and Feast days nor with the solemn appointed Sacrifices because prescribed Prayers were then to be observed but onely at the Free-will Offerings and then too with these restrictions they should not be extemporary but prepared Prayers nor were they permitted to the whole Congregation which was tied up to the daily Offices Those places of Saint Paul Eph. 3. 19. Col. 3. 16. are a plain reference to the Jewish practice for there he useth those three Greek words by which the Septuagint renders the three Hebrew Mismorim Tehillath or Rabbinice as Buxt Tehillim and Shirim Diod. interprets this Text by reference to Psal 55. 17. as others to Dan. 6. 10. Num. 4. Primitive practice is deduced 1. From Acts 13. 2. where the Church is said to be solemnly at her Liturgy ministring not to the people by Alms or other acts of Charity but to God in the acts of his Worship in publick Prayers and other parts of the Evangelical Ministery saith Diod. This is agreeable to that Text Acts 2. 42. which in Mr. Calvin's judgment delineates the true state of the Church treating of publick Prayers And to that Acts 4. 24. when the hundred and twenty Converts prayed unanimously and uniformly there were no dissenters amongst them nor mutes all joyned and all in one Form and this a set Form as it is set down in the Text. 2. From 1 Cor. 11. 5. every man and woman c. This at first sight is obvious all of both Sexes prayed and prophesied and from the Context this was done in the publick Assemblies when the Church met v. 20. and this according to an Apostolical Tradition which S. Paul charged them to keep v. 2. But what then is this praying and prophesying 1. This praying here is not by an extemporary faculty or volubility of language it may be questioned whether that was then in use for if when S. Paul Rom. 12. Gal. 5. Eph. 4. 1 Cor. 12. enumerated the gifts of the Spirit he gave a full Catalogue thereof then this pretended gift is begged because no such is mentioned in that Company that of praying by the Spirit 1 Cor. 14. 15. was praying in an unknown Tongue v. 14. which required an interpreter however this be those gifts were not common to all Believers neither was any of them communicated to select persons for popularity and ostentation but for profit and edification yea their proper purpose was to prevent that licentiousness that was taken from the pretence thereof and even to restrain arbitrary prayers and to confine the gifted to such suggestions as the holy Spirit dictated to them this is evident the Apostle censures some of the pretenders for clashing one with another 1 Cor. 14. 21. it was never heard that the Spirit was given to any to pray upon their own heads or according to their own lusts interests and passions but supposing there were such a gift yet it was not to be used at every meeting for if an Interpreter were wanting at any such meeting then all they had to doe was either to resort to the Common Prayers or to break up and be gone neither lastly was this gift given promiscuously to all of all Sexes it being pretended as a peculiar to the Minister or some inspired person endowed therewith therefore praying here must be praying in the Church v. 20. 22. by the Churches prayers according to the order and custome thereof 1 Cor. 14. 40. and then the meaning is Every man or woman meeting at the Church or observing the customary constituted devotions ought to be thus habited and thus to demean themselves 2. By Prophesying here we are not to understand prediction of future events nor the gift of interpreting what was spoken by the gift of Tongues 1 Cor. 14. v. 2 3. nor for speaking to men for edification 1 Cor. 12. 29. all are not Prophets nor is it to be taken passively as some imagine for hearing a Prophecy for then every one that hears a Prophecy is a Prophet and by the same reason every one that hears a Sermon is a Preacher and a reason ought to be rendred why praying should not be interpreted passively as well as prophesying but the notion here is the same with that of 1 Sam. 10. 5. 1 Chron. 25. 1. Luk. 1. 67. for singing Psalms and Hymns so the sense is perspicuous viz. Let every man and woman singing and praising God in the Church appear in such habits as are suitable to their Sex This should not seem odd to them who allow all to sing but silence the whole Congregation in the act of Prayer because in such singing the Psalms which are used contain in them prayers supplications intercessions and thanksgivings but others are verily persuaded that all both men and women have joynt interest in the publick Service of God with the officiating Ministers who as they are for order's sake to direct and lead the Congregation so all assembled have their parts to act A bare corporal presence is mockery and dalliance an Eye or Ear service will never be accepted as the reasonable service of God Thus it hath been from the beginning which is our Saviour's way of arguing Matt. 19. 8. ever since men called upon the name of the Lord for thus it was practised in the Patriarchal ages as our Greg. hath exemplified p. 120 121. Under the Law examples are numerous Ex. 15. 1. 1 Chron. 15. 36. and 29. 20. 2 Chron. 6. 29. the manner is described Ez. 3. 10 11. and the practice proved Psal 34. 3. and 107. 8 15 21 31. Mr. Selden observes the Eighteen composed Prayers by Ezra began with that Psal 51. 15. O Lord open thou our Lips to which the People answered And our mouths shall shew forth thy praise the very Form retained in S. James his Liturgy which is very much for its credit and in ours soon after the beginning S. Paul urgeth it as a Gospel duty Rom. 15. 6. to glorifie God not with distracted or divided minds but with one mind not that of the Minister onely but of all as one in consort for that form v. 11. viz. Praise ye the Lord was the Peoples Hallelujah our Saviour with the Disciples sung the great one on which Musculus observes Ipse ita praelocutus est ut verba illius fuerunt excepta vicissim reddita just as the people with us repeat the Confession Lord's Prayer c. S. Paul reports the unlearned had his Amen to give in at the Eucharist but probably he did more in the other Offices if we believe Just Mart. Apol. 2. sub fin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. where he distinguisheth between the joynt Prayers of Priest and People and those peculiar and proper to the Minister his part lay in those Offices which solely depended on the power of the Keys as Absolution Consecration of the Elements and Benediction the rest which had no such relation were common both to Minister and People who were to accompany him as it
is expressed in the introduction to our Liturgy with an humble voice Cum disciplina modestis precibus as Saint Cypr. Or. Dom. and as Ter. de Or. c. 13. Sonos etiam vocis subjectos c. both of them commending a modest submiss rehearsal of the Prayers with the Minister who speaks them out audibly and both of them condemning the obstreperous bold vociferations of rude men who observed no decorum whereof it seems such there were at that time Yet for once let it be supposed the People onely expressed Amen at the Minister's prayer this could not be rationally done to an extempore effusion because they could not doe it with understanding this they could not because they were not acquainted with the Schediast's sense for whilst the understanding is in labour rightly to apprehend what he means no rational judgment can be passed till after some pause and deliberation upon what is delivered and whilst it s thus employed the Schediast in his post haste is so far gone that either he cannot attend to what he next delivereth or he is at a loss of what he hath delivered and then all that he can doe is either to fall to his study or take all upon an implicit Faith which if he do he must say Amen to contradictions absurdities and wickedness This is one foul piece of Popery to put all devotion on the Priest for when 1 Cor. 14. is urged against the Papists for their prayers in an unknown Tongue the best answer that is given by their Controvertists and Commentatours is Populus est particeps omnium precum quas pro omnibus fundit Sacerdos for that the Priest speaketh not to Men but to God and the ministerial Office would be dangerously invaded if the people be permitted to utter any thing more than a bare Amen SECT 2. The Testimonies of the Second Century will be revered by all sober men as that of Enaristus who ordered that Marriage should be solemnized with the prayers of the Church that of Clemens Ep. 1. ad Cor. We ought to doe all things according to order at set hours to frequent and solemnize the oblation and Liturgy answerable to S. Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that of Just Mart. as before We all arise to common prayer Ignat. in Ep. ad Magn. Telesphorus an 139. ordained that at publick prayers the people should sing that Hymn viz. Holy Holy Holy Lord c. Soter an 164. that when the Priest said The Lord be with you the People should answer And with thy Spirit Scaliger de Emend Tem. l. 7. tells us of an ancient Liturgy he had lying by him of Ignatius his composing as he is understood by a learned man SECT 3. For the Third Century Tertul. is express as is before noted so is S. Cypr. who profeffeth Publica nobis c. We have publick Common Prayer and that the people may be devout at it the Priest prepares their minds with this Preface Sursum corda Lift up your hearts whereto they answer We lift them up to the Lord Origen l. 6. cont Cels reports the Christians used constituted prescribed prayers one Form whereof he mentions in terms Hom. 11. in Jer. we frequently say in our prayers O Almighty God give us a part with the Prophets c. and we have a remarkable story of his great affection for them which lies thus apud Eus l. 6. c. 3. Leonides his Father being beheaded by the Emperour Severus and his Estate confiscated Origen not being then full eighteen years old he with his Mother and six other Brethren were left to the wide world It pleased God a noble Lady entertained and supplied him who also had retained one Marcus an Antiochian whom she respected for his famed faculty in extempore praying in which she was delighted whereupon at her house frequent meetings were had to which not onely the Hereticks the Non-conformists but many of our own Conformists resorted yet for all the favours Origen received from her he would never be persuaded to be present at their Conventicles because from his Childhood it seems his Parents were religious true Sons of the Church he had observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Order of the Church and perfectly hated all Doctrines of errours Hippolytus writ his Orat. de Consum Mundi about an 220. wherein he saith Ad Antichristi tempora c. in the last times of Antichrist the holy Houses shall be like Cottages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liturgy shall be extinguished c. This was fully put in execution by our late Bandities upon the pretence of the feared though most knavishly and suspected introduction of Tyranny and Popery SECT 4. We produce good reasons as well as good rules and great authorities for set Forms 1. An arbitrary form by a new set of words may perhaps affect and work strangely upon the sensitive Soul as the frantick feats of the Turkish Dervises do on those miserable deluded people phrases and variety of them with cadencies affected tones and gestures wry mouths and twinkling eyes with much sweat and noise may raise the humours and passions into disorder but they can never prevail with a rational considering man to gain his esteem unless it be to pity them or smile at them That which they esteem as a gift is rather an art by the dilatation of the animal spirits which are much pleased and raised by a delight in novelty and variety and oft puts the Soul into strange heats and fancies 2. To borrow three from Mr. Calvin Ep. 87. 1. A determinate Form from which Ministers are not to vary in their Offices is usefull as an help to the weakness of some he might have said of the many yea the most if not all 2. It is a Testimony of the Churches consent and unity he might have added of her conformity with the Catholick Church 3. It is a way to stop the desultorious levity of those who are for new things Mr. Baxter will help him here who in his Disp of Lit. Prop. 10. in his great experience acknowledgeth the constant disuse of set Forms is apt to breed a giddiness in Religion and it may make men Hypocrites who shall delude themselves with fancies that they delight in God when it is but in those novelties and varieties of expression Indeed extempore prayers are strong delusions in several respects For 1. The most prudent and cunning sort of the pretenders to this faculty use study and premeditation which they conceive necessary to pray seasonably yet here lies the cheat they would have their herd to take their composed Forms as issues of their sudden conceptions A great man of the Faction freely imparted his mind herein to a Friend saying He had so many Forms lying by him most of which being committed to memory by the interchangeable use of them he was thought by the people always to pray without premeditation Engl. Reprover p. 153. This is just si vuli populus decipi decipiatur a Puritan
him upon a Puritan Vote or Republican Resolution as they who prove and prosecute it upon the Pope's Placet or Fiat that cannot be the mystery of Godliness and Saintship in a Presbyterian or Independent which is presumed to be the mystery of Iniquity in the Pope and if the Doctrine of Rebellion be the mark of the Beast in a Pontifician it cannot be a sign of Election in a Smectymnuan or Owenist for if the Pope by the plenitude of his power can discharge Subjects from the Oath and bonds of Allegiance then the Sectaries by what names or titles soever divided or subdivided can free themselves upon easier terms for one will absolve himself by a dormant dispensation of the spirit another excuse himself by the pretence of a new light a third will plead Providence a fourth Conscience and the Blades of Fortune will stand upon their privileges The result of this tedious Chapter is God had always a Church this Church had always a Government this was always detemined by God who in the first Ages of the world settled this power on the first-born who were both Kings and Priests after he separated these Offices Moses to hold the Kingly power Aaron the Priestly yet he so ordered that the Priestly power should be subordinate to the Regal he foretold the like order should be established in the Christian Church that Nations should flow into it Isa 2. 2. and the Kings of those Nations should be nursing Fathers to it Isa 49. 23. that together with them should be spiritual Fathers Bishops as Prefects therein Isa 60. 17. for Clement according to that Copy which the Apostle useth reads that Comma thus viz. I will make thy Bishops peace so do the Seventy who in nineteen other places render the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop so Pagnine from R. Abraham and Buxtorf what we translate Office Psal 109. 8. they reade Prefecture which S. Peter Acts 1. 2. calls Bishoprick what was thus prophesied God in the fulness of time determined by his all-wise providence verified when the Church was first governed by our Lord Jesus Christ who had under him Commission-officers his Apostles and under them the Seventy Disciples After his Ascension and descent of the Holy Ghost the Apostles ruled in chief having Attendants and Assistants to them whom they after substituted as the necessities of the Church required for Bishops with Deacons and Priests under their Jurisdiction Thus the Church stood and was governed for 300 years till the nursing Fathers appeared then and ever since Kings and Bishops have presided in it Kings having the Dominion Bishops the Jurisdiction in the Catholick Church This was one great end of the Reformation to restore our Kings and Bishops to their universally acknowledged Rights due to them by Divine Law this of all other Governments is the most Christian rational and practicable because most suiting with the main end of Government which is that we may live quiet and peaceable lives without any Faction or Schism in all godliness and honesty and this therefore and no other is to be retained in the Church both upon the true measures of piety and prudence CHAP. IV. THE next thing canvassed in this Church is the constituted Worship of God by Liturgy with Ceremonies and Holy-days SECT 1. If it can be evinced that prescribed Forms were used in the Three first Centuries it will follow in the judgment of all unprejudiced persons they are still to be practised and imposed Num. 1. Our Lord and Saviour prescribed a Form to his Disciples Matt. 6. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. not onely for the Matter but very Form for this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. is the same with that Numb 6. 23. according to the Septuagint which did not respect onely the Substance but the Words as they were dictated S. Luke makes it clear When ye pray say Verba recitationem certam praescribit saith Melanch he gave them an Express saith Diod. long before them S. Cypr. de Orat. Dom. Christ consulting the salvation of his people delivered them Etiam orandi Formam and before him Tert. de Or. c. 1 9. Novam c. he ordered a new Form of Prayer and before them both in Trajan's Reign the Christians ordinarily used it as our Greg. observ'd from Lucian The Context will confirm the interpretation for it is generally received the Jewish Teachers did compose Forms for their Disciples S. John Baptist did whereupon Christ's Disciples moved him also for a Form Luk. 11. 1. that thereby they might be owned for such In compliance whereto our Saviour granted their Petition yet with that caution to decline novelty that he took much of it from the Jewish Euchologue as not onely our Greg. hath noted but Drusius also and Capellus plain it is from the manner of its composure it was not delivered as a Directory but as a Liturgy not onely as a Rule to form our Prayers by but a form to pray in good reasons also there are to persuade us notwithstanding the silence of the Scripture that the Disciples constantly so used it for it was a Symbol of their Discipleship not unto them as common Jews who onely used the Church Ritual but as Christ's retainers whose privilege and honour it was to have a Form of his setting they under this relation moved him for a Form in order to its observation and to discriminate them from other Jews or Disciples of other Masters Num. 2. Our Saviour himself practised composed Forms Matt. 26. 30. which Cam. assures us was the solemn customary Hymn which concluded the Supper and it is the more probable because the Disciples joyned with Christ in it which they could not have done unless they had been well acquainted with it Again he used the same prayer thrice Matt. 26. 44. so upon his complaint upon the Cross he used the words of David Psal 22. 1. and when he gave up the Ghost Luk. 23. 46. he took a Form from Psal 31. 7. Num. 3. We have the Presidents of S. Peter and S. John attending the ordinary service Acts 3. 1. which the circumstances of time and place do evince for if they neglected the daily Service or used any other they would have given an offence to the Jews whose conversion they endeavoured this is confirmed from that observation of learned men that the first Christians accommodated all their Offices to the Jewish Ritual and revived the moral Service of God practised in the Jewish Church which was always by a determinate Form saith Capel from Maim Syn. Crit. in Loc. and appears from Luk. 1. 10. compared with Rev. 8. 4. for at the time of Incense they had three Forms called Emeth Gnaboah and Shemshalom because they began with these words Lightf Desc of the Temple Service Mr. Selden in his Notes on Eut. p. 41. from Maim relates The Jews were permitted to have their voluntary prayers yet not on the Sabbath
pia fraus 2. The Zealots of the Sect honour an honest unpremeditated prayer with the title of Spiritual by way of propriety in opposition to set Forms for ordinary use pretending the Spirit immediately suggests the expressions Thus Ambrose in his experiences published with Licence from Herle once Prolocutor of their Assembly Angier Johnson and Waite Provincials in the Class in Lancashire upon a private Fast observed Jan. 6. 1642. held it forth The Lord gave some that exercised that day the very spirit and power of prayer to the ravishment of the hearers surely it was the Spirit spake in them which they resolved from Zach. 12. 10. Rom. 8. 26. This is a Jesuitical Cheat as it is reported by Maffeus elevante spiritu c. that the Spirit would raise Ignatius at his prayers four cubits from the earth 3. The great Sticklers for the good old Cause so highly extoll extempore conceptions that they own them as the best evidences of their Party and Piety first idolizing that which in some is mere natural in others an artificial habit of Enthusiasm as Casaubon hath evidenced c. 4. next idolizing the persons pretending to it who have been very monsters of men such as Achitophel who as the Rabbins relate prayed every day thrice and every time had a conceived Oration such as Basilides the great Duke of Muscovy and Oliver two most bloudy Villains and Tyrants such as the blasphemous Hacket here in England and the vile Wretch were in Scotland the horrid execrable Regicides and the whole litter of our late Mammon Rebels and Renegadoes SECT 5. It is confessed by the most knowing men of the Party that imposed stated Forms were in common practice in the Fourth Century which is an Argument they were so from the beginning For the Fathers of that Age being persons eminent for piety and sincerity in the Christian profession would not innovate and being also men of excellent accomplishments would easily have observed what was most proper for the discharge of their Function Had they believed that lowsie Fancy that the modification of publick Worship by personal abilities was the formal act of the ministerial Office as the cutting of Cloath into such a shape by his own skill is the formal ministration of a Taylor as an Anonymus p. 79. of his Survey mechanically held forth they doubtless would have made use of their great personal abilities in their publick administrations which confessedly they did not and it is certain they would not doe so because they conceived themselves obliged to retain the ancient Forms in veneration to those pious persons who composed and injoyned them for publick use The Third Council at Carthage c. 3. resolved Quascunque c. Whatsoever prayers any shall transcribe for themselves let them be taken out of a Copy before in use S. Basil de Sp. Sanct. c. 27. refers to the solemn words of prayer observed before his time in the benediction at the Eucharist Saint Chrys Hom. 2. in 2. ad Cor. exemplifies a Form which had long before been constituted in the Church In Ireland S. Patrick brought a Liturgy which he received from Germanus and Lupus originally taken from S. Mark Archbishop Vsher in his Discourse of the Religion professed by the ancient Irish affirmeth he had seen it set down in an ancient Fragment well nigh nine hundred years since remaining now in the Library of Sir Robert Cotton That every exception against those Liturgies of Saint James c. that they were supposititious is an argument that such there had been for if they were corrupted something was pure if somewhat was supposititious in them somewhat also was genuine One trifling objection against our Liturgy which serves to amuse the Vulgar is not to be neglected It is this The first Reformers industriously contrived the Common Prayer Book to endear the Papists to its use This in the judgment of wise men is to commend them Zanch. in Phil. 4. 8. thought the gratification of bad men in those things wherein we do not offend God to be a duty Amyral de Secess ab Eccl. Rom. p. 225. highly approves this course atque hic commemorare c. we are here to consider with what wisedom and moderation the French and Genevian Churches contrived their publick Forms of Prayer They are so far from handling any controversial matters therein that the Pontificians themselves scruple not to use them and which is scarce to be believed but that the matter of fact is notorious they have picked out of them certain Prayers which they have inserted into their Manuals for the use of the people in their native Language The objectors might have remembred that Book took with the Romanists for full ten years of Q. Elizabeth's Reign probably had longer but that their dear Friends the Puritans had disturbed the peace of the Church which gave the Pope an opportunity to dispatch his Emissaries and ever since both Parties have bandied against it The Consectaries of the premisses are stated Liturgy from Scripture with the practice of the primitive Christians and continued in the Catholick Church is the best service of God and our Liturgy being perfectly conformed thereto is to be retained It was then no vanity or presumption in Archbishop Cranmer to engage against all opposers thereof if he was permitted to take Peter Martyr with three or four more for his assistants he would prove there was nothing therein contained but what was agreeable with the holy Scriptures and primitive Antiquity Bishop Jewel had great reason to assert Accessimus c. We came as near as possibly we could to the Order used in the Apostles times Apol. par 5. c. 15. divis 8. and more fully par 6. c. 16. divis 1. We came as near as possible we could to the Church of the Apostles and of the old Catholick Bishops and Fathers and have directed according to their customs and ordinances not onely our Doctrine but also the Sacraments and form of Common Prayer so false and absurd is that fancy that our Liturgy is formed out of the Roman Missal that so far as it is Popish is nothing else but a bombast of corrupt additionals patched to it CHAP. V. THE next Charge against the Reformation is that Ceremonies are retained and enjoyned SECT 1. That circumstances may be determined the Assemblers have resolved Pref. to the Direc p. 7. viz. They endeavoured to hold forth such things as were of Divine Institution and to set forth other things according to the rules of Christian prudence agreeable to the general rules of God's word and some of these other things are Ceremonies for a determination of the posture of the Body in Divine Service is one which they pass when they order the people to sit at the Table and in the Office of Marriage they will and require the Man to take the Woman by the right hand c. which they accompt a Ceremony or else their immediately subsequent clause is non-sense viz.