Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n
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A92566
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A vindication of conformity to the liturgy of the Church of England. In a letter, written to A person of quality, wherein satisfaction is given to certain queries suggested by a non-conformist.
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P. S.
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1668
(1668)
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Wing S124; ESTC R183126
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12,388
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56
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time that were not so mad as to cast off all set Formes opposed themselves against that Forme that was Legally in force that is for substance the Forme that is now Enacted amongst our selves they were quickly convinced that the fault was rather in their own intemperate heate than in any errors reteined in the Service Book They complained foure Classes of them to the Lord Burleigh 't is possible that Assent and Consent were too hard meat for their squeasie Stomachs That Lord enquired Whether they would have all Liturgie taken away They said No. He required them to make a better that might take place upon the removall of what was settled The first Classis framed one complying with the Genevah Forme This the second disliked and altered in 600. particulars That again had the hard fortune to be quarrel'd by the third Classis And what the third resolved on by the fourth And as a Learned man saith The dissenting of those Brethren as the division of Tongues at Babel was a faire means for keeping that Tower then from advanceing any higher Vide Vindication of the Liturgie pag. 3.4 What the Gentleman means by dayes of Restoring Conformity I can but adventure to divine I remember that there was a Clause in the beginning of the Scotch Covenant illegally imposed by men in usurped power and taken rashly by the ignorant because they thought it lawfull and cowardly by the fearfull that loved their integrity less than their temporall concernes wherein the Covenanter engageth To endeavour the Reformation of the Church of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches Perhaps the Querist hath some Church in his eye unto which we cannot be conformable whilst our Liturgie shall stand in force had he named that Church we might have enquired whether our Church hath not as good Reason to be exemplary to it as to tread after it They that have travel'd in this enquiry will tell us That they judge the Church of England to be the Eldest Daughter in all the boundaries of the Reformation and as Orthodox for Doctrine and sober for Discipline as any Church since the first Ages Mr. Durel who was Minister above eight years in a Protestant Church of France will assure this Querist That in France and Genevah set Formes are enjoyned That a Tigurine Minister was questioned at Genevah for officiating in the Germane Church there and not rehearsing as 't is appointed the Creed after the Morning Service The same Person afore-named now Minister of the French Church at the Savoy relates a passage of a Letter sent to him by the Learned and eloquent Mounsier Martell the words in English are these I wonder to heare that some are found in England that are altogether averse from any set Formes of Liturgie to be observed generally one and the same in all the Kingdome among us it is no where permitted to reject the use of the Liturgie which was made by Calvin c. indeed for Calvins Liturgy we leave it to those that like it But his reasons for a Liturgie are so binding that I know not what can be alledged more convincing These are his words in our Tongue which he Wrote in a Latine Epistle to the Protector of England in King Edward the sixth his dayes As touching the Forme of Prayers and Ceremonies of the Church I approve very much that it be Set and that it be not lawfull for the Ministers to recede from it in their Function as well to help the simplicity and unskilfulness of some as that the Vniformity of all the severall Congregations may appeare And finally that the desultory and capricious lightness of such as affect Novelties may be encountred and stopped 2. The Gentlemans second Querie is Whether the Injunction of that Worship to the exclusion of all els unless that be used be not to make it an essentiall part of Gods Worship and an adding to Gods Word forbidden in Deuteronomy and the Revelation To Preach God Word and dispence his Sacraments to make Prayers Supplications and give thanks for all men are Essentiall parts of Gods Worship But to performe these duties after such a manner at such Forms of words and with such Vestments are but circumstantialls left in the power of the Church by that generall rule of St. Paul 1 Cor. 14.10 Let all things be done decently and in order I would faine see this or any other person pretending the pleas here alledged undertake the performance of the Service of God in such a Scripturall manner that might secure him against as strong exceptions nay far stronger than are here made against the Publique Liturgy by this Querist I suppose he would come into the Assembly clad with some garment or other For though Saul Prophesied naked and the Adamites think it their perfection to appear at their Meetings unapparrelled yet few are so Fanatick as to think those examples obliging others to a conformity He cannot approve a Surplice perhaps May not another pleade as much against a Gowne or Cloak or Cassock If a white Surplice be no where commanded neither is a black Gowne If not to kneele at the Communion neither to sit or stand is a precept in the sacred Text. If the established Orders of the Church are not to be received because they are no where commanded by express injunction of Scriptures the Nonconformists to the Church must permit us to be such to themselves untill they can act upon the warranty of that Word which they say gives no allowance to us But let us heare how the Service of God must be carried on when the Congregation is met Although the Common Prayers may not be used perhaps because a Forme perhaps because commanded yet I suppose the Querist would pray after his own fashion If the Service be a Forme such will be his to those that are to joyne with him And if it be urged that by the contrivance of his Forme his gifts are exercised May I not reply that these are the gifts of the Church in the Prayers authorized by our Governours The Church forbids no man the imployment of his Talents At their Ordination all Ministers are very powerfuly exhorted thereunto But we have a cleare Text That the Spirits of the Prophets ought to be subject to the Prophets 1 Cor. 14.32 That we ought to obey them that have the rule over us Heb. 13.17 That all things ought to be done decently and in order and common sense teacheth us that where there is no subjection there can be no order 'T is certain also that the Canon of the Scriptures is sealed that no man can pretend to such speciall Revelations that what he shall utter must conclude the Church as powerfully as if the Prophets or Apostles spake The best gifts in men not exempted from carnall infirmities may be abused One may be zealous and want knowledge another may be competently knowing
she recommendeth her proceedings to the judgement of every mans Conscience and hath received no censure from any Church since the Reformation Nay so far is she from incurring the censures of the rest of her Sisters that they rather emulate her Beauty We are assured that the Reformed Churches which follow the Confession of Ausburgh have the very same both Government and Worship in every particular that we have Nay they go farr beyond us in many things of the same kind which our Church hath thought fit to lay aside and yet by a Nationall Assembly of the Reformed Churches of France held at Charenton Anno 1631. are quitted from the charge either of Idolatry or Superstition in their publick worship See Durel pag. 4. so that if the Querist by his former expression where he mentions the restoring of conformity would tax our Church with Non-conformity to the rest of the Reformation because she reteineth a Liturgie with a Rubrick he is strangely mistaken and knows not the Methods of their publick worship For as the most of them have a subordination of Pastors and admit not a parity in the Government of their Churches so have they as the cited Author attesteth all of them set Formes of Prayer not one excepted he instanceth in the Imperiall Towns and other Free States as Strasburgh Vlm Ausburgh Norenburgh Hamburg Lubeck and in all the Territories of the Soveraigne Princes of Germany Saxony Brandenburg Lawenburg Brunswick Baden Ouspatch Mecklenburg c. so that the Church of England by abolishing Liturgie would be so farr from restoring conformity with the best Reformed Churches that she would be rather Schismaticall by walking in a path by her selfe alone 4. But the Querist would know Whether to submit to the Forme enjoyned be not a transgression of his Commission given him Mat. 28. ult penult The Commission there given was immediately proper to the Apostles who were to be Christs Witnesses of what they had heard and seen by Preaching repentance and remission of sins in his Name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Luke 24.47 48. so farr as it extends to all inferiour orders of the Ministery they may well think themselves concerned to fulfill so solemne a charge the words are Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them c. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you c. I cannot imagine how the Liturgie of the English Church checketh this Commission it no where prohibits the teaching of Christs Precepts and if any in the Communion of our Nationall Church shall presume to teach any thing contrary unto them I hope the care of our Spirituall Governours is so great that he would no longer be permitted to proceed in sowing such tares than he should be convicted guilty of so foule a crime neither do the dutifull Sons of the Church of England bid Christ as the Querist pretends keep his gifts and spirit which he hath promised to himself Nay rather when they observe the spirit of wisedom and counsell so to have assisted the Compilers of the Liturgy that the exactest searchers into it disputers against it have bin able after all their heats rather passionately to revile it than solidly to confute it they own Christs gracious succour in the illumination and direction of those that framed it and see that generall promise verified in the reformation of the particular Nationall Church in the very Text alledged by the Querist Lo I am with you alwaies even to the end of the world And therefore the Querist may be secure that his Assenting and Consenting will never endanger him to incurr the curse denounced against such as shall adde or detract from the Word of God For our Church doth not impose her Liturgy as immediately inspired but contrived through the assistance of the Spirit indeed but by men using the means of study and carefull enquiry after the truth not challenging Propheticall or Apostolical infallibility Whereupon it will follow that the complyer with this method of Worship can in no reason be charged with reeidivation from asserting Christs supremacy for the Liturgy controles no Law of Christ nor challengeth any submission to the diminution of his authority but directs us to make all our addresses to God the Father in his name and glorifieth him as the Father in the unity of the blessed Spirit common to them both teaching us to ascribe honour prayse obedience and adoration to the three Persons in the unity of the same essence for ever and ever He that distrusteth the settlement of so well an ordered Church may rather be afraid to incurr the curse wished by the Apostle upon the disturbers of the peace of the Galatians I would they were even cut off that trouble you Let a man search the Liturgy and examine every parcell of it I am confident that he shall find no part of it contrary to sound reason the sacred Text or the usage and custome of the ancient Church and then I think St. Augustines words may be worth the Querists consideration Contra rationem nemo sobrius contra Scripturasnemo Christianus contra Ecclesiam nemo pacificus senserit de Trin. 4.6 no sober man will contradict reason no Christian the Scriptures no peaceable person the custome of the Church Good Madam whether I have said enough to satisfie the Contriver of the Queries I know not but I am confident that I have said more than was requisite to satisfie your Ladyship for you are better Principled in the Religion establish't amongst us than to be shaken by such Proposals as the Querist's Paper has offered to your consideration Indeed it seems strange to me that Persons otherwise not voyd of common sense should so bungle in disputes of this nature as without any considerable force of Argument to oppose not onely the practice of our own Church and all others of the Reformation but to slight the precedent of the Catholick Church throughout the East and West for a long time before even impudence it self dare charge them with Superstition or Idolatry except God in his just judgement has given them up unto a spirit of delusion For it is very possible that they who upon secular designes disturbed the settlement of our Church whose prudent and pious constitutions their own subscriptions had sometimes justified should deservedly be punished either with so much blindness as not to see what formerly they discerned or with so much hardness of heart as to refuse to comply with what they can with no solidity of reason disapprove and censure The piety and charity of your Ladyship make you zealous to win others to the same perswasion which upon not onely the authority of our Church but the conviction of your own discerning Judgement you have embraced I heartily wish that these or any other endeavours of mine might contribute somewhat to the gaining of any dissenters to the bosom of that affectionate Mother whom they have so deeply by their Apostasie disquieted and grieved 'T is not in my judgement an Act of comprehension that will effect this great work that will but disparage the Wisedome and gravity of our pious Mother and farther confirme such wanton Children as resolve never to be confuted in their obstinate though groundless oppositions It must be some Act of the incomprehensible goodness and power of God who is able both to illuminate the eyes of the blind and discover unto them the path of Truth and to order the Footsteps of the pervers and guide them into the way of Peace Your Christian charity will incline you to implore Almighty God for such a mercy for them and I shall cheerfully joyn with you in the same request To this I shall at this time adde but one more for a blessing upon your Ladyships Person and Family and without giving you any further trouble of Reading what has long since exceeded the measures of a Letter rest Good Madam Your Ladiships humble servant in Christ P. S. Feb. 25. 1667 8.