else As for the great patterne of the Presbyterians the practise of Geneva or Scotland that appears by Knox's Common Prayer-Book to have allowed a set Forme of Confession of Faith and designed it for the publick use as the first thing in that Book of Prayers though the truth is the Apostles or other ancient Creeds being set aside one of the Geneva forming is fain to supply the place of them which yet by the setting the severall parts of the Apostles Creed in the margent both there and in the order of Baptisme appeares rather to be an interpretation of it and so still the Separatists must be the onely men in the Church fit to be considered or else apparently there is no such Politicall necessity of this neither Sect 34 For the fifth thing the so frequent repetition of the Lords Prayer and Prayers for the King in our Service this account may be briefly given of it For the former that in our Common Prayer-Book there be severall Services for severall occasions of the Sacraments c. for severall dayes as the Letany for severall times in the day not only Morning and Euening but one part to be said earlier in the morning and then toward noone a returne to another part as the antient Primitives had three Services in a forenoone 1. That for the Catechumeni consisting of Prayers Psalmes and Readings then a 2. For the Penitents such as our Letany and a 3. For the Fideles the Faithfull our Communion Service and even that which is assigned to one time so discontinued by Psalmes and Hymnes and Lessons that it becomes in a manner two Services clearly two times of Prayer Now our Saviour commanding when you pray say our Father we have accordingly so assigned it to be once repeated in every such part of Service and I remember to have heard one of the gravest and most reverend men of the Assembly being asked his opinion about the use of the Lords Prayer to have answer'd to this purpose God forbid that I should ever be upon my knees in Prayer and rise up without adding Christs forme to my imperfect petitions And whereas this Directory is so bountifull as to recommend this Prayer to be used in the Prayers of the Church and yet so wary as but to recommend it it is thereby confest that it is lawfull to retain a set Forme for that is surely so and then the often using of a lawfull thing will not make it unlawfull but withall that Christs command in points of his Service shall no more oblige to obedience then the commands of men for if it did this would be more then recommended And now why that which may say they commendably must say we necessarily in obedience to Christ be used in the Prayers of the Church and being repeated oftner then once shall be usefull to him who was not come at the first saying or may be said more attentively by him who had before been too negligent should be necessary to be used but once when all mens zeale or understanding of so divine a Forme or perhaps presence at that part of the Service shall not necessarily go along with it I leave to more subtile Divines to instruct us This I am sure of that God hath made a peculiar promise to importunity in Prayer to a coming often to him on the same errand and Luk. 18. 5. by a phrase in the Parable seems to say that he that comes oft to God in this manner will at length force him to shame if he do not grant his Petition for that is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And from thence the Fathers use a bold phrase in their Liturgies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I put thee to shame i. e. importune thee Basil in Liturg. and in the Psaltery of the Greek Church which hath many Prayers mixt with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlesse thy owne goodnesse put thee to shame c. Now that this will not be subject to the censure of vain repetitions Mat. 6. 7. which is the onely exception made against it if the example of David Psal 136. be not sufficient to authorize the repeating any Forme often which is as faultlesse as that was might largely be evidenced 1. By the nature of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used which both Hesychius and Suidas apply to an other matter and explain it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long idle unseasonable formes such as Battus used in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his long-winded Hymnes so full of Tautologies which Munster therefore rendreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not multiply words unprofitably or unseasonably 2. By the customes of the Heathens which Christ there referres to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 use not c. as the Heathens and which are evident in their writers especially their Tragedians where 't is plain that their manner was to sound or chant for many houres together some few empty words to the honour of their Gods such the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their Bacchannals from the noise of which they were call'd Evantes such in Sophocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and especially in the Virgins Chorus of AEschylus's Tragedy called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where there are near an hundred Verses made up of meer Tautologies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and an enumeration of the severall names of the Gods with unsignificant noyses added to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and within two verses the same again and much more of the same stile Two notable examples of this Heathenish custome the Scripture affords us one 1 King 18. 26. where the Prophets of Baal from morning till noon cry O Baal hear us and it followes they cryed with a loud voyce and cut themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their custome or rites that loud crying the same words so long together was as much a Heathenish rite as the cutting of themselves The other of the Ephesians Act. 19. 34. who are affirm'd to have cryed with one voice for two houres space 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great is Diana of the Ephesians and 3. by the designed end that Christ observes of that Heathen custome 1. That they may be heard by that long noyse for which Elius scoffes them 1 King 18 27. Cry aloud perhaps your God is a talking or a pursuing c. 2. That their Petitions may be more intelligible to their Gods to which Christ opposes your Heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of and so needs not your Tautologies to explain them to him Much more might be said for the explaining of that mistaken place but that it would seem unnecessary to this matter the exception being so causelesse that the Vindication would passe for an extravagance Sect 35 Of the Prayers for the King the account will not bee much unlike St. Paul commands that prayers and supplications and intercessions and thanksgivings be made
gift as under our Liturgy is pretended and so here under pretence of supplying the ships all such idle Mariners in the ship of the Church are supplyed also which it seems was foreseen at the writing that preface to the Directory where they say the Minister may if need be have from â—hem some helpe and furniture 5. That the Preface to this new Work entitled A reason of this work containeth many other things which tend as much to the retracting their former work as Judas's throwing back the mony did to his repentance Sect 2 As 1. That there are thousands of Ships belonging to this Kingdome which have not Ministers with them to guide them in Prayer and therefore either use the Common Prayer or no Prayer at all This shewes the nature of that fact of those which without any objection mentioned against any Prayer in that book which was the only help for the devotion of many thousands left them for some Months to perfect irreligion and Atheisme and not Praying at all And besides these ships which they here confesse how many Land-companies be there in the same condition how many thousand families which have no Minister in them of which number the House of Commons was alwaies wont to be one and the House of Lords since the Bishops were removed from thence and to deale plainly how many Ministers will there alwaies be in England and Wales for sure your care for the Vniversities is not so great as to be likely to worke Miracles which will not have skill or power or gift which you please of conceiving Prayers as they ought to do and therefore let me impart to you the thoughts of many prudent men since the newes of your Directory and abolition of our Liturgy that it would prove a most expedite way to bring in Atheisme and this it seems you do already discern and confesse in the next words that the no prayer at all which succeeded the abolishing of the Liturgy is likely to make them rather Heathens then Christians and hath left the Lords day without any marke of piety or devotion a sad and most considerable truth which some persons ought to lament with a wounded bleeding conscience the longest day of their life and therefore we are apt to beleeve your charity to be more extensive then the title of that book enlarges it and that it hath designed this supply not only to those ships but to all other in the like want of our Liturgy Your only blame in this particular hath been that you would not be so ingenuous as Judas and some others that have soon retracted their precipicous action and confest they did so and made restitution presently while you rather then you will to rescue men from heathenisme caused by your abolition restore the Book again and confesse you have sinned in condemning an innocent Liturgy will appoint some Assembler to compile a poor sorry piteous forme of his own of which I will appeale to your greatest flatterer if it be not so low that it cannot come into any tearmes of comparison or competition with those formes already prescribed in our book and so still you justify your errour even while you confesse it Sect 3 2. That 't is now hoped that 't will be no griefe of heart to full Christians if the thirsty drink out of cisterns when themselves drink out of fountaines c. which is the speciall part of that ground on which we have first formed now labour'd to preserve our Liturgy on purpose that weaker Christians may have this constant supply for their infirmities that weake Ministers may not be forced to betray their weaknesse that they that have not the gift of Prayer as even in the Apostles times there were divers gifts and all Ministers had not promise to succeed in all but one in one another in another gift by the same spirit may have the helpe of these common gifts and standing treasures of Prayer in the Church and because there be so many of these kinds to be lookt for in a Church that those which are able to pray as they ought without a forme may yet in publick submit to be thus restrain'd to the use of so excellent a forme thus set before them rather then others should be thus adventur'd to their own temerity or incurre the reproach of being thought not able and then this providing for the weak both Minister and People will not now I hope be charged on the Liturgy by those who hope their supply of Prayer will be no griefe to others Sect 4 3. That these Prayers being enlivened and sent up by the spirit in him that prayeth may be lively prayers and acceptable to him who is a spirit and accepts of service in spirit and truth Where 1. It appears by that confession that as the place that speaks of worshipping in spirit and truth is not of any force against set prayers so neither is that either of the Spirits helping our infirmities belonging as it is here confest most truly to the zeale and fervor and intensenesse of devotion infused by the Spirit and not to the words wherein the addresse is made which if the Spirit may not infuse also in the use of our Liturgy and assist a Minister and Cnngregation in the Church as well and as effectually as a company of Mariners in a ship I shall then confesse that the Directory first and then this Supply may be allow'd to turne it out of the Church Sect 5 Lastly That in truth though Prayers come never so new even from the Spirit in one that is a guide in Prayer if the Spirit do not quicken and enliven that prayer in the hearer that followes him it is to him but a dead forme and a very carcase of Prayer which words being really what they say a truth a perfect truth and more soberly spoken then all or any period in the Preface to the Directory I shall oppose against that whole Act of abolition as a ground of confutation of the principall part of it and shall only adde my desire that it be considered what Prayers are most likely to be thus quickned and enlivened by the spirit in the hearer those that he is master of and understands and knowes he may joyn in or those which depend wholy on the will of the Speaker which perhaps he understandeth not and never knowes what they are till they are delivered nor whether they be fit for him to joyne in or in plainer words whether a man be likely to pray and aske most fervently he knowes not what or that which he knowes and comes on purpose to pray For sure the quicking and enlivening of the Spirit is not so perfectly miracle as to exclude all use of reason or understanding to prepare for a capacity of it for then there had been no need to have turn'd the Latine Service out of the Church the spirit would have quickned those Prayers also CHAP. III. HAving thus
Vniformity in performing Gods service 4. The Peoples bearing some part in the service 5. The dividing the Prayers into severall Collects and not putting them all into one continued Prayer 6. The Ceremonies of kneeling in the Communion of Crosse in Baptisme of Ring in Marriage c. Then of those that are intrinsecall and parts of the Service 1. The Absolution in the beginning of the Service next after the Confession and before the Communion and in the Visitation of the sicke 2. The Hymnes the Introite the Te Deum c. 3. The use of the Doxology or giving glory to God 4. The Confession of the Faith in the Creeds 5. The frequent repeating of the Lords Prayer and the Prayers for the King 6. The observation of the divers Feasts commemorative not only of Christ but of Saints departed and assigning Services Lessons Epistles and Gospels and Collects to them 7. The reading the Commandements and the Prayers belonging to that Service 8. The order of the Offertory 9. Private Baptisme 10. A prescript forme of Catechisme 11. Confirmation 12. The solemnities of burying the dead 13. Thankesgiving after Child-birth 14. Communion of the sick 15. The Service containing the Commination 16. The observation of Lent and the Rogation and I would add also of the Ember weekes This may seem too loose a taske to enlarge on each of these and yet we are in justice to this Book and for an answer to the pretended Necessity of abolishing it obliged to do so as briefly as it may only so farre as may serve to give the Reader a view of the lawfulnesse at least and withall of the usefulnesse of each of these and consequently of no-appearance of reason why it should be thought necessary to abolish any one of them much lesse of all the rest for that ones sake Sect 14 And first for the prescribing of Formes of Prayer or Liturgy it selfe we shall referre it to judgment whether it be necessary in Ecclesiasticall Policy i. e. strongly conducing to the benefit and edification of a Church to interdict or banish it out of the Kingdome when we have proposed these few things concerning it 1. The example of God himselfe and holy men in the Old Testament prescribing set Formes of blessing the People to be used daily by Aaron and his Sonnes Numb 6. 23. The Lord blesse thee and keep thee c. set Formes for the People to use themselves Deut. 26. 3. 5. Thou shalt say before the Lord A Syrian c. as also at the going out of their Armies Deut. 20. 3. and of Thankesgiving Exod. 15. 1. made by Moses and it seems learnt by heart by all the people and in the same words used again by Miriam v. 21. and so it appears Isa 38. 20. that Hezekiah did not only forme a set thankesgiving but used it all the daies of his life and the same Hezekiah 2. Chron. 29. 30. in his thankesgiving commanded the Levites also to sing praises to God with the words of David and Asaph i. e. Formes already prepared to his hand by those sacred Pen-men Sect 15 2. The practise of the Jewes since Ezra's time constantly using set Formes of Prayer by way of Liturgy For this I shall produce no other proofe then the testimony of a learned Member of their Assembly M. Selden in his notes on Eutychius vouching all his affirmations out of the ancient records of the customes of the Jewish Nation from whom that they may be of authority with you I shall transcribe these severalls That certain formes of praying which were to be used by every one daily by Law or received custome were instituted by Ezra and his house i. e. his consistory That the Jewes about the end of the Babylonish Captivity had their ancient manners as well as language so depraved that without a Master they either were not able to pray as they ought or had not confidence to do so And therefore that for the future they might not recede either in the matter of their prayers through corruption or expression through ignorance from that forme of piety commanded them by God this remedy was applyed by the men of the great Synagogue Ezra and his 120. Collegues where by the way is observeable one speciall use and benefit of set Forms not only to provide for the ignorance but to be an hedge to the true Religion to keep out all mixtures or corruptions out of a Church To which purpose also the Councells in the Christian Church have designed severall parts which we still retain in our Liturgy a reall and a valuable benefit if it were considered That of this kind there were 18. Prayers or Benedictions call'd in the Gemarae composed or appointed Prayers That the three first of these and the three last respected the glory of God the twelve other intermediate were spent on those prime things that were necessary either to the whole People or every particular man proportionable to which perhaps it is that our Saviour who accommodated most institutions of his Baptisme and his last Supper c. to the customes of the Church did also designe his prayer as it is set downe in Matthew though not according to the number of the Jewish prayers yet to the generall matter and forme of them the three first branches of it and the conclusion which may passe for three branches more referriug to the glory of God and the other intermediate to our private and publike wants That these Prayers were to be learnt by every man that the Prayers of the unskillfull might be as perfect as of the most eloquent That every act or praying was begun with Psal 51. 15. O Lord open thou our lips and our mouthes shall shew forth thy praise the very forme of words still retain'd in Saint James his Liturgy and in ours before the Introite and concluded with Psal 19. the last verse Into thy hands c. That of these 18. Prayers no one was to be omitted that if any other were added they were counted of like free-will-offerings as the other were answerable to the prescribed and were called by that name That the additions might be made only in those Prayers which concern their own wants because those were capable of variation but not to those that concern'd God That on Sabboth and Feast-daies no man might use a voluntary prayer That about the time of the Jewes destruction Gamaliel and his Sanhedrim added a 19. Prayer and after him others so that at length the daily service grew to an 100. Prayers That it is likely that the Pagans came to use their set Formes in their Sacrifice also and perhaps the Mahumedans too by the example of the Jewish Church for which he there referres the Reader to many Books of the Learned I conceive the authority of this Gentleman hath not beene despised by the House of Commons and the Assemblers when it hath chanced to agree with their designs or
interest and therefore I have thus farre as an Argument ad homines insisted on it Sect 16 3. The not onely practise but precept of Christ in the New Testament who did not only use himselfe a set forme of words in prayer three times together using the same words Mat. 26. 44. and upon the crosse in the same manner praying in the Psalmists words only changed into the Syriack dialect which was then the vulgar but also commanded the use of those very words of his perfect forme which it seems he meant not only as a pattern but a forme it selfe as the Standard weight is not only the measure of all weights but may it selfe be used Luk. 11. 2. when you pray say Our Father c. which precept no man can with a good conscience ever obey that holds all set formes necessary to be cast out of the Church Sect 17 4. The practise not only of John the Baptist who taught his Disciples to pray Luk. 11. 1. which occasioned Christs Disciples to demand and him to give them a forme of Prayer but especially of the Apostles of which we find intimations 1. Cor. 14. 26. when you come together every one of you hath a Psalme which sure referres to some of the Psalmes of David or Asaph used then ordinarily in their devotions and that as even now I said authorized by the example of Christ himselfe upon the Crosse who it is thought repeated the whole 22. Psalme it is certaine the first verse of it My God My God why hast thou forsaken me and so certainly a set forme and that of Prayer too of which thanksgivings and Prayses are a part But because every one had his severall Psalme it is therefore reprehended by the Apostle as tending to confusion and by that consequence Saint Pauls judgment is thence deducible for the joyning of all in the same form as being the only course tending to edification in the end of that verse and then sure 't would be hard that that which the Apostle conceived the only course for edifying should now be necessary to be turn'd out of the Church as contrary to edification Farther yet 't is clear by text that the Apostles when they met together to holy duties such are Fasting Prayer receiving the Sacrament continued very long time sometimes a whole day together This being too much to be alwaies continued in the Church and unsuteable to every mans businesse is said to have been the occasion that S. James first made choice of some speciall Prayers most frequently by them used which was after called his Liturgy which or some other in the disguise of that the Greek Church still use on solemne daies This also being of the longest for every daies use St. Basil is said to have shortned and that again St. Chrysostome how certain these reports are I shall not take upon me to affirme but only adde that the Greek Church who are most likely to know the truth of it by their records do retain all these three Liturgies and would loudly laugh at any man that should make doubt whether St. James S. Basil and S. Chrysostome were not the Authors of them 2. That the judgement of that Church if they are deceived also and may not be thought worthy to be heeded by our Assemblers is yet an argument of great authority to any prudent man if not that these Liturgies were purely the same with those that were written by that Apostle and those holy men yet that there were such things as Liturgies of their penning The like might be added of that short forme of St. Peters which alone they say was used in the Roman Church for a great while till after by some Popes it was augmented and the same of St. Marks Liturgy I am sure S. Augustine speaking of some formes retained in the Church and still to be found in our Liturgy particularly that of Sursum corda Lift up your hearts c. saith that they are verba ab ipsis Apostolorum temporibus petita words fetcht from the times of the Apostles which supposes that they did use such Formes And for that particular mention'd by S. Augustine it is agreeable to the Constitutions of the Apostles l. 8. c. 16. which collection if it be not so antient as it pretends doth yet imitate Apostolicall antiquity and so in S. James's and Basils and Chrysostomes Liturgy in the same words with our Booke as farre as to the word bounden and for many other such particular Formes used by us we find them in Cyril of Hierusalems Catechisme one of the antientest Authors we have and then that it should be necessary for the Church to turne out what the Apostles had thus brought into it will not easily be made good by our Assemblers Sect 18 5. The practice of the universall Church from that time to this which is so notorious to any that is conversant in the writings of the Antient Fathers and of which so many testimonies are gathered together for many mens satisfaction by Cassander and other writers of the Liturgica that 't were a reproach to the Reader to detain or importune him with testimonies of that nature To omit the practice of Constantine who prescribed a forme for his Souldiers a Copy of which we have in Euseb de vit Const l. 4. c. 20. I shall only mention two grand testimonies for set Formes one in the 23. Canon of the third Councell of Carthage Quascunque sibi preces aliquis describet non iis utatur nisi prius eas cum instructioribus fratribus contulerit No man may use any Prayers which he hath made unlesse he first consult with other learneder Christians about them and the other more punctuall Concil Milev c. 12. Placuit ut preces quae probatae fuerint in Concilio ab omnibus celebrentur Nec aliae omninò dicantur in Ecclesia nisi quae à prudentioribus tractantur vel comprobatae in Synodo fuerint ne fortè aliquid contra fidem aut per ignorantiam aut per minus studium sit compositum It was resolv'd on that the Prayers that were approv'd in the Councell should be used by all and that no other should be said in the Church but those that had been weighed by the more prudent or approv'd in a Synod lest any thing either through ignorance or negligence should be done against the Faith Instead of such Citations and because whatsoever argument is brought from that Topick of Ecclesiasticall tradition is now presently defamed with the title of Popish and Antichristian because forsooth Antichrist was a working early in the Apostles time and every thing that we have not a mind to in antiquity must needs be one of those works I shall rather chuse to mention another as a more convincing argument ad homines and that is Sect 9 6. The judgement and practice of the Reformed in other Kingdomes even Calvin himselfe in severall ample testimonies one in his Notes upon Psal 20. 1.
for Kings c. 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. where though the mention of those severall sorts of Prayers signified by those foure words might be matter of apology for the making severall addresses to God for Kings in one service supposing them proportion'd to those sorts in that text yet have we distributed the frequent prayers for him into the severall services one solemne prayer for him in the ordinary daily service and only a versicle before as it were prooemiall to it another in the Letany another after the commandements of which though our book hath two formes together yet both the Rubrick and Custome gives us authority to interpret it was not meant that both should be said at once but either of the two chosen by the Minister another before the Communion where the necessity of the matter being designed for the Church militant makes it more then seasonable to descend to our particular Church and the King the supreame of it just as Herodotus relates the custome of the Persians l. 1. p. 52. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they pray for all the Persians peculiarly for the King To this practice of ours so grounded in the Apostle we shall adde 1. The reward promised by the Apostles intimation to such Prayers if not as I conceive by those words that we may live a peaceable and quiet life c. that peaceable and quiet life of all blessings the greatest seeming to be a benefit or donative promised to the faithfull discharge of that duty of praying and supplicating and interceding and giving thankes for Kings yet certainly somewhat else in that high Declaration made concerning it in the next words for this is good and acceptable before Good our Saviour whose acceptation is reward sufficient to any action and yet who never accepts but rewards also 2. The practice of the antient Christians set down by Tertull. Sacrificamus pro salute Imperatoris pura prece our prayers are sent up a pure sacrifice for the prosperity of the Emperor and that quoties conveniebant in another place at every meeting or service of the Church precantes semper pro omnibus Imperatoribus vitam prolixam Imperium securum domum tutam exercitus fortes Senatum fidelem populum probum Orbem quietum quaecunque hominis Casaris vota sunt praying alwaies for the Emperours and begging of God for them long life secure reigne the safety of his house couragious Armies a faithfull Senate a good people a quiet world all those severalls which would make up more prayers then our book hath assigned all that either as Man or King they can stand in need of and so Athenagoras and others to the same purpose especially when they have occasion to justifie the fidelity of Christians to their unchristian Emperours having no surer evidence to give of that then the frequency of their prayers for them which they which thinke necessary to abbridge or supercede must give us leave by that indication to judge of somewhat else by occasion of that to pick to observe their other demonstrations of disloyalty to those that are set over them by God And to any that are not guilty of that crime nor yet of another of thinking all length of the publike service unsupportable I shall refer it to be judged whether it be necessary that the King be prayed for in the Church no oftner then there is a Sermon there Sect 36 6. The Communion of Saints which if it were no Article in our Creed ought yet to be laid up as one of the Christians tasks or duties consists in that mutuall exchange of charity and all seasonable effects of it between all parts of the Church that triumphant in heaven Christ and the Saints there and this on earth militant which he that disclaimes by that one act of insolence casts off one of the noblest priviledges of which this earth is capable to be a fellow-citizen with the Saints and a â—llow-member with Christ himselfe The effects of this charity on their parts is in Christ intercession and in the Saints suffrages and daily prayers to God for us but on our part thankesgivings and commemorations which 't is apparent the Primitive Christians used very early solemnizing the day of Christs resurrection c. and rehearsing the names of the Saints out of their Dipticks in time of the offertory before the Sacrament besides this so solemne a Christian duty another act of charity there is which the Church owes to her living sonnes the educating them in the presence of good examples and setting a remarke of honour on all which have lived Christianly especially have died in testimony of the truth of that profession and again a great part of the New Testament being story of the lives of Christ and his Apostles and the rest but doctrine agreeable to what those lives expressed it must needs be an excellent compendium of that book and a most usefull way of infusing it into the understanding and preserving it in the memory of the people to assigne proper portions of Scripture in Lessons Epistles and Gospells to every day every Sunday every Festivall in the year which are none in our Church but for the remembrance of Christ and the Scripture-Saints to infuse by those degrees all necessary Christian knowledge and duties into us the use of which to the ignorant is so great that it may well be feared that when the Festivalls and solemnities for the birth of Christ and his other famous passages of life and death and resurrection and ascension and mission of the Holy Ghost and the Lessons Gospells and Collects and Sermons upon them be turn'd out of the Church together with the Creeds also 't will not be in the power of weekly Sermons on some head of Religion to keep up the knowledge of Christ in mens hearts a thing it seems observ'd by the Casuists who use to make the number of those things that are necessariò credenda necessary to be beleeved no more then the Festivalls of Christ make known to men and sure by antient Fathers whose Preaching was generally on the Gospells for the day as appears by their Sermons de tempore and their Postils To all these ends are all these Festivals and these Services designed by the Church and to no other that is capable of any the least brand of novell or superstitious and till all this antidote shall be demonstrated to be turn'd poyson all these wholesome designes to be perfectly noxious till ill or no examples uncharitablenesse schismaticall cutting ourselves off from being fellow-members with the Saints and even with Christ our head till ingratitude ignorance and Atheisme it selfe be canonized for Christian and Saint-like and the onely things tending to edification in a Church there will hardly appeare any so much as politick necessity to turn these out of it Sect 37 7. For the reading of the Commandements and prayer before and the responses after each of them though it be not antiently
is here so heavily laid on it as well as that of unfitnesse of which if it be guilty Superstition is become a strange ubiquitary ready to fly and affixe it selfe to any thing they will have it and shall as justly be fast'ned by me on their negative or prohibition of Baptisme in that place it is not to be administred in the places where Fonts c. as upon our positive appointing it For sure if a significant rite or designation of place c. without any other guilt then that it is so be superstitious an unsignificant interdiction of it will be as much and if the positive superstition be to be condemned the negative must be so also Sect 40 10. For the prescript Forme of Catechisme it is placed by our Church in our Liturgy and as fit to be placed there as any directions for Preaching can be in theirs which takes up so great a part in their Religion and consequently in their Directory the previous instruction of youth being so much more necessary then that as a foundation is then any part of the superstructure that being necessary to the end only but this over and above necessary to make capable of the other necessary Of this particular Catechisme I might say somewhat which would be worthy to be observed in these times how much Christian prudence the Church hath shewed in it in setting down for all to learn only those few things which are necessary to the plainest and meanest for the direction of Christian faith and practice and if we would all keep our selves within that moderation and propose no larger Catalogue of credenda to be believ'd by all then the Apostles Creed as 't is explain'd in our Catechisme doth propose and lay the greater weight upon consideration and performance of the vow of Baptisme and all the commands of God as they are explained and so the obligation to obedience enlarged by Christ and then only adde the explication of the nature and use of the Sacraments in those most commodious and intelligible expressions and none other which are there set down I should be confident there would be lesse hating and damning one another which is most ordinarily for opinions more piety and charity and so true Christianity among Christians and Protestants then hitherto hath been met with But seeing though this be fit to be said yet 't is unnecessary in this place this Catechisme being not put in ballance with any other way of instructing youth in the Directory but only sold or cast away for nought and no money nothing taken or offered in exchange for it I am superseded from this and only left to wonder why Caâ—echizing of Children in the faith and knowledge of their vowed duty which I hope is no stinting of their Spirits should be one of those burthens which 't is so necessary should be thrown off and not so much as consider'd in this Directory Sect 41 11. For Confirmation which being a thing wherein the Bishop is a party will I must expect be matter of some envy and odium but to name it and being so long and so scandalously neglected in this Kingdome though the rule have also been severe and carefull in requiring it will now not so easily be digested having those vulgar prejudices against it yet must I most solemnly professe my opinion of it That it is a most antient Christian custome tending very much to edification Which I shall make good by giving you this view of the manner of it It is this that every Rector of any Parish or Curate of charge should by a familiar way of Catechizing instruct the youth of both sexes within his Cure in the principles of Religion so farre that every one of them before the usuall time of coming to the Lords Supper should be able to understand the particulars of the vow made in Baptisme for the credenda and facienda yea and fugienda also what must be believed what done and what forsaken and be able to give an intelligent account of every one of these which being done every such Child so prepared ought to be brought to the Bishop for Confirmation Wherein the intent is that every such Child attain'd to years of understanding shall singly and solemnly before God the Bishop and the whole Congregation with his own mouth and his own consent take upon himselfe the obligation to that which his Godfathers and Godmothers in Baptisme promised in his name and before all those reverend witnesses make a firme publick renew'd promise that by Gods helpe he will faithfully endeavour to discharge that obligation in every point of it and persevere in it all the daies of his life Which resolution and promise so heightned with all those solemnities will in any reason have a mighty impression on the Child and an influence on his actions for ever after And this being thus performed by him the Bishop shall severally impose his hands upon every such child a Ceremony used to this purpose by Christ himselfe and blesse and pray for him that now that the temptations of sinne begin more strongly in respect of his age to assault him he may receive grace and strength against all such temptations or assaults by way of prevention and speciall assistance without which obtained by prayer from God he will never be able to do it This is the summe of Confirmation and were it rightly observed and no man admitted to the Lords Supper that had not thus taken the Baptisme-bond from the sureties into his owne name and no man after that suffered to continue in the Church which brake it wilfully but turn'd out of those sacred coutts by the power of the keyes in excommunication it would certainely prove by the blessing of God there begged a most effectuall means to keep men at least within some tearmes of Christian civility from falling into open enormous sins and that the defaming and casting out of this so blamelesse gainfull Order should be necessary or usefull to any policy save only to defend the Devill from so great a blow and to susteine and uphold his Kingdome I never had yet any temptation or motive to suspect or imagine Instead of considering any objections of the adversary against this piece whether of Apostolicall or Ecclesiasticall discipline which I never heard with any colour produced I shall rather expresse my most passionate wish unto my Friends those who sincerely wish the good of this Nationall Church that they will endeavour their utmost to revive these meanes of regaining the purity and exemplary lives of all its members when God by restoring our Peace shall open a doore for it Sect 42 12. For the Solemnities of Buriall as they are certainly uselesse to them who are dead so are they not designed by us but to the benefit of the living in Lessons and Prayers upon those occasions as also for the freeing us from the imputation of rudenesse and uncivility which Christianity teaches no body to those
bodies which shall have their parts in the resurrection and to their memories which the obligation of Kindred friendship at least the common band of Christianity make pretious to us and that it should be necessary and tend to edification not to pray such seasonable Prayers heare and impresse upon our hearts such seasonable Lessons at a time when they are exemplified before our eyes and our hearts being softned with mourning are become more malleable to performe such laudable Christian Civilities only for fear we should not pray but be thought to pray to or for them over whom or near whose hearse or by or toward whom we thus pray which that we do not our Prayers that then we use are ready to testify is another unreasonable able to evidence the power of prejudice and faction to any that is not sufficiently convinced of it Sect 43 13. For that of thankesgiving after Childbirth as it may be acknowledged to be taken up in proportion to or imitation of Purification among the Jewes so is it not thereby lyable to any charge of evill For herein is a merveilous mistake among men to think that because the continuing of circumcision was so forbidden by St. Paul Gal. 5. 2. therefore it should be unlawfull for any Christian Church to institute any usage which had ever been commanded the Jewes For the reasons which made the retaining of circumcision so dangerous will not be of any force against other customes of the Jewes as 1. That it was prest by the Judaizing Christians as necessary to justification Gal. 5. 4. which is in effect the disclaiming of Christ or of any profit v. 2. or effect v. 4. by him a falling from grace and renouncing the Gospell 2. That it was contrary to that liberty or manumission from the Judaicall Law which Christ had purchased v. 13. to have circumcision imposed as a Law of Gods still obligatory when Christ by his death hath cancelled it 3. That some carnall professors which thought by this meanes to escape the opposition and persecution which then followed the doctrine of Christ and profession of Christianity did much boast that they put themselves and their Disciples in a course to void the crosse c. 6. 12. which is the meaning of that v. 13. that they may glory in your flesh i. e. in your being circumcised as that is by Saint Paul opposed to glorying in the Crosse v. 14. i. e. the persecution that followed profession of the Gospell as c. 5. 11. he mentions it as the only reason of his being persecuted that he would not Preach Circumcision agreeable to which is that of Ignatius in Ep. ad Magnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If we till now live according to the Law of the Jewes and circumcision of the flesh we deny that we have received grace for the divinest Prophets lived according to Jesus Christ and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for doing so were persecuted which they that desired to avoid and therefore would be circumcised or Preach Circumcision those are the men Saint Paul so quarrels with as those that would not suffer for Christs sake that were not much in love with that Crosse of his To which a fourth reason may also be added that many of the Ceremonies of the Law did presignifie the future Messias and the teaching the necessity of such observances as not yet abolisht is the professing Christ not to be the Messias All which notwithstanding it still remaines very possible that a rite formerly commanded the Jewes not as significative of the future Messias but as decent in the worship of God without any depending on it for justification without any opinion that the Jewish Law obliges us and without any feare of being persecuted by the Jewes or consequent compliance with them may now be prescribed by the Christian Church meerely as a humane institution judging that decent or usefull now which was so then and in this case if nothing else can be objected against it save only that God once thought fit to prescribe it to his owne People there will be little fear of danger in or fault to be found with any such usage For it is an ordinary observation which Paulus Fagius in his Notes on the Targum a most learned Protestant first suggested to me that many of the Jewish Ceremonies were imitated by Christ himselfe under the Gospell I might shew it you in the Apostles who were answerable to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the missi or messengers among the Jewes and were by Christ our High-Priest sent abroad to all Nations to bring in that peculium which of all others he counted most his due having paid so deare for it sinners to their Saviour as they were among the Jewes sent by the High-Priest to fetch in the dues to the Temple So also the imposition of hands a forme of benediction among the Jewes as antient as Jacob himselfe Gen. 48. 14. In blessing Josephs Sonnes and is often used by Christ to that same purpose And even the two Sacraments are of this nature Baptisme related to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 washings used by them at the initiating or admitting of Proselytes and Christs taking bread and giving Thanks c. after Supper wherein the other Sacrament was first instituted was directly the Postcoenium among the Jewes not a peculiar part of the Passeover Feast but a Ceremony after all Feasts very usuall among them So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Assemblies civill or sacred among the Jewes is made use of to signifie the Christian Church which Christ was to gather together So the Lords day one day in seven proportionable to their Sabbath So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders among the Jewes are brought by the Apostles to signifie an Order in the Church and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 colleges of many of them together called by Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacred Societies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Counsellors and Assistants of the Bishops and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Ep. ad Trall are parallell to the Sanhedrim or Councell of Elders that were joyned to Moses in his government to facilitate the burthen to him The same may be said of the Deacons which were an imitation of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Treasurer or Steward among them and consequently the place where the goods which they were to distribute were kept is parallell to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the treasury and so the Bishop also saith Grotius is a transcript of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the head of the Congregation And the Patriarchs among Christians are taken from the heads of the Tribes among them called ordinarily by the 72 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adde unto these the Christian Censure of Excommunication answerable to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether it were from sacred or onely from civill Assemblies among them it matters little for the civill among them
but if you mean by the phrase in a larger sense earthly or humane interests I shall only ask whether all the actions which have proceeded from you are so visibly divine and unmixt with earth so apparently uninterested that your own testimony should be sufficient to give credit to this affirmation Sect 32 Having said this you proceed to the conclusion that you resolved to set up the Directory and in it to hold forth such things as are of divine Institution in every Ordinance and other things be set forth according to the rules of Christian Prudence agreeable to the generall rules of the word of God And now 't is a little strange but yet that which my temper obliges me to desire may still be my fate when I fall upon a Controversie with any that we which have been at such distance all this while should just now meet at parting that such contradictory premises should beget the same conclusion For there is not a better Rule in the World nor any which I would rather chuse to be judged by in this matter then that which is here proposed by you Only I desire a little importunately to be advertised where it is that the Compilers of our Liturgy have swerved from it Where you have swerved we have instanced in many particulars in our Answer to the Ordinance and shall now once for all demand what rules of prudence oblige you to turne those many severals there mentioned out of the Service of the Church every one of them tending to edification directly over and above the agreeablenesse of each to the generall rules of Scripture in particular whether it be agreeable to Christian Prudence to abolish a Liturgy which hath been so piously and discreetly framed by those who have seal'd our Reformation with their bloud and instead of it to bring in a voluntary way of serving God in a Nationall Church where there be many thousand Parishes and no such promise of divine inspiration or enthusiasme but that there may be still some number of those Ministers who will not be able to speak constantly in the Congregation so as in the presence of Angels they ought to speak The experiments that have given us reason thus to fear and desire prevention of the like we are again tempted to adde unto this paper but we delight not to demonstrate them guilty of Blasphemies who have accused us of Superstition We desire this fault may be cured by some milder recipe Sect 33 As for that which in passing you say that by your Directory Ministers may be directed to keep like soundnesse of Doctrine this indeed is a prerogative of the Liturgy which hath alwayes been used as an hedge to keep out errours and to retain a common profession of Catholick verities but cannot belong to your Directory which hath neither Creed nor Catechisme nor one Article of Religion or Doctrine asserted in it but leaves that wholly to the Preacher whose doctrine that it should be sound at all or agree with the doctrine of all other Preachers and so be like sound here is no provision made Sect 34 We have thus call'd your Preface also to some tryall and found it of such a composure and temper 1. So many variations from truth which one that desires to be civill must be unjust if he do not call them so that we cannot with any pleasure give an accompt of our judgement of them 2. So many unconcluding premâ—ses Affirmations which if they were all supposed true would never come home to abolition and among all the heap so no one truth which is of importance or weight toward that conclusion that now we conceive we have discharged the task given the Reader such a view of the inward parts of this spacious fabrick that he will not wonder that we are not so passionately taken with the beauty as to receive at a venture whatsoever is contain'd in it For supposing there were never an unseasonable Direction in all the Book following yet the reception of that being founded in the abolition both of ours and of all Liturgy the Christian prudence agreeable to the Word of God which is here commended to us obliges us to stop our ears to such slight temptations and never to yeeld consent to the but laying aside that forme of Service which we have by establisht Law so long enjoyed to the great content and benefit of this Nation though God knowes some have not made so holy others so thankful an use of it as it deserved of us some neglecting it others slandring and so many bringing worldly hearts along with them which though they are great evils under which this divine Liturgy hath suffered yet being the infelicities not the crimes the crosse which hath made it like unto our Saviour in being spit on revil'd and crown'd with thornes for such he cals the cares of this world the most contumelious part of the suffering and not at all the guilt being wholly accidentall and extrinsecal to it must never be exchanged for the certain evils naturall and intrinsecall to the no-Liturgy and withall the greater mischiefes which may probably follow this alteration for all which patience and submission we have not the least kind of invitation save only that of the noyse and importunity of some enemies which should it be yeelded to would I doubt not be resisted and prest again with the Petitions of many thousands more importuning the return and restitution of the Liturgy again unlesse by this means the Devill should gain an absolute and totall manumission cast off all his trashes and presently get rid of both his enemies Religion and Liturgy together A Postscript by way of Appendix to the two former Chapters Sect 1 THe truth of all which we have hitherto spoken if we have not sufficiently evidenced it already will abundantly appear by one farther testimony which is authentick and undeniable to them against whom we speak And it is what the providence of God and the power of truth hath extorted from them their own confession in a book just now come to my hands called a Supply of Prayer for the Ships that want Ministers to pray with them agreeable to the Directory established by Parliament published by authority From which these things will be worth observing 1. That the very body of it is a set forme of Prayer and so no Superstition in set formes 2. That their publishing it by authority is the prescribing of that forme and so 't is lawfull to prescribe such formes 3. That the title of Supply of Prayer proveth that some there are to whom such supplies are necessary and so a Directory not sufficient for all And 4. That its being agreeable to the Directory Or as it is word for word form'd out of it the Directory turn'd into a Prayer sheweth that out of the Directory a Prayer may easily first be made and then constantly used and so the Minister ever after continue as idle without exercising that
testimony of their endeavours for uniformity whereas with other Churches there is no such necessity of conforming in such matters and within our selves nothing is so contrary to uniformity as this endeavour And Lastly we have learnt from them a rule by which they pretend to forme their Directory the agreeablenesse to the word of God and Christian prudence and are most confident to justify our Liturgy by that rule against all disputers in the World And having now over and above all this a plaine confession under their own hands in their Supply of Prayer of justify all that we pretend to and so being saved the pains of any farther superfluous confutation we shall now leave it to the judgement of any rationall Lay-man in the New Assembly to judge betwixt us and his fellow-Members whose pretensions are most moderate in this matter whose most like Christian those that are to rescue and preserve or those which to destroy Thus in the Councell of Nice holden before Constantine and Helena in a controversie of great importance Craton and Zenosimus not only Lay-men but Heathens were appointed judges or arbitrators only on this ground because Craton a Philosopher would not possesse any worldly goods and Zenosimus in time of his Consulship never received present from any saith Jacobotius thus also Eutropius a Pagan Philosopher was chosen umpire between Origen and the Marcionites it being supposed that such an one was as fit to understand their several claims and judge according to Allegations and proofes as any And if we fall or miscarry before such an Aristarchus I shall then resolve that a Covenant may wast a soule even drive the man into the field with Nebuchadnezar deprive it of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common principles of discourse by which till it be debauched it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able in some measure to judge of truth proposed and debated before it and then I shall hope for more candor in the businesse from an intelligent heathen then for him My only appeale in that case shall be to Heaven that the host of Angels may by the Lord of that host be appointed to guard and assist that cause and those Armies whose pretentions in this and all other particulars are most righteous and most acceptable in his sight Doe not erre my beloved Brethren Now the Lord of all mercies and God of love and Peace grant us to be like minded in all things that we may joyne with one heart and tongue to praise him and worship him to blesse him and to magnifie him for ever FINIS P. 202. Ib. P. 163. â— 106. P. 41. P. 42. P. 43. P. 44. P. 48. P. 49. P. 50. P. 55. * The same Constantine in his Palace imitating the orders of the Church amoÌ„g other things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tendred Set Prayers Euseb de vit const l. 4. c. 17. And so it is said of the Nobles about him that they used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prayers that the Emperour liked and â—ere all brought by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to pray the same prayers all of them even in private c. 18. Precum sol 202. 312. Acts and Moni pag. 1818. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 14. 12. Mat. 10. 19. P. 10 De div Off c. 10. Vide Clav. in Sacr. Bosâ— c. 1. * Cum hi motus corporis fieri nisi motu animi praecedente non possint eisdem rursâ—â— exterius visibiliter factis ille interior invisibilis augetur Aug. l. de cura pro mor. 5. Chrysost lb. Popului in Ecclesia sedendi potestatem non habit Ideo reprehendi meretur quia apud Idola celebratur Telman in Basil T. 1. p. 195. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 4. p. 753. l. 40. edit Savil. * l. 3. c. 19. * l. 2. c. 24. * l. 18. c. 51. Al Scap. c. 2. Apol. c. 30. Ep. ad Smyrn Dial. cum Tryph. p. 260. l. 4. c. 34. Apol. c. 39. De op Elec mos p. 180. Serm. de temp 215. Apol. 2. in fine Epist 54. ad Marcellam * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist ad Polycarp Ignatio ad scripta P. 1. P. 2. Vid. troubl of Frank. p. 30. c. P. â— P. 2. P. 3. P. 4. P. 4. P. 4. P. 5. P. 5. P. 5. P. 6. P. 7. Busbequi Epist P. 8. Strom. l. 7. The conclusion De concil l. 2. c. 6. Al. Aphrod in Top.