and negligent so many good Books of Devotion and excellent pieces of Divinity as the Church of Christ abounds with they may be able to make such Prayers as may be sound and comprehensive suitable and edifying Nay they may attain to some ability to express their desires to God without an exact Form if they are such persons as are much in the practice of this Duty as it is fit Ministers should be after the example of the Apostles Acts 6.4 But we will give our selves continually to Prayer and the Ministry of the Word Secondly It was more seasonable at the Reformation than another Worship because it receded least from their former Worship leaving that only in what was plainly and undoubtedly evil and so was it more safe upon the same account For it is a common Rule in all Changes in Bodies Natural and Political that the Change be no more then needs must it being dangerous to run from one extream into another And that Change which they did make in the Worship was no without its danger for in Devonshire and Cornwall there was a Rebellion upon the account of changing their Worship But there would be no danger of Rebellion now upon some just alterations It caused one indeed in Scotland as before which infected England Thirdly It was more satisfactory and acceptable to the generality of the Nation at the time of the Reformation than any other So that we do not read of any that separated from it in Edward VI. days And though when they were at liberty in Germany some were for another Worship at Frankford yet we do not read but they Conformed to it in England until near the Spanish Invasion when a party of Jesuits and Roman Priests were found crying up a sort of Free Prayer drawing some off from the Common-Prayer though not men of note And in the Act Primo Elizabethae you may find the esteem they had for this Worship It saith to the great decay of the due Honour of God and discomfort to the Professors of the Truth of Christs Religion the Common-Prayer Book and the Act for it was repealed and taken away in Queen Maries days But now the generality of Dissenters and many that follow the Parish Ministers are dissatisfied in it and have little or no liking to it and whatever is the matter the genius of the people will not bear it or some things in it or at least not otherwise then as a Burthen and a Grievance Arg. IV. For proof that the Common-Prayer according to the Acts for Vniformity is inconvenient in some respects because of the confinement of Ministers to the use of it not only in the publick but in their Families in a manner wholly excluding all other manner of Prayer even the most sober and discreet use of the Gift as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vpon the Ordinance against the Common-Prayer Book Sect. 4. I am not against a grave modest discreet and humble use of Ministers gifts even in publick the better to excite their own and the peoples affections to the present occasions Again upon denying him his Chaplains Sect. 16. Which gift as I do not wholly exclude from publick occasions so I allow it its just liberty and use in private and devout retirements And the Act for Vniformity in the beginning of King Edwards Reign did give Liberty to use any other Prayers and Psalms taken out of the Bible at any due time not letting or omitting thereby the Service or any part thereof More may be spoken to enforce this part that Ministers should labour after some measure of the gift and ability to utter their minds to God in Prayer without keeping strictly to a Form. First Ejaculatory Prayer calls for some measure of this gift as when we lift up our Hearts to God upon any present occasion in some short Prayer as in time of Temptation upon sudden Danger or news of the Sickness or Death of a Friend or Judgment or Mercy befalling the Nation or Parish in which we live or according to the Discourse and Company which we are in or matter which we read Bishop Taylor in his Rules to his Clergy That they should teach their People to be much in this Ejaculatory Prayer Secondly For some gift and ability to Pray without a Form is because that Examination of our Hearts and Lives upon set days of Fasting and Humiliation before a Sacrament and in times of Affliction and Sickness or any Calamity the dayly Examination also according to many sober Heathens practice Pythagoras his Advice to his Scholars to that purpose and which is the practice of good men and serves only to find out our sins that we may beg pardon of them and power against them or be thankful to God for his Grace keeping us from sin or enabling us to do good and this cannot be done in one set Form. Thirdly Ministers Sermons should be begun continued and ended with Prayer Prayer for Direction to a suitable Subject such as the necessities of the people call for Method Matter Language that all may be done to edifying And when it is finished it is fitting to recommend it unto God for his Blessing upon it The more Prayer the more power working with our Sermons You will find such Sermons take most effect they will be weak without it And after Preaching that the Word Preached may be put in practice Some Ministers in the Country having a short Prayer after Sermon respecting the principal matter of the Sermon as the Duties Graces Truths of our Christian Religion or Sins as 2 Tim. 3.16 The Word being profitable for Doctrine Reproof to convince Gainsayers for Correction and Amendment of evil Manners and for Instruction in Righteousness or Holiness by an exercise of the Graces performance of the Duties of our Religion Now Prayer must accompany all the Ordinances of God to sanctifie and get Gods Blessing on them Fourthly It is fit that all should vary in their Prayers so much as occasions serves our Sins our Wants our Mercies Neither those of the Nation nor a particular Congregation are the same always not altogether though much the same Therefore it is fit our Petitions Intercessions and Thanksgivings should admit of some alteration Arg. V. For some ability to pray without an exact Form is that in Phil. 4.6 In every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your Requests be made known unto God In every thing of great concernment and importance in our Lives be it Worldly or Spiritual matters Besides in the two first Centuries this sort of Prayer prevailed in all probability and a mixt Worship in the third partly by Form and part otherwise 'T is too apparent to be denied and hath been the observation of too many and their complaint too that Ministers take occasion from the use of the common-Common-Prayers to neglect the sober use of free and conceived Prayer being insufficient to pray upon an emergent occasion to the scandal of their Function
Protestants And I hope saith Mr. Claud to the Bishop of London you will not be wanting in the Duties of Charity and the Spirit of Peace and that when the Dispute shall be only of some Temperaments or of some Ceremonies that are a stumbling-block and which in themselves are nothing in comparison with an intire re-union you will make it seen that you love the Spouse of your Master more than your selves This indeed would manifest in the Fathers of the Church a true Fatherly Affection great Humility and Condescention if they shall at length yield somewhat to the Infirmity and Importunity of Protestant Brethren And it is highly probable that such Concessions and Alterations as to take in our Dissenting Brethren would take away most of those Evils that have troubled the Church It were the best way and means to put a stop to the Course of Separation For when the most eminent and considerable Men of the Nonconformists were taken in as certainly they would come in the rest would be discouraged and discountenanced in their Separation and we might hope that they would fall off by degrees and in time be wholly recovered to the Church again Hereby a great many Ministers considerable for Gifts and Grace might do service in the Church who must otherwise be silent or exercise their Ministry in a way of Separation As the Separation will cease much by a Comprehension so will the Envy Hatred Malice and Uncharitableness that accompanies a divided Church-state cease in the same measure And it is to be hoped this would strengthen the hands of Discipline and turn the Censures of the Church and their force against the scandalous open Evil-livers instead of vexing of Dissenters And perhaps in order to this Accommodation it might be desirable to consider of the Nonconformists Motion page 61. We confess that some Forms have their laudible use to cure that Errour and Vice that lieth on the other extream And might we but somtimes have the liberty to interpose such words as are needful to call home and quicken Attention and Affection we should think that a convenient Conjunction of both might be a well-tempered means to the Common Constitutions of most By a mixt Worship partly by a Form and in some part be it but little otherwise not as of necessity for all but allowance to some who may be habitually apt for it as Ministers will increase their Gifts attaining more Holy Skill and Wisdom and Ability in Prayer by this means and be more fitted and ready for Ejaculatory Prayer and other sort of Occasional Prayer after the Examination of their Hearts and Lives whether dayly or upon set times of Fasting and Humiliation or to follow the Word read or Preached with Prayer for a Blessing on that and the Sacraments which with all the Ordinances of God are Sanctified or Blessed by Prayer Ministers besides by this means being more frequent in the performance of this so great and necessary a Duty will be more ready and inclinable to it at all times with much ease and freedom sweetness and delight which Naturally much more Spiritually proceed from Use and Custom And the People will be encouraged by the Examples of their Ministers to do the like and follow them And this would mightily promote Religion all our Religion being like to rise or fall as we rise or fall in this Duty 7. To continue our Common Prayer in all and every thing the same it is to be feared will continue if not perpetuate Schism While the things scrupled and excepted against continue we have little or no hopes of gaining our Brethren They are never like to be so well satisfied in Conscience as to the Assent and Consent to all and every thing and the undoubted certainty of Baptized Infants Salvation which Bishop Vsher in his Body of Divinity of Baptism doubted of and so do some Conformists now Curates and others who can use the Baptismal Office and as to the Sign of the Cross c. as to come up to a full Conformity to the present established Worship There are but four means of curing Schisme either by Instruction or Toleration Reprehension or Comprehension They have had Instruction long enough one Conformist after another writing for Conformity some in the Spirit of Meekness some with another manner of Spirit and still they have been answered and the Nonconformists remained unconvinced unsatisfied And as to Toleration of their different Assemblies there were no cure of Schism that way though I think it is of the better sort like Mr. Greenham's Answer to the Bishop of Ely who told him there was a Schism in the Church and asked him where the fault lay On either side said he if they violated the Laws of Love on neither part as to culpable Schism if they lived lovingly together as they should do notwithstanding the difference of their Judgments Further Mischief of Separation page 18. Men may please themselves in talking of preserving Love and Peace under separate Congregations but our own sad Experience shows the contrary For as nothing tends more to unite Mens hearts than joyning together in the same Prayers and Sacraments so nothing doth more alienate Mens Affections than withdrawing from each other into separate Communions Therefore as large a Comprehension as may be is desirable and no more Toleration of other Worship than necessity requires because Toleration without a Comprehension will weaken any Established Church As to Reprehension severity I mean by that word it may make Men Hypocrites and drive many to Church who will fall off again as soon as the severities cease Men are reasonable Creatures and what they do it should be a reasonable service from an enlightened mind and well-satisfied Conscience not by force and violence done to their Consciences dissembling with God and the World. For neither is God served by such nor their Souls edified nor the Communion of Saints encreased by such an Hypocritical Union and Communion with our Church And though it is not to be denied but that some may by such severities be put upon a more Impartial search and enquiry into the Tearmes of Communion with us and so be satisfied really yet these are but few the far greater part forsaking us when once the lash is taken away and they come to have their liberty The last and the best means is Comprehension and that must be by yielding somewhat for Peace sake on either side And surely there is no such wide breach but that there might be a closing an healing if we would set our selves in good earnest to it and would not be too stiff and self-willed And to this end perhaps it were desirable that as the Dutch did us the Honour of having some of our Divines at their Synod for composing differences among them so that we might take in the Assistance of some of their Divines either by their Personal Presence or Advice by Letter as Mr. Le Moyne and the others of France Mr.
Protestant say Amen to it Arguments for Concessions and Alterations in the Common-Prayer and in the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England in order to the desired Vnion in Worship CErtainly that man is no friend to Church and State who is an enemy to their Peace and Union in matters of Religion For as the Eminent Mr. Le Moyn of Holland saith in his Letter to his Lordship the present Bishop of London at the end of Vnreasonableness of Separation In England the good of Church and State depends absolutely upon Vnion of the People in point of Religion and one cannot there press an Vnion too much For there is never like to be an effectual Reformation of Peoples unreformed Lives without an Union when Conforming and Nonconforming Ministers may joyn together encourage and assist each other in that blessed work And as to an Union Mr. Baxter in his Life and Death of Sir Matthew Hale saith 2 p. 19 20. that the said Judge told him the only means to heal us was a new Act of Uniformity Therefore I shall apply my self to the Governours of the Church that are Lawfully called and have Authority to appoint and alter matters of this nature respecting the Service and Worship of God. I shall in all Humility recommend to the Governours Consideration some Arguments for Concessions and Alterations in the Common Prayer and then in the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England And to show that I am not alone and that it is not a project of my own which hath no countenance or encouragement from others I shall mention greater Names in favour of the same Argument and urge their concurrence and that shall be my first Plea. First Plea For some Concessions and Alterations in this Worship because there are some things which in the judgment of several eminent Conformists may be altered without any detriment or dishonour to the Church Divers Reverend Bishops and Doctors in a Paper in Print before the unhappy Wars in King Charles I. Reign yielded to the laying aside of the Cross and the making many material Alterations as the Archbishop of Armagh the Bishop of Lincoln Dr. Prideaux Dr. Ward Dr. Brownrigg Dr. Featly met together by Order of the Lords at the Bishop of Lincolns in Westminster besides some Innovations in Discipline given in hinted their desire of the Alteration of many things in the Book of Common-Prayer as the Reading of the Psalms according to the New Translations Lessons of Canonical Scripture instead of the Apocrypha leaving out the Hymn of Benedicite and the saying Gloria Patri after every Psalm changing with my Body I thee Worship into these I give thee Power over my Body I Absolve thee in the Visitation of the Sick into these I pronounce thee Absolved c. Grand Debate p. 31. Again the Bishop of Armagh p. 130 131. from Dr. Barnard to this effect That for the healing of those distractions and divisions among Ministers and others and the moderating of each extream in relation to the use of the Liturgy whereby there might be a return of that wished for Peace and Unity which of late years we have been strangers to he conceived some prudent and moderate accommodation might be thought of by wife men in order to the continuance of the substantial part each side yielding somewhat after the example of St. Paul Rom. 14. Idem Directions about the Liturgy After his Vindication of the Liturgy yet it cannot be denied but that there are naevi in pulchro corpore and as it were to be wished that these were altered so it were to be done without much noise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Upon the Ordinance against the Common Prayer Sect. 4. Our publick Liturgy or Forms of constant Prayers must be abolished and not amended in what upon free and publick advice might seem to sober men inconvenient for matter or manner to which I should easily consent Idem To the Prince of Wales In this Church I charge you to persevere as coming nearest to Gods Word with some little amendment c. King Charles the Seconds Declaration from Breda 1660. Since we find some exceptions made against several things in the Liturgy we will appoint an equal number of Divines of both perswasions to review the same and to make such alterations as shall be thought most necessary and some additional Forms and it shall be left to the Minister to chuse one or other In the mean time we desire that Ministers would read those parts against which there lie no exceptions yet in compassion to those that scruple it our will and pleasure is that none be punished or troubled for not using it until it be effectually Reformed as aforesaid The Bishop of Corks Protestant Peacemaker p. 29. What most of the Dissenters would be at no Liturgy no Episcopacy may not be cannot be without Schism we are ready to sacrifice all we can otherwise to the publick peace and safety Idem p. 33. But notwithstanding what I have said of the excellency both of the Common-Prayers and of Cathedral Performances I do not conceive the alteration of an Expression or here and there of a whole Prayer or two by Law or dispensing with some Ceremonies I do not conceive such relaxation as this would break the Harmony and Beauty of our Worship or disturb the Union and Peace of our Church There are some Collects and perhaps Rubricks too which with all duty and submission I humbly conceive might be altered for the better Page 118 119. Mr. Hales in his Tract of Schism p. 215. Propounds it as remedy to prevent Schism to have all Liturgies and publick Forms of Service so framed as that they admit not of particular and private fancies but contain only such things in which all Christians do agree Prayer Confession Thanksgiving Reading of Scriptures in the most plain and simple manner were matter enough to furnish out a sufficient Liturgy though nothing either of private Opinion or of Church Pomp of Garments or prescribed Gestures of Imagery or Musick of matter concerning the Dead of many superfluities which creep into the Church under the names of Order and Decency did interpose it self The great Dean of St. Pauls in the Vnreasonableness of Separation Pref. About the Book of Common-Prayer it ought to be considered whether for satisfaction of the scrupulous some more doubtful and obscure passages may not yet be explained or amended Whether the new Translation of the Psalms were not fitter to be used especially in Parochial Churches Whether portions of Canonical Scripture were not better put instead of Apocrypha Lessons Whether the Rubrick about the Salvation of Infants might not be restored to its former place in the Office of Confirmation and so the present exceptions against it be removed Whether those Expressions which suppose the strict exercise of Discipline in Burying the Dead were not better left at Liberty in our present case Such a review made by Wise and Peaceable Men
not given to wrath and disputing may be so far from being a dishonour to this Church that it may add to the glory of it And whether using the Liturgy and Approbation and Promise of the use of it may not be sufficient instead of the late Form of declaring their Assent and Consent which hath been so much scrupled by our Brethren True state of the Primitive Church p. 23. Now in Christ I humbly beseech the Governours of the Church calmly to consider were it not better to have such a Form of Service as would satisfie most The Fathers of our Church when they Reformed this Nation from Popery were desirous to fetch off as many as they could retaining for this cause all the Ceremonies and Forms of Prayer they could with a good rectified Conference Some other things I could mention in the Book of Common-Prayer though not ill in themselves yet fit to be altered and would obviously appear to every wise man once resolved to compose such a Form as to take in most of this Nation which I humbly conceive Governours should in Conscience endeavour becoming all things to all men to gain some though not all yet happily gain all in process of time Principles and Practises of Moderate Divines c. They would be very glad if some things that most offend were taken out of the way particularly that there might be no expressions in our Forms of Prayer that contain disputable and uncertain Doctrine p. 335. Vid. Mr. Wakes Sermon on Rom. 15.5 6 7. p. 23. And that no such weight be laid on lesser things as that they should be insisted on to the endangering those of an higher nature and hazarding the Churches Prosperity and Peace Serious and Compassionate Enquiry into the causes c. That it will be no Hypocritical tergiversation no wrong either to our Religion or our Consciences if when the case so requires it we change any phrase of Speech how fit soever in our apprehension for one less fit but more acceptable and currant or any Rite or Ceremony that we have great kindness for for one that is more grateful unto others and that according to the saying of the Lord Bacon we learn of the elder times what is lawful and of the present what is fittest Mr. De L' Angels Letter to his Lordship the present B. of London I am sure that if there were nothing wanting to cure your Divisions but the abstaining from some Expressions the quitting some Ceremonies and the changing of the colour of some Habits you would resolve to do that and something more difficult than that with great pleasure Conformists Plea for the Nonconformists Part 3. Pref. It is clear there must be a Liturgy and very many even to Dr. Sherlock mention some Alterations in the several parts of it as desirable and advisable Without any positive arrogance in a matter of this nature I do offer my observation Some that expect much profit by Preaching do thing first and second Service too long and tiresome Others that care less for Preaching are very busie in the Interlocutory parts of the Service grow careless and too often prate and stare about and whisper in the Lessons and sleep under our Sermons both are too long for them also All that I will suggest in the last case is First That the second Service or Communion-Service may be then only read when there is a Communion or when there is no Sermon upon Holy-days Secondly That only one of the three Creeds be used at one time in the same Service Thirdly That the so often Repetitions of the Lords Prayer in the same Service may be limited All cannot most do not keep Curats The work of Reading the ordinary first and second Service besides incidental Offices as Baptism Churchings c. make it very expensive to most mens Strength and Spirits and wearisome to the People and the constantinecessary work of Preaching and Catechising is hardly endured by the young and healthful but impossible to be performed by the infirm and aged And therefore in King Edward VI. day some Ministers were dispensed with in not Reading the whole as Grand Debate mentions p. 5. It is true indeed if a mans Conscience will bear it a Minister may be both short and seldom in the Pulpit but the it is with two great hazards First Of losing his Auditory or of his Auditories great loss to their Souls This humble Proposal for omitting the second Service hath a fair Countenance from the Rubricks Rubrick the last immediately before the Lords Prayer hath a supposition that the Communion is Celebrated every Lords day c. I mean to conclude with an excellent Citation from Bishop Taylor Duct Dubit p. 375. In Rituals and Ceremonies and little circumstances of Ecclesiastical Offices and Forms of Worship in the punctualities of Rubricks in the order of Collects in the number of Prayers and fulness of the Office upon a reasonable cause or inducement to the omission or alteration these things are so little and fit to be entrusted to the conduct of those sober obedient and grave persons who are thought fit to be entrusted with the Cure of Souls And things of such little concernment are so apt to yield to any wise mans reasons and sudden occasions and accidents and little and great Causes that these were the fittest instances of this Rule i. e. of Latitude if Superiours would not make too much of little things All just Governments give the largest interpretation to Churches Orders in these things to persons of a peaceable Mind and obedient Spirit that such circumstances may not pass into a solemn Religion and the Zeal of good Men their Caution and Curiosity may not be spent in that which doth not profit In many cases a Latitude according to Equity may be presumed but if it be expresly denied it may not be used Which is the case of our Conformists as to those things wherein a Latitude might be taken according to the Law of Equity when they carry some considerable inconvenience along with them and reason for the contrary yet we being strictly bound up by the Church it must bring a guilt upon the persons disturb their peace of Conscience and prove vexatious and troublesome to them that way if they often offend in these matters And this I presume to be the case of those who in their common practice do not come up to the strictness of their bounden and promised Conformity though in some cases when extra casum scandali contemptus they may do otherwise than the express Letter of the Law requires and be guiltless as our Casuists affirm I beg the favour with all Humility and with Submission to the Will and Wisdom of our Governours to offer to their Consideration whether it were not desirable to have a Prayer for particular Graces in the Evening Service the Petitioning part being less perfect then and at such times when the Letany is not used We have such a
and for the generality of them were deprived for their Nonconformity 5. This Worship hath been eventually Evil by weakning the hands of Discipline while the scandalous open evil Livers have escaped the Censures of the Church together with the more peaceable and innocently-minded Separatists Thus Dr. Cumber on the Communation Service Discipline with-held saith he in favour of Dissenters lest by imposing of it there this Holy Means of Reformation should be despised rather than obeyed And should Men have gone about to suppress and reform Debauchery and Prophaneness by a strict Presentation of them the Court which hath more hotly pursued the Dissenters than the Scandalous and Vicious would like enough have put them upon Presentment of Dissenters without any favour or difference between the weak and the wilful which because of the ill Consequence which too often followed Excommunication and Imprisonment many Ministers and Church-Wardens were more backward and averse unto Their Consciences would not suffer them to work such ill and trouble to their Christian Brethren Fellow Protestants Loving Neighbours for some small difference in lesser matters not destructive of their Salvation And no doubt but the Wisdom of our Governours saw the Evil and Inconvenience of those severities When they took away the Penal Laws that made the Common Prayer and Act for Vniformity so terrible to the contrary-minded Arg. 3. For Proof that the Common Prayer according to the Acts for Uniformity is inconvenient in some respect and may admit of Alteration because of the great disgusts and almost invincible prejudices of People especially in the Country against this Worship or at least some things therein Cars Peaceable Moderator or Plain Considerations for satisfaction to the disaffected to our Common-Prayers In the Preface many stumble much at our Book of Common Prayers and some of them I take to be good Christians honest moderate well-meaning People and have found by experience much of their disaffection to it doth lye upon their mistake through Ignorance not peevish wilfulness After all our Preaching and Instruction and Exhortations in behalf of the Common Prayer we do not find that success which we use to have in other matters and which we might expect if their prejudice were not so deeply rooted in them and too mighty for us The difficulty is great because the guilt of People is great Where People have often sinned any Sin the harder it is to repent And how often have may been present at these Prayers Yet I fear scarce ever prayed heartily and acceptably Again Sins descending from Parents to their Children are harder to be worked out of them but prejudices against this Worship have been transmitted down from Parents and as it were entailed upon some Families So that there is as little hopes of gaining them over as for bringing Men off from the Religion of their Ancestours which commonly proves unsuccessful Again the Commonness of this Guilt were it but two or three in a Congregation that were prejudiced against it there were the more hopes that by the Examples of others they might be recovered But when it is a great if not the greater part of the Congregation that is not heartily reconciled to this Worship as I fear it is in too many Parishes It is the greater difficulty when the Disease is so general when the Infection hath spread it self so much to cure it effectually There is too much proof of Peoples prejudices in that the number is so small so few that come to the Prayers upon the Holy Dayes and yet the Church is so exceedingly full at a Funeral Sermon or any other preaching time when People are not much longer at Church than on some Holy Dayes And on the Lord's Day there are few that will come to the Prayers to be present at the whole Service many hard Speeches against them some reviling them as the Mass-Book Popish Superstitious will Worship Prayers of course a cold dead piece of Formality There are so many Objections Scruples and Cavils against it as dull and tedious for the length of it as a Form of others making and not the Ministers own as book-Book-Prayers slighted by the vulgar upon that account who say they can read the Common Prayer as well as the Parson against the Responses though used among the Jews and Primitive Christians against the short Prayers and Hymns read and not sung disused both in our other Devotions more commonly but one continued Prayer without ony intermixture against some things censured as vain Repetitions and against the Ceremonies used in the Worship As to particular exceptions you may find enough if not more than enough in the Grand Debate between the Conformists and Nonconformists How these prejudices may be in a great measure abated and taken away I shall show as the benefit of Union That a Comprehension of the more sober and moderate Dissenters might do it in time Evils of this Prejudice First It is the cause of the scandalous abuse and profanation of Holy Dayes If People were unprejudiced an Hour spent in devout Prayer and praises due Attention unto the Word of God and sometime in good instruction of Youth and Explication upon the Church-Catechisme or Exposition of the Epistle and Gospel of the Day would turn to some good account and the Evening Service used to as appointed on Holy Dayes but prejudice mars and hinders all this from taking effect and makes our Holy-Dayes useless in many Parishes a loss and hindrance rather than advantage to Religion Secondly It hath occasioned much dishonour to God on the Lord's Day First By a great neglect of this Worship several absenting from it and staying till the Prayers are over before they come and losing the benefit of this Worship wholly which is commonly the bigger half of God's Worship on the Forenoons and the whole Service of God in many Parishes in the Afternoon there being no Sermon nor Catechising nor at least no Explication of Catechisme And is it nothing for so many People in many Parishes to lose the benefit of half God's solemn Worship No doubt but they are highly guilty before God and will be found so at that day when Sins which the World counts light of shall appear in their just weight of Guilt according to the Word of God. Again Secondly It occasions much dishonour to God on his own day by reason of Peoples great unprofitableness in this Duty many present at it manifesting such a careless Spirit as if they were not worshipping God doing any thing rather than that Some waiting with great impatience until the Prayers be at an end as if there were no good to be gotten by them How is it to be expected that it should be done to edifying until Peoples prejudices be removed That their Hearts should be right and devout in a Worship which their minds are not reconcil'd unto They must be brought to some good liking of it as a true and sound Worship of God such as God will
own before they will serve God with the internal Acts of Devotion be Spiritual and acceptable with him in his Worship And if it be little to you to neglect this Worship or lose the benefit of it when you do perform it heartlesly praying as if you pray'd not and so you may expect that God should hear as if he heard not and give you a cold Answer to such cold and faint Requests And it is to be feared that the lukewarmness and indifferency of many not the worst of Christians in this Worship will hardly consist with their Everlasting Welfare much less attain the ends of Devotion Thirdly Consider further That this great abuse of God's VVorship and unprofitable performance of it is like to be an hindrance to you as to God's Blessing on the remaining Duties And will that do no hurt if the Prayers as some think will do no good VVe are forbid to quench the Spirit and his Grace Imagine we Men to be warmed and fervent in Spirit and in frame for Holy things at their first coming to Church this Heavenly warmth and zeal must needs be quenched and cooled by their dull and dead-hearted formality in this VVorship You know one Sin grieves the Holy Spirit and makes him withdraw further from us One Duty carelesly and negligently performed makes him the more unwilling to assist in other duties They that regard not the Word read God will regard them the less in the Word preached They that give not God the Honour in his Praises due to his Name God will regard their Prayers the less And if your first praying in the publick Prayers be turned into Sin shall not their latter Service be less acceptable with him than if every Duty and every Service were performed in a Spiritual manner to Edifying Again Thirdly The Peoples Prejudice and ill Opinion of some things in this Worship does work in them an ill Opinion of the Governours in Church and State who enjoyn them They are ready to think that the Governours have little care and concern for the good of their Souls little regard to their Edification who continue those things which in their Judgments are no edifying and their continuance notwithstanding all the Objections and Exceptions against them Again Fourthly Their prejudice hindereth them from discerning what is good or useful and excellent in the Common Prayer and disposeth them on the contrary to cavil and find fault with it in what is inconvenient to gather the doubtful and obscure passages and to stretch every thing to the worst sense even beyond the intention and design of them when a good liking and approbation of it would dispose them to judge Charitably and Charity you know covers a multitude of lesser faults Cure of these Prejudices I doubt not but that by the Blessing of God such Concessions and Alterations in the Common Prayers as to take in our Dissenting Brethren as certainly the more sober and moderate Ministers of the Presbyterian Perswasion would come in upon some Concessions would weaken much Peoples Scruples and Objections against the Prayers For we know non minus exempla trahunt quam praecepta docent the People are lead by the Example of their Teachers as much as by their Doctrines When they shall find the ablest Ministers among the Dissenters to read and conform to it in their Practice and in their Preaching to defend and vindicate it exhort and perswade others to conform thereunto as even the Old Nonconformists not to the Prayers but to the Ceremonies and the subscription by Canon used to do the People at least in some considerable measure may come to be convinced of their Errour in the disesteem of these Prayers Besides that their Prejudices Opinionative Conceits and Scruples will fall of themselves when the things that offend them are taken out of the way Then People will profit more when prejudice is abated and be ashamed to carry themselves so negligently and contemptuously as before and the whole Worship of God the Prayers and Office of the Desk as well as of the Pulpit be done to Edifying not clashing one against another nor contending for the Pre-eminence Holy-Dayes of the Churches appointment by that means will be more improved as Peoples prejudices against the Service shall cease or decay and we may hope to see the Lord worshipped in the Beauty of Holyness and somewhat like the Zeal and Devotion Grace and Spirit which the Primitive Christians manifested in their Forms of Prayer Whereas now we bear only or chiefly a Conformity to them in the External Modes of our Worship while we have lost the inward Life and keep the Form of their Godly Prayers without that Power and Spiritual Affection which they had as Tertullian tells us Besieging God with their Prayers as it were piercing the Heavens to the Throne of Grace doing Violence unto it to take Heaven or Heavenly and Spiritual Blessings by force We are told too how forward the Primitive Christians used to be and earnest to be present at the beginning of their Worship with Sighs and Tears in their Eyes manifesting their Internal and unfeigned Devotion And if Peoples prejudices should once be overcome and they come to any good Appetite to this Spiritual Food they would be as sure to come to the beginning of God's VVorship as commonly they do to the beginning of a Feast or at least few that will stay until that is over before they come and few that would lose the benefit of so much of God's VVorship as they do by coming late and worshipping God in an outward lifeless way without an inward Conformity which is the unhappiness of our times and is never like to be remedied while Peoples prejudices continue and the things that they disgust as the length of the Prayers the often use of the Lord's Prayer the Sign of the Cross Reading the Second Service at the Communion Table or Altar with bowing towards it Godfathers c. Arg. 3. For Alteration in the Prayers is from the difference of the present Case from that at the Reformation First This Worship considered with the several Forms Orders c. was more necessary then when the Ministers were very ignorant many of them and more fit to read others Sermons as they did the Homilies with profit and to use others Prayers that either to make Sermons or Prayers of their own They were so ignorant that it was complained some of them could scarce Read and many of them did not understand Latin and then a Form of anothers making sound in Doctrine and Worship was profitable if not necessary least they should have put in Errors or Heresies into their own Prayers For they would have made very pitiful stuff sorry matter of it if they were to have made any long Prayer of their own though a Form. But now there is more Light and Knowledge in these days to give that Argument a just weight insomuch that if Ministers be not very idle
and derision of Dissenters If one unexpectedly light upon a sick person and be desired to pray for him it is a pitiful excuse for him to say he hath not his Book with him In case of any Calamity befalling a Parish Fire any Infectious Disease or much Sickness c. Or any National Judgment as upon poor Ireland or Mercy as the Miracle of Mercy and Deliverance wrought for us of this Nation it will be expected or at least it is fit that Ministers should put in Occasional Expressions for such matters else it will be look'd upon on as a weakness and uncomfortable failing in them not to be able to say a Word or put in an Expression in things of such Importance and Concernment to the Congregation which remain many times unprovided for by the Common-Prayers First The length of the Common-Prayers allows little room for the exercise of the gift in publick though it be with Sobriety and Moderation So much of the time passeth in the use of this Worship that there is little remaining when the Sermon takes up so much besides Secondly Many in Cathedrals Visitations and often in their Parish Churches use only the Lords Prayer in the Pulpit considering the length of their Common-Prayers And indeed a long Prayer in the Pulpit after the long Prayers of the Desk seems to me to be highly inconvenient for the Common-Prayer casting a disrespect upon that whereas if the Ministers own Prayer were placed after the Sermon to pray for a Blessing upon the practical matter of the Sermon among other things it would much further Ministers Gift and Ability in Prayer and promote Gods Blessing upon the Word In Duties preached to pray for Grace to perform them Graces that they may be wrought in us Truths such as are without Controversie for Grace to know and believe them Spiritually and Grace to repent of sins or keep from them with a Confession and Thanksgiving for Mercies Spiritual or Temporal Thirdly The Canon bidding Prayer taken in a strict sence seemeth utterly to forbid and disallow of all use of the gift in publick Therefore by some Conformists it is condemned and held utterly unlawful for them to use any other than an exact Form in generals according to that Canon Fourthly Some look upon themselves bound to use the common-Common-Prayers and no others in their Families according to that Order All Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer either privately or openly not being let by Sickness or some other urgent cause And the Curate not being reasonably hindered should say the same in the Parish-Church So that if it be not said openly in the Parish Church if Sickness or some other urgent cause do not hinder it is to be said privately in their Families or personally by a mans self Fifthly Some Conformists so addicted to this Form in their Families and in publick are so set against all other manner of Prayer as to call it ex tempore Effusion Confusion vain Bablings Non-sense running beyond the very heighth of Conformity Far be it from me to plead for or to excuse and countenance the wild extravagancies of some fanciful Spirits who place their Devotion more in their various modes of speaking to God and expressing the matter of their Prayers rather than in the Truth and Piety of the Heart Yet I think we ought with Bishop Wilkins to endeavour after the Gift of Prayer accordingly to exercise it in those cases above-mentioned And perhaps some more liberty in publick were desirable or at least the exercise of that liberty which some suppose given us already as Cars Plain Considerations for satisfaction to the disaffected to our Book of Common-Prayer p. 8. Our Ministers have liberty not only in private but in publick both before and after their Sermons to exercise their Gift of Prayer and to enlarge themselves upon any emergent occasion or opportunity afforded as God shall enable them and they themselves shall judge any way expedient or needful Cases of Conscience of the Lawfulness of joyning with Forms of publick Prayer Part 1. p. 28. The Clergy of the Church of England are not restrained from exercising their own abilities in publick Prayer in which is allowed them the liberty the Dissenting Ministers can claim or pretend to to express in their own words all the matter of publick Prayer with all the sobriety affection and seriousness they are able And this permission being of long continuance and hitherto uncontrouled by our Church-Governours amounts to an allowance c. Such a liberty as this and such a practice concurrent with it were desirable But all are not agreed herein nor satisfied in point of this liberty Arg. 6. For Concessions and Alterations in the Common Prayer because of the frequent commands of bearing with the infirmities of the weak i. e. indulging the weak and scrupulous with some favour and liberty to forbear those things they scruple of becoming all things to all men to gain some and pleasing our Brother for his good to edification and that all things be done in Charity c. these call for some Concessions as my Lord Hales in his Discourse of Religion tells us Some allowance is to be made in the case or a weak Brother who on that account refuseth and cannot though he would obey Either all the Commands of bearing with the infirmities of the weak signifie thus much saith he or nothing at all And though the common Answer is Is it not fitter that he should submit to the Church then the Church submit to him Yet that Answer I presume is not sufficient in this case though there be a Duty that the Child owes to the Father yet that will not excuse the Father from the Duty which he owes to his Child especially when it is from a Conscientious account that he refuseth to obey Mr. Tulli 's Sermon of Moderation p. 22. St. Paul made himself all things to all men c. And how was he all things to all Bishop Hall. as a Learned Prelate of our own asks the Question if he did not sometime remit of his right to some Bishop Saunderson ad Aulam Serm. 8. Sect. 38. We deal not like Christians no nor like reasonable Creatures if we expect all men should come to our bent in every thing and we our selves relent not our own stiffness in the least matter for their sakes And even Dr. Sherlock of Religious Assemblies p. 22. Speaks of making all reasonable condescensions to the weakness or ignorance of some doubting and scrupulous Consciences and of giving ease to them and relaxing the terms of Communion 1. But the experience of many years shews that our Brethren remain unsatisfied in their Consciences 2. They offer to give it in upon their Oaths that they are not satisfied in Conscience as some to my knowledge would and Dr. More tells us so on their behalf I think in his Mystery of Iniquity and Answer touching Liberty in Religion a