owne Church or other Churches abroad they have none or very rare Other directories are contained in the Rubrickes which serve to direct in the manner of administration either of some parts of the liturgie or of the sacraments Of some parts of the liturgie in such things as concerne all which are of that congregatioÌ„ or some onely Of such as concern all as in the publick prayers or reading of sacred homilies In publike prayers eyther ordinary or peculiar to some time and occasion Their prayers are to be consiâ—ereâ— both in matter and forme In the matter as when in the collect upon the 12 sunday after Trinitie sunday it is sayd Almighty and everlasting God poâ—re doâ—ne upon us the abâ—ndance of â—hy mercie giving unto us that that our prayers dare not presume to ask There is nothing which is needfull for us and lawfull but wee dare and should aske it They pray to be delivered from thundering tempest when there is no appearance of danger The third part of their prayers concern the commodities or incommodities of this life They crave to be delivered from all adversitie as if the petition in the Lords prayer deliver us from that evill one or wicked one to witt the Divill should be translated from all evill In S. Bartholomâ—w his collect they pray that they may follow his sermons and there is none of them extant Why say they O Ananias Azarias and Misael praise the Lord more then O Peter Paul and virgin Marie praise the Lord. The forme of their prayers is set downe as a lesson for the minister to read So that the gift exercise of the spirit is stinted circumscribed with their prescript prayers For howbeit hee could pray with the tongue of an Angell heâ— must be tied in time of their service to the words which are set down in the booke Sometime the Minister is enjoyned to beginne the Lords prayer with a loud voyce Sometimes the Clarks and people are directed to say the Lords prayer with a lowd voyce at one time and not another Then againe their prayers are shred into many small peeces They pray in two or three lines and then after having read some other thing come and pray as much more and so to the 20 or 30 time with pawses betweene Prayers should be continued together not cut off and interrupted or cut in small peeces They doe with their prayers as they doe with their Gospels and Episties which they rent from their contextis which would serve for memorie and greater edification They multiply words tending to the same effect using repetitions and babbling How many Kyrie eleeson and Christe eleeson will they have at one time At one and the same meeting of the Assembly the Lords prayer is to be repeated 8 severall times and Gloria patri 12 times May not the Papists justly defend their beads Glorie to the Father c. is not sayd after Te Deum laudamus as after Benedicite Magnificat and nune dimittis They have their times to kneel at some prayers not at others The Minister is ordained to stand in the accustomed place or at the discretion of the Ordinarie So that is left to the discretion of one man which tendeth to the edification of many The accustomed place is the Chancel Thereupon saith M. Cartwright the Minister in saying morning and evening prayer 〈◊〉 in the Chancell with his back to the people as if he had some secret talke with God which theâ— people might not heare And hereupon it is likewise that after morning prayer for saying another number of prayers he climeth up to the further end of the Chauncell and runneth as far from the people as the wall will let him as though there were some variance betweene the people and the minister or as though he were afraid of some
Ecclesiasticall or civill persons as for example the Lieutenant of the Tower and the Postmaster as with us the Archbishop may assume any foure of the number to be his assessours as for example Mr. Thomas Henderson comissarie of Edinburgh M. Iohn Weemes commissarie of Saintandros M. Iames Hammilton commissarie of Glasgow and the Chauntour of Glasgow Mr. David Sharpe or any other foure Ecclesiasticall persons or civill enrolled in the letters patents These three as for example the Archbishop Postmaster and Lieutenant of the Tower have power to inquire in all heresies errours schismes contempts and enormities whatsoever which were wont to be reformed by Ecclesiasticall lawes and jurisdiction in all offences and contempts committed against the forme of their service and common prayers and other late statutes made anent Ecclesiasticall matters as also seditious bookes private conventicles adulteries fornications outragious misbehaviours disorders in marriages and other offences particularly expressed in the letters patents and all other grievous offences punishable by the Ecclesiasticall lawes of the Realme So with us the five as for example the five abovenamed have power to take triall of all offenders in life and doctrine or religion or scandalous in any of these intercommoners and recepters of Iesuites Seminarie and Masse Priests hearers of Masse and excommunicate Papists so like recusants or not communicants so like incestuous or adulterous persous obstinate contemners of the discipline of of the Kirke and excommunicate for the same all ministers preachers Doctors or masters of Schooles Colledges and universities all exhorting and lecturing Readers for preaching or speaking in publicke against the present established order of the kirk truth or estate against any of the conclusions of the bypast generall assemblies of the Kirk truth specially of the acts of generall Assembly holden at Perth in the moneth of August 1618 truth and all disobeyers of the sayd acts truth likewise writers of Pamphlets contrary to any of the constitutions of the Kirke or Printers of the sayd bookes and pamphlets truth or of any other bookes without licence These three commissioners may authorize their drunken pursevant to breake open mens studies chambers coffers letternes and search if there be any bookes or writs against their Hierarchie and the orders of their Kirke and to spoile at their pleasure These three commissioners may convent before them any subject of whatsoever degree or calling civill or Ecclesiasticall in whatsoever season of the yeare earing time or harvest from whatsoever part of the kingdome even the remotest for whatsoever offence reputed Ecclesiasticall even the lightest to the great detriment and domage of the subjects So with us may these or any other five in the number the Archbishop or any one of them being alwayes present summon and call before them at the times and places they shall thinke most convenient any person dwelling within the kingdom of Scotland and provinces of Saintandros and Glasgow These three commissioners have power to command the Shireffes Iustices and other officers and subjects to apprehend or cause to be apprehended such persons as they shal think good and take such bonds for their appearance as they shall prescrive or to commit them to prison So may the five with us direct their warrant to the Captaine and Lieutenant of the Kings guard the Provost and Bailies of the Burgh where they shall happen to sit Shiriffes and Bailies of Regalities to search take and apprehend whom they please and to present them before them The three commissioners have power to force any person convented before them whom they suspect to accuse himselfe upon his own oath to answer to their interrogatories when there is no accuser nor article of accusation libelled against him He must sweare to answer to that which he doth not as yet understand not so much as in generall And to grace this oath they call it the oath ex officio If any person refuse to take this oath hee is forthwith committed to prison The manner of taking the oath is by laying their hand or three fingers on the book to sweare by God and the contents of the booke that they shall answer truely to such things as shall bee demanded of them and when the book is kissed the oath is accepted as Barow reporteth in his Discovery And although the penalties of the statutes bee never so great as Premunire abjuration forfeiture of lands and goods and some of the offences are limited to bee tried onely in the Kings Bench yet the partie suspected shall be forced by this commission to accuse himselfe upon his owne oath upon such captious interrogatories as the wit of man can devise when there is neither accuser nor libell of accusation sayth Nicholas Fuller in his arguments and defence of his Clients This oath was set on foot under King Henry the 4. at the instant sute of the Prelates for detecting and suppressing of those whom that blind age called Lollards that is for suppressing of the Gospell which was peeping out of corners The Commons repined against that Statute ex officio and the godly wrote against it as a bloodie Maximinian law They were first ordeined to accuse themselves and then to be burnt See Fox in Henry 4. The same oath doe the Prelates now make a meanes to suppresse a due reformation of their Church Worthy Vdal and many more have ended their daies in the prison for refusall of this unjust and superstitious oath The three Commissioners have power to fine at their discretions to commit to prison for non compearance or for contumacie in refusing to obey their decrees or reputed desert of their offence and all the Iayles Wards and Prisons in the land are at their command to receive the person committed and sent by them to prison So with us the Captaines and Constables of the Kings Wardes and Castles jaylors keepers of prisons in burgh or land are charged to receive and deteyne all persons directed to them in such forme as shall be prescribed in the warrant subscribed by any five of them one of the Archbishops being alwayes of the number Neither may the imprisoned be set at libertie but at their pleasures And with us also the Lords of his Ma privie Councell are required upon the sight of any certificate subscribed by any 5. of the sayd Cōmissioners one of the sayd Archbishops being alwayes one either of fine imposed upō any party or upon the refusing to compeir before the sayd Cōmissioners to direct a summar charge of horning upō ten dayes for payment of the fine that shall be imposed upon them and to direct others letters for denouncing persons that shall refuse to compeir before the sayd Commissioners of the which letters no suspension or relaxation shall be granted without a testimony under one of the Archbishops hands of the parties obedience and satisfaction Howbeit with them they bee thus authorized by the Kings letters patents to fine ward and imprison yet are they not so
they make twenty that cannot teach and so idle shepheards are set up in the roome of true Pastors They that can teach are bound hand and foot till they get a licence But sithence Christ bad his Priests preach who should forbid them preaching said Wickleffe in the exposition of his Conclusions exhibited to the Bishops When they have gotten licence either they loyter or if they preach their preaching is hedged in with penalties injunctions caveats canons advertisements that they may not deliver the whole counsell of God or else they play the part of prophane Orators with affected eloquence or make the people laugh with merry tales as the Authour of the Admonition to the Parliament doth relate To conclude then a bare Reader of the service booke in English is sufficient to be an English priest In the rest of his administration according to the prescript either of the Q. Injunctions so that they be not repugnant to the lawes or of the Liturgie set forth by publique authoritie This Liturgie maintaineth a Reading Ministerie for it requireth nothing necessarily to bee done by the Minister which a child of ten yeare old cannot doe as well and as lawfully as that man wherewith the booke contenteth it selfe Preaching is but accidentall and accessorie without the which their office doth and may consist And indeed boyes and senselesse Asses are our common Ministers for the most part for common reason may serve the turn and do this feat well enough It is indeed lesse busie then the Popish Priests service because the Kalender and the Rutricks of the book are fewer and plainer then his Portuise and Pic were So that lesse Clerkes then 〈◊〉 priâ—sts which had but some blind Latine in their belly may serve for our store say the Authours of the Admonition to the Parliament The administration according to the prescript of the booke of Liturgie doth concerne either the Bishop or the Church or the Minister himselfe The Bishop to wit in confirmation of children The Church either in certaine rites as bowing the knee or in certaine answeres Of Bishopping we have entreated before The Congregations part standeth in some rites and gestures or in some answers Now the people sit now they stand up When the old Testament is read or the lessons they make no reverence but when the Gospell commeth then they all stand up they thinke that to be of greatest authoritie and are ignorant that the Scriptures come from one Spirit They make curtesie when Iesus is named either in Sermon lesson or otherwise uncovering their heads and making a leg with such scraping on the ground that the Minister or Reader cannot be heard for a space thereafter And yet saith the Author of the Petition to the Qu. The Bishops and their Chaplaines seldome use this unlesse it be at reading of the Gospell as if the Gospell were more holy then the rest of the Scripture especially they forget it when lustily and bravely they sweare by the name of Iesus The name of Iesus is more reverenced then the name of Saviour which is of the same signification or other titles of Christ as when he is named Messias Christ Mediator the Son of God c. or when God is named as if the Apostle had meant Philip. 2. that every knee should bow at the naming of Iesus when as he onely saith At the name of Iesus that is every creature shall bee made to acknowledge his power and authoritie which is his name as the word is often taken in the scripture It is not the sound of syllables but his divine power that is meant Then again for answers the people are appointed at divers prayers to rehearse word for word after the minister whereby an opinion is ingendred in their minds that other prayers do not so much pertaine to them as those which they utter with their own mouthes As the minister is the mouth of God from God to the people so should he be the mouth of the people from the people to God Sometime the minister saith one part and the people another And in sundry parts of the Letanie the people make the prayer and the minister onely directs them what to pray for At the communion one of the people is allowed to make the generall confession in the name of the whole congregation At some prayers they are enjoyned to kneele devoutly and not at others In the administration which doth concerne the Minister himselfe or to be considered either the substance of the booke it self or certaine directories As for the substance of the book it is taken out of the Popes portuis with some rubricks and glosses of their own framing The same matter which is conteined in the English is also contained in their service book with some little addition The same forme is also observed with a small alteration wheras our forme of service should be as different as may be from the Popish And for length it is so wearisome that many times it shutteth out Preaching viz. when Baptisme the Communion Marying Churching and Buryal conâ—urre together as often they doe in great Congregations as it is said in the Abridgement of Lincolne Ministers Divine service in the Apostolicall Church was not spent in reading prayers Psalmes Epistles Gospels c. but for the most part in doctrine and exhortation When the Congregation assembled their Pastor was with them and he spent not the time in reading lessons prayers collects c. but uttered some word of exhortation and doctrine upon the parcell of Scripture which was read as was the custome also in the Sinagogues And suppose it had bene omitted at any time in the Sinâ—gogue we reade not of any such lame Liturgie in the Christian Church in the dayes of the Apostles nor in many ages following till blindnesse ignorance and lazinesse made the chiefe part of divine service to be omitted and a prescript forme to be made for 〈◊〉 and ignorant Priests For shal we beleeve that as long as Pastors were able to teach and exhort that they posted over a number of prayers and lessons c. and no farther No The bels of Aaron should give a sound as often as the Lords Priest entreth into the Sanctuarie Or doe they thinke that their Pastor was abroad at his pleasures when the flock was at their pasturage as devine service and some other reading minister serving them The Apostolicke Church and purer Antiquitie knew no such minister Out of the lessons or Psalmes which were read the minister took the argument and ground of his sermon beginning after this or the like manner Ye have heard brethren the booke of c. read The booke is read wherein it is prophecied We heare brethren when the Gospell was read the Lord saying that c. The directories are contained either in the Kalender or the Rubricks In the Kalender to direct the minister in such things as belong either to the minister himselfe or to the
communicate also as was the custome in time of blindnesse where every holy action behoved to have a Masse and so that action which should be common to the whole Congregation who are members of one body is made private and particular to a few howbeit in a publique place Then againe they have their forbidden times to marie in yea moe then the Papists have at least so many as have embraced the decrees of the Councel of Trent from Advent to the Epiphanie from Septuagesima sunday to the octaves of Easter from the Rogation weeke to the octaves of Pentecost amounting in all to the third part of the yeare as if marriage which is called honourable did prophane these holy times The councell of Trent hath dispensed with the Pentecost and the second they beginne at Ashwednesday Now notwithstanding of these forbiddeÌ„ times they may get a dispensation for some money and then it shall be lawfull enough and these holy times shall receive no pollution for mony hath a great vertue with it 2. Thankesgiving after childbirth This is commonly called the Churching of women Iâ— standeth more in Psalmes suffrages and collects wherein help is craved at God not notwithstanding he take upon him authority to 〈◊〉 from sins Then there is a Psasme and 〈◊〉 prayers read The silly curat can give no more comfort then the few set words which he must read can minister to the departing soul. If the 〈◊〉 person can get some to communicatâ—â—â— with him 〈…〉 as being ashamed to looke-up for some folly committed When she commeth to the church shee must kneele downe high unto the place where the table standeth that is nigh unto the Quire dore as the Rubrick in 2. Edward beareth as the women did who after the dayes of their purification were ended were appointed to bring their offering to the dore of the Tabernacle Levit. 12. 6. unto the Priest who shall make attonement for them Then the Priest readeth over her the 121. Psal. and assureth her that the Sun shall not burnâ— her by day nor the Moone by night Is not this a very pertinent Psalme for the purpose The Lords prayer being sayd and some versicles and answeres and then another prayer she doth offer her accustomed offrings and if there be a communion she receiveth the communion Call this churching a thankes-giving yet what reason is there of publick thanksgiving in the Church more for deliverance after childbirth which is ordinarie then from drowning or other extraordinary dangers or diseases and of womeÌ„ more then of men were not that the imitation of the Iewish purification is the Mysterie of it And so was this service intituled in the booke 2 Edw. The order of the purification of women as is reported in the Survey This superstitious service is not voluntarie but enjoyned When they come to the grave while the corpâ— is made ready to be laid into the earth they sing or say againe another parcell of Scripture out of Iob then while the earth is cast upon the body by some standing by the Priest again saith something and confidently affirmeth that God hath taken his soule and is of assured hope 〈…〉 3. The visiâ—a and comfort of the sick The Priest entering into the sickmans house sayth peace be in this house and to all that dwel in it When he commeth to the sickmans presence he kneeleth downe and prayeth his prescript lines for forgivenes of sinnes with two kyrie eleesons and one Christe eleeson the Lords prayer and some other versicles and responsories when as yet he hath not spoken a word to the diseased or understood whether hee bee sleeping or waking After the exhortation read which he may break if need be and the Creed rehearsed he desireth him to make his will and also declare his debts what he oweth and what is owing him Thereafter he moveth him to liberalitie Then shall the sick person make a speciall confession if he feele his conscience troubled with any weightie matter after which confession the priest shall absolve him When he absolveth he sayth By his that is oâ—r L. I. Christ authoritie committed to me I absolve thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the father and of the son and of the H. Ghost Amen He absolveth like a judge as the Popish Priest doth giving out a definitive sentence and absolutel doth forgiue not by way of deolaration This absolution is seuered from the preaching of the word For the dumb Gurat cannot preacâ— in thansgiving This help is to live and walkâ— faithfully in their vocation as if they were made uncleane by their childbirth to enterprise any thing Shee will not stirre out of the house suppose she were never so strong till the compleate time be expired that is a month commonly When she commeth forth she is muffled 〈…〉 him the communion If others may not conveniently come neere him yet the minister and he alone may communicate together and for shortnesse of time they have but one collect pistle and Gospell Thus are the people nourished in an opinion of the necessitie of the sacrament and the action which should be publick and solemne as the institution beareth and the practise of the Apostolicall Church declareth is made private administred peculiarly in a corner as if there were no other meane to eat the flesh and drink the bloud of Christ of that grace were tied to the externall signes 4. The Buriall of the dead They have a threefold peale enjoyned in their latest canons When any is passing out of this life a 〈◊〉 is to be tolled after the parties death a short peal is rung another before the buriall another after the buriall When the time of the funerals draweth neere the Priest the clearks make them ready The Priest putteth on his surplice and then commeth to the Church stile to meet the corps Then the Priest shall say or the Priest and cleark shall sing and so go either to the Church or towards the grave The words which are sayd or read alowd by the Priest or sung by the Priest and clearkes are 2 or 3 small sentences of scripture For any part of scripture is sung by theÌ„ as well as Psalms in their services and the Bishops haue punished women for not being churched sayth the authour of the petition to the Queen Some are churched at home by the Priest and therby saith the Surveyer They confirme women either in pride if they be able to goe to church and will not or in superstition if being not well recovered they yet must needs be chur 〈…〉 of his resurrection to 〈…〉 againe is said or sung a sentence out of the Revelation after the lesson two Kyrie eleesons with one Christe eleeson betwixt them after that the Lords prayer then the Priest prayeth that God might histen his kingdome that we with our brother and all other departed in the true faith of thy holy name may have our perfect consummation and
of the rest This confession is made kneeling Then he standeth up againe and turneth him to the people and prayeth some few words again So they have prayer following immediately after prayer without any new actioÌ„ intervening standing at the one kneel at the other so comely is their disorder The after some versides and answers and proper prefaces for holy-daies the Priest kneeleth down againe sayth a prayer in name of all them who are to receive the communion As soone as that is ended without any other action intervening he standeth up againe and sayth another prayer In this prayer he rehearseth the words of the institution to God as the preist doth when he consecrateth the bread and wine in the Masse For he doth not first end this prayer and then turne him to the people to informe them of the institution by rehearsall of the words but uttereth them in a continuall tenour with this prayer speaking to God O horrible prophanation of the Scripture and superstitious consecration Then without any farther he and they communicate kneeling after the Popish manner that is with a gesture of Adoration when they are beholding the signes taking eating drinking and inwardly in their minds should be meditating on the signification and the fruit and benefite which they reap by Christ crucified and consequently cannot without distraction of mind from this employment of the soule and meditation pray a set and continued prayer to God or cannot meditate and be employed in the present action without distraction of minde from the prayer and therefore either they pray unreverently which they will not grant or doe communicate this gesture of adoration to the other imployments of the soule and of the outward senses and members of the body about the objects presented which they must grant and so nill they will they must be forced to confesse that they commit idolatrie Kneeling is no decent gesture for a table for commoditie they say maketh decencie but this gesture is confessed not to be commodious as sitting is It is then enjoyned for another reason to wit fot reverence but to kneele for reverence and religious respects is ever adoration in the highest degree To kneele for reverence that is to adore is not enjoyned here for prayet neither may prayer lawfully be enjoyned in time of another action and part of Gods worship to bee performed by the same person And suppose it were enjoyned for the short prayer uttered by their priest yet are not the outward senses and inward faculties employed principally on that prayer but upon another action principally and directly intended in the Institution whereas the other is onely superadded by man Let them frame their canons and acts as they please and suppresse that they kneele for reverence of the Sacrament common sense may teach us that it is done for that respect either totally or principally But let it be in the least part yet that least part is idolatry Beside the idolatry of this gesture it cannot stand with the right manner of celebration and rites of the institution For when they kneele for adoration they cannot carie the cup from hand to hand nor divide the elements amongst themselves as Christ hath commanded In many places the people are raised from their kneeling to come about the table there to receive kneeling and then are directed to their places again saith the Authour of the Survey The Priest giveth the bread and the wine to every one severally out of his own hands When the cup is to be caried from one to another the communicant is too prophane to reach it the priests holy hand must take it from one and give it to the other But Christ willed his Disciples to divide it among themselves it was carried from hand to hand indeed after the manner of the last paschal cup which was changed in this communion cup. When Christ therfore gave the bread and the wine he sayd in the plural number Take yee eat yee c. The English priest speaketh in the singular number when he giveth the elements he annexeth not Christs words containing a comfortable promise and uttered in an enunciative form but other words invented by man and in form of a prayer converting one part of Gods worship in another or else confounding them Then the Prisayth the L. prayer the people repeat every petition after him Is not the minister the mouth of the people in prayer to God And now they wil with their own mouths pray again When the minister prayed did they not in hart pray with him if they did wherfore repeat they every petitioÌ„ And when they repeat doth the minister pray againe the same words in his hart which before he uttered with his tongue Or is the toung in this exercise both of minister people divided from the heart exercing their functions severally at distinct times this is the second pater noster So I must speak seeing they use the L. prayer as the Popish priest doth his pater After the L. prayer they have another prayer At westminster the communion is ministred in wafer cakes as the author of the Survey reports who also doth conjecture by this that the prelates intend to advance superstition by peecemeal in all places The like may be said of some superstitions used in the K. Chappell Wee have seen the particulars of the Priests function whereunto Mucket doth subjoyn that he must weare a surplice in the administration of the particulars foresaid that is in reading morning and evening prayer churching of women celebration of matrimonie at burialls administration of baptisme and the Lords suâ—per And if he hath taken on any degree in the Vniversitie he must weare such a hood as appertaineth to that degree In cathedrall and collegiat charches the communion is to be administred upon principall feast dâ—â—es sometimes by the Bishop if he be present and sometimes by the Deane and at somtimes by a Canon or preben darie the priacipall minister using a decent cope and being assisted with the Gospeller and Epistler The rich cope then is not a vestiment for common kirks and ordinary priests No minister being no graduate may weare a hood under pain of suspension Notwithstanding it shall bee lawfull for such ministers as are not Graduats to weare upon their surplices in stead of Hoods some decent tippet of blacke so it be not of silâ—k For their ministring garments we say first they cannot be sayd to be enjoyned for distinction For the place they occupie in the time of their ministration doth of it selfe distinguish them from all others who see them at service They serve not for comelinesse and gravitie but are rather ridiculous and stagelike meeter for fooles and comedians then for ministers And if gravitie were respected in them they should be worn ordinarily and out of the true ministration For he must not cast off his gravitie when he hath ended divine service It is then for mysterie or