CONSIDERATIONS TOUCHING THE LITURGY OE THE CHVRCH of ENGLAND In reference to His Majesties late Gracious Declaration And in order to an happy UNION in Church and State By JOHN GAUDEN D. D. Bishop Elect of Exceter The second Edition Ephes 6.18 Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. De Liturgiâ Anglicanà Quem librum proprium perfectum omnis Divini cultus judicem magistrum esse jussimus Lib. Ref. Leg. Eccl. sub Edv. 6. reg 5. LONDON Printed by J. G. for John Playford at his shop in the Temple 1661. Considerations touching the Liturgy or Book of Common Prayer in the Church of ENGLAND c. IT is not to be doubted by any but those who are either ignorant of His Majesties native clemency and Christian charity or enemies to his and all our Tranquillity That His Majesties design in that indulgent Declaration was not to shew any disaffection or disesteem in His Majesty toward the ancient and excellent Liturgy of the Church of England which was His companion and consort in all His distresses and which still is the dayly rule and measure of His Majesties publique Devotions as it hath been of His Royal Fathers of blessed memory and all His princely Progenitors since the Reformation But this temporary condescention was onely in order to compose at present the minds of all His good Subjects to some calm and Christian temper untill such further expedients might be applied by His Majesties Wisdom and Charity as should not onely allay former civil differences but wholly remove the uncomfortable dissentions of His Loyal Subjects of the Church of England in so great a concern as that is of Religion yea and of the noblest part of Religion Devotion and the most eminent way of Devotion publike Worship of the solemne Service of God in His Church by Prayers Praises and Sacramental celebrations which are the great characters and confirmation of true Christians communion with God with their Saviour and the blessed Spirit and by the grace of these with one another Hence His Majesties gentleness and prudence hath been pleased at present to declare His royal pleasure for remitting a while the penal necessity of using the Liturgy upon consideration that many of His good Subjects have for many yeers been unaccustomed to it and being unacquainted with it may the lesse value it others have been unjustly yet vehemently prejudiced against it and some are less satisfied with it onely for some words and expressions in it which they do not so well understand and therefore are scrupulous to use them in the way of Worship to God But it were too much to mistake and abuse His Majesties Candor and Clemency to imagine that His Majesty had hereby dispensed with all legal moral and obediential tyes to the use of in any part of the Liturgy by which less imperious but more ingenious bands good men and good subjects are more oblig'd to the use of what is good and holy apt and indisputable in it as the main of it is than if the fear of punishment lay upon them which is very servile and below either a good Christian or a good Subject except where punishment is submitted to rather than sin commited or good is therefore omitted because of an inseparable adherence of evil to it Which sure cannot be the ground of some Ministers totally neglecting to use not onely the whole Liturgy but even the Lords Prayer the ten Commandements the three Creeds the Confession of sins and the Church Chatechisme all which are either holy and necessary or very wholsome and convenient for the Church of Christ 'T is true some that are reputed sober learned and Loyal Ministers in order to a firm Peace and Fraternal Union have for themselves and others humbly craved of His Majesty a serious review of the Liturgy yet no further than some modest and discreet variations or sutable additions Such as still retain for the main the former excellent matter and method of it without any discomposing or dissolving the whole much more without any rude despising of it or endeavour to destroy it For in earnest such insolent and enormous changes may not in Piety or Policy be permitted because First they would most undeservedly reproach the wisedome and blemish the piety of the first Martyrly Composers of it Next they would as unjustly as impudently disparage the Judgement and Devotion of the whole Church of England its Princes Parliaments Ministers and People who duly and comfortably served God and maintained the Reformed Christian Religion in the use of the Liturgy even then when this Church was most flourishing in peace and piety Lastly they would unreasonably damp and discourage the present Zeal and Devotion of the greatest and chiefest part of this Nation who are much pleased and profited by the use of the Liturgy which heretofore was highly approved and conscionably used even by most of those learned and godly men Ministers and others who in some things Ritual and Ceremonial were either more scrupulous or less conformable Yea His sacred Majesty could not but in all reason expect that all learned and godly Ministers with their people would the rather apply themselves to a dâ—screet and devout use of it in those parts of which they are satisfied so as might best express their grateful sense of His Majesties tenderness and indulgence to them in some others which are rather verbal then material Scruples and dissatisfactions Which Religious Loyal and Ingenuous principle to my knowledge hath so prevailed with some very able and godly Ministers in London and elsewhere that they have according to His Majesties desires intents and expectation presently applyed themselves to the use of the Liturgie in their respective Congregations being well satisfied themselves and having fully convinced the best and soberest yea the most of their people not onely of its lawfulness by Gods and Mans Lawes but also of its usefulnesse and fitnesse for this Church Although they did not heretofore use it while there was no power that would protect it and them all things being run to Faction and Confusion Tyranny and Anarchy under the pretensions of Liberty and Reformation ought not to extend beyond the Laws of God and and man by which the peace and welfare of Church and State are preserved So that for any worthy Ministers and sober people to be therefore more restive now and averse from the use of the Liturgie at all because of His Majesties clemency is a most unexcusable moroseness especially when they heretofore did use it and are still satisfied in their Consciences of the lawfulness and expediency of it yea and they were disposed to have used it immediately before the Declaration came out in case they had been required to it according to Laws in force rather then for default to have been punished For these men to have evil eyes against
the Liturgy because the King hath a compassionate eye to some mens infirmity for them still to foment the Anti-liturgical humour of some men and instead of closing those wounds into which the Kings charity poureth Balme to rip tear them up or to widen and exasperate them is such a part of peevishness and ingratitude that it looks too like Schismatical petulancy and pride from which drosse it is high time to have all our hearts purged after so long triall in Gods fiery furnace to be sure the very appearance and shew of such a frowardness doth not become any good Protestant or worthy Minister who hath no greater objection against the Liturgy then this that he fancies he could in some words or phrases mend it or put some alias's to it and additions which may be infinite Small faults or verbal defects are very venial in any things of humane constitution and very far from making them unlawful meerly because they are not for word or phrase or form the best that may be It is in things of pristine use in Religion that are of true and solid worth for faith morality method and decency as it is with some good Jewells of price but of antique work for their setting or fashion their plainness and antiquity gives so much value to them because though they seem lesse curious and modishly polite yet they are furthest from novelty or affectation of finery Least of all excusable are those Ministers who out of a little point of reputation among some people rather weak then wise and to be pitied more then imitated do still sacrifice their judgments that I say not their Consciences to their credits and out of a fear or lothnesse to offend some people whom they might easily convince and satisfie as well by their examples as by their arguments they make no Conscience to deprive not only the publick of peace but the people themselves as Ministers of the benefit of the Liturgy when possibly they most stand in need of it either to help their frequent infirmities or to restrain their popular desultory levity or lastly to set bounds of discretion decency charity and piety to their extravagancies even in publick â—olemn devotion and Sacramentall celebrations which sometimes to my knowledge are such as are no way becoming the publick worship of God or the honor of the Church of Christ or the sanctity of true Religion or the venerable Majesty of God All which are much abased and slighted yea oftentimes even blasphemed by the rudenesse weaknesse and familiarity of some Ministers devotions whose selfe-confidence abhors all bounds or prescripts but those which their own various fancies troubled inventions and confused judgments set to those duties which they love to perform as they list though to the little benefit of the sillier sort of people and to the great scandal of the wiser who cannot tell how to say a judicious and fiduciary Amen to those extemporary rude confused and yet eager effusions which some men vent either with too much facility and fluency or too much pumping and contention And if they be so sober as to fashion to themselves set formes of devotion in all publick duties as many of them now do it is too much arrogancy to esteem their private and single composures better then what hath been duly weighed and approved by the whole Church and confirmed by many Acts of Parliament in the most screne times and tempers From which while some men have of late years affected to recede in stead of an excellent true-born Liturgy to bring in their uselesse suposititious loose and illegitimate Directory no tongue can express into what a wilderness of sin folly and affectation both Ministers and people have run and with what fiery Serpents they have been stung which venemous inflamations and humors nothing is so probable to heal as the setting up the Liturgy again which some have fancied to be an Idol and so have studied to make it Nehustan when indeed it is more like the Ark of God by restoring of which to its place in Shiloh the Philistines were healed of the shameful Plagues they suffered by reason of their Mice and Emrods Hence it is That the desires of the most learned judicious and best-affected of His Majesties Subjects of all qualities in England are that neither publick Holy duties nor Sacramental mysteries nor their own Consciences nor the Churches honor nor the Majesty and unity of the Reformed Religion nor the publick peace and safety may any longer be exposed to indeed adventured upon such hazards of private Ministers varietys and uncertainties which are many times very flat dull and indevout other while deadly tedious and of a confused length like a great Skain of Yarne course and snarled sometimes they are so dubious between wind and water Sense and Non-sense Faction and Sedition Boldness and Blasphemy that it makes sober Christians who have a due reverence of the Divine Majesty dread to hear them others of looser tempers not so much fear as they laugh at scorn and abhor such incongruous wayes of Worship and Religion in which all things sacred and the eternal Salvation of poor souls most miserably depend upon nothing but private Ministers opinions and spirit attended God knows too often in the ablest and best of them with many indispositions and indiscretions excesses and defects For the pious and prudent avoyding of which the ancient Churches from the very first Century did use such publick wholesome formes of sound words in their Sacramental celebrations especially and afterward in other holy Administrations or publick Duties as made up their solemn devout and pathetick Liturgies Which paterns all modern and reformed Churches of any renown have followed according to the many Scriptural examples and expressions in set forms of prayers Praises Psalms Confessions and Benedictions commended to us by holy men in all Ages and by Christ himself whose most absolute Prayer suffered of late a strange and unheard of Ostracisme in many Congregations of England out of an ametrie or vulgar transport against all set forms though of Divine institution and without which of old throughout the Christian world no consecration in any Sacrament was thought complete or duly performed unless this most perfect Prayer were added to the words of Institution Hence it was thought fit to be repeated in every distinct Office or Service of the Church of England to the causeless offence of many simple people who make it a vain repetition for want of a renewed intention or constant devotion in their own hearts as they counted the Liturgy a dull manner of Worship when the dulness indeed was in their own spirits as they may as easily find in reading of the same Scriptures which are divinely inspired and are far from any deadnesse or dulnesse in themselves Certainly the design and use of all our Liturgis old and new was not only to keep all the members
to each other in their publick Liturgies and devotions so chiefly to their King or Prince and chief governour that as they have the honour of one God and Saviour so they may have the comfort to enjoy the same Sacraments and holy mysteries in the same method manner form and words without any envy or offence cavill or contention censure or uncharitablenesse emulation or jealousie against each other Yea doubtless Subjects cannot be so tite and firm or so zealous and forward or so chearful and constant in their Loyalty love and duty to their Soveraigns if they either think themselves commanded to serve God in a worse way then their Princes use or that their Soveraign and Prince serve God worse and lesse acceptably then themselves certainly the greatest honour love and safety of Kings is from the samenesse of true Religion with their Subjects as to the main though Princes may use greater pomp and solemnity in the publick worship From this seed of Schisme or Serpents teeth of division in Devotion and so in Religion arise the armed men and minds of Civill Wars of both which the good people of England cruelly sore and circumcised are now equally weary sick and ashamed Infinitely blessing the eternall God for his miraculous mercies in redeeming us from the later by the most happy Restauration of our gracious King and passionately praying yea hoping for the other deliverance of this Church from being any longer sawn in sunder with factions in Religion and divided devotions by the excellent wisdom condescention and moderation of the King who as a common Father is of all men in the world the fittest to make us all as Brethren friends by his naturall gentlenesse Christian charity and Princely clemency seconded with Kingly Majesty just Empire and vigorous authority For if His Majesty trust too much to peoples good natures it is most certain they will never agree but onely in this to destroy each other and at length their King the whole Church and their own souls neither Religion must be arbitrary nor government precarious As is apparent in the late inordinate zealotries and desperate frolicks of Religion which under pretence of some mens various and vertiginous Reformations contrary to our laws no lesse then against the will command and conscience of the King run themselves with this famous and florishing Church and Kingdomes into most miserable confusions yea and exposed the late incomparable King to those infinite Tragedies which only Gods grace and his own Christian Heroick constancy to our Laws and Religion could turn to and crown as they did with the honour of Christian Martyrdom for the truth of Jesus setled in the doctrine devotion and discipline of the Reformed Church of England And we see this piece of policy was early used by some Jesuitick engines to foment our sad divisions the Liturgy must be laid aside and people taught to differ from to be jealous of yea to despise the devotion of their Prince which is the flower spirit and quintescence of Religion For the preventing of which Iliades of miseries in Church and State for the future which some mens tongues and pens of late did not obscurely threaten I have as much as in me lies adventured thus freely to express my humble sense in this great concern for an establishment of an uniform Liturgy now under his Majesties and his Loyal Houses of Parliaments consideration Not but that it may be I might as easily dispense with the want of a Liturgy in respect of what is counted by some the gift of prayer as most of those who so gloriously contemn this and all other set forms of publick devotions yet in reference to the publick interests of this Church and State of my most dread and indeared Soveraign and of my Country-men also of our Religion as Christian and Reformed I do in all humble and conscientious freedom declare my judgment as highly approving yea and admiring since I lately perused it most seriously the piety prudence compleatness and aptitude for the main of the Liturgy of the Church of England as the best of any ancient or modern that ever I saw and I think I have seen the most and best of them Some modest and discreet alterations in some words and expressions with some small additions may soon tender it most compleat and polite both for matter and forme yea and satisfactory to all sober Protestants and to true Catholicks But I can never counsel or consent in conscience or prudence in piety loyalty or charity either rudely to innovate or totally to abrogate the Liturgy of the Church of England and as little to leave it free and arbitrary to every Minister whether he will vouchsafe to use it or refuse it For first I shall never live to see any thing set up comparable to the former Liturgy if this be once nulled and destroyed and if after its being reviewed it be not by Law re-established and authoritatively enjoyned but every one is left to ramble as they please I never hope to see Truth or Peace setled in the Church of England which had nothing in it of greater improvement ornament or muniment to the Christian and reformed Religion than this excellent Liturgy was Which I hope and believe His Sacred Majesty as a great and constant Defender of the true Faith will maintain and establish with no less Christian care and Kingly Authority than His Royal Ancestors King CHARLES King JAMES Queen ELIZABETH and King EDWARD did for in this both His Majesties and His Kingdomes welfare as well as the Churches is bound up Nothing will be considerable in England for publick Piety Honour Order Beauty and Solemnity much less for Charity and Peace if in this point of publick Devotion and Worship Ministers and People be left to eternal variations and mutual vexations Farewell the Glory Charity Unity and Safety of England farewell both Reformation and true Religion Other Objections or scruples which some sober men make are easily either satisfied or charitably smothered nor may things of publick consent and legal constitution be every day shaken or altered by every mans supercritical curiosity and needlesse severity things that are safe and setled in the circumvallation and defence of what is true and good are not every day to be put upon the tenters of new mutations in order to mend or better their condition or under an ambition of aspiring to the Acropolis or pinacle and height of what by some is thought absolutely best in its kind many times as St. Augustine observes the novelty in these things doth not compensate the scandal difficulty and trouble of attaining it much less of onely ayming at it with fruitless essaies of mendings which leave all things worse then they found them Our first pious and wise Reformers and the best Parlaments of England since that time with the people of all sorts heretofore justly thought it an high degree of happinesse to have by
the factious Vulgar reduced to so low an ebbe both as to respect and subsistence that having shifted from one sequestred Living to another at last he was outed of all and having a great charge which hastened the armed man of poverty upon him he made to me with tears and horror of his sad condition this confession That after much tossing to and fro he knew not now which way to turn himself or to subsist that Gods hand was justly against him because he had trusted too much to the arme of flesh and followed popular applause that having against his judgment and conscience for many years forborne to use as other holy forms so that of the Lords Prayer for fear of offending some factious and fanatick people he saw God would teach him to pray for his daily bread by his want of it and by filling him with his own delusions Not only the Liturgie reviewed and setled by Authority will be of great use and concern to the good of the Church but also that short and plain Catechisme which is in the Book of Common-Prayer with some few other Questions and Answers added to it that so it might be if not more complete yet more explicate and plain to common understandings and might be distributed into 52. heads that each Lords day might have its portion assigned which every Minister should more or lesse insist upon after he had first asked every question in the Catechism and received the answers from the Cathecumens or younger sort This would certainly keep up knowledge as to fundamentals in all and advance it both with the elder and younger people who might easily by His Majesties command and the care of the respective Bishops and Ministers be digested once for all into two Books or Catalogues one of the Cathecumens the other of Communicants the first rank of Christians to be prepared by constant catechising in the After-noon for confirmation and the standard or proof of their knowledge to be the Church Catechisme thus confirmed they might be admitted to the holy Communion and put in the Roll of Communicants as an honour and advance to their souls hence not to be removed or rescinded unlesse they be for scandal by the censures of the Church excommunicated or are self-excommunicated by not receiving at least once in half a year The expunging of them out of this Book of Communicants to be publick and solemn as a note of Infamy no lesse than of Impiety Impenitency and Apostacy this method to be begun by every Minister in his charge taking once for all a particular account of all those people in point of knowledge of whose defect he hath any cause to be jealous But I fear to seem more forward curious and solicitous than becomes any private person in these times and in so publick a concern which requires publick â—ouncills and these ought not to be forestalled or prejudged My great invitations to these suggestions are 1. First Gods wonderfull mercy to this Church and State offering us miraculous opportunities of being happy if we be not by restivenesse and peevishnesse wanting to his providence 2. The next is the remembrance of the sore tribulations which we have felt and feared and which are still summons to all sorts of men Prince and People Bishops and Presbyters that having been so long in the furnace it is fit all of us should come forth of it well refined from our dross lest a worse thing come unto us that God may delight in our constant peace and prosperity to build us up and not pull us down 3. My last encouragement is the great benignity and gentlenesse of our Gracious King who being loth to grieve any friend or foe Trojan or Tyrian whom His clemency may amend or His charity relieve is wholly disposed both in His temper and judgment to win unite reconcile bind up and heal all parts in which is any thing sound sincere and honest that by His Royall hand and Soveraign touch as He daily doth on the infirm bodies of many so on the ill-affected minds of men He may work such cures and recoveries as may make all more devoted to serve God His Majestie and each other in all godliness loyalty honesty and charity which is then best done when mens minds by such gentle means being purged of peevish proud and uncharitable humors and reduc'd to a more humble meek and Christian temper our publick fistula's and ulcers which were fed and inflamed by these distempers may come to be dryed up and healed A mercy to be obtained followed and perfected by our prayers and to which no supplications will be more effectuall then the devout authoritative and uniform use of the Liturgy or common-prayer in the Church of England which unites all honest minds includes all our common necessities craves all spirituall and temporall supplyes keeps Christians warme in their love to God in Loyalty to their King and in their charity to each other it daily propounds the summary of all necessary religion it lays and confirms in the minds of the meanest people the foundations of sound faith and saving knowledge according to Gods word it is so compleat for duties to be done graces to be obtained mercies to be enjoyed both here and hereafter that I doubt not to affirm this truth of the Liturgy That if the common sort of people duly attend it judiciously learn it and conscienciously live up to the duties and graces there proposed to them of which Ministers particular prayers and sermons are but either Commentaries Repetitions or Paraphrases there is no doubt but they shall please God and be well prepared for an happy death and blessed eternity To the advance of all which excellent duties uses and ends nothing next the grace of God on mens hearts will more contribute then Ministers grave reverent deliberate pathetick devout and constant using of the Liturgy with and before their own prayers as an excellent means by little and little to edifie common people by frequent inculcations in faith and charity also to bring in and preserve a good harmony and correspondency among the Clergy who for many years have sounded so confusedly and awkly that they were like bells rung backwards in a conflagration or scar-fire Lastly to consolidate the publick peace of this Church and Kingdome by the uniformity industry and sanctity of Ministers godly lives and orderly labours which I hope will in time by Gods blessing so move the piety and holiness of all other estates and degrees or Nobility Gentry and Commons after the great example which His Majesties charity hath given that they will find out some way of effectual augmenting poor Ministers maintenance to some such ingenuous competency as may become both the worth of an able and painfull Ministry and also the piety and munificence of this populous and opulent Kingdome this great and mighty Nation whose glory is to be furthest from idolatry and sacriledge from
a superstitious and penurious Religion from an ignorant idle and indigent Ministery The competent support of which would be a work as of great gratitude and acceptance to God so of infinite good to peoples souls no lesse then to the honour of the Nation and the advance of the Reformed Religion every way in the verity of our doctrine in the solemnity of our devotion in the dignity of our Ministry in the sanctity of our duties in the stability of our government and peace both Civil and Ecclesiasticall for that makes Ministers unquiet when they sit uneasie and hope for private benefit by publick troubles or popular complyings The authority and efficacy of the Evangelicall Ministry is as necessary to a just magistracy as the string is to the bow or the compasse to the ship or the Sun to the world or the soul to the body For a Nation without lawfull Magistracy or Magistrates without true Religion or true Religion without a worthy Ministry or such a Ministry without ingenuous maintenance or such competent maintenance without uniform diligence are such â—olecisms in reason and inconsistent with true policy as well as piety that they tend to nothing but contempt and confusion For the verifying of which we need go no further than our own late miserable experience sufficient to make any Nation and Church wise by its woes for one Age or Century at least unlesse it be condemned to such fatal infatuations as make men forsake their own mercies and pursue lying vanities as either ignorant of or enemies against their own and their posterities happiness FINIS His Majesties late Declaration is no disesteem of the English Liturgy The Liturgy as new and unwonted to many makes them lesse esteem it Higher tyes lye upon good Christians and Subjects than fear of punishment A review of the Liturgy desired by some learned and sober men The mischiefs of totall change or utter abolition of the Liturâ—y The Liturgy esteemed and used by the learnedest Non-conâ—â—â—mists of old 〈…〉 Many do the rather apply to the use of the Liturgy It is unworthy of Ministers to be now more averse from it Popular repute should be no impediment to Ministers use of the Liturgy The need some have of the Liturgy No compare between the Liturgy and Directly The esteem and desire of the most and best people of England for the Liturgy The incoveniences of some mens devotions in publick The end and use of Liturgies in the Church both ancient and moden Church-unity and solemnity in Christian Doctrines Preserved by their Liturgies Ministers single abilities far short of the Liturgy The siâ—nal benefits arising from an uniâ—…rme â—…y in the Church In 〈…〉 The Liturgy a great defence to true Doctrine as Christian A Liturgy much advanceth Christian Unity A Liturgy well composed and setled is most satitfactory to the most judicious people of England A Liturgy most necessary for the meaner and simpler sort of Christians Meer passive grace and regeneration sufficeth the infant as to that state After actual sin there must be actual Faith and Repentance The late increase of Anabaptisme by disuse of the Liturgy And so of Popery Why the Romish party are such enemies to our Liturgy and forbidden to join with us in it The enemies of the Church of England enemies to our Liturgy English Liturgy far enough from the Masse-book Of Ministers useful gifts in prayer Of a discreet review of the Liturgy Small and verball variation and additions no diminution or reproach to the Liturgy No rude or reproachful change to be made in the Liturgy The Liturgy consonant to Scriptures Objection against the first sentence in the Liturgy as falsly cited Answer The impudence of that calumny against the Liturgy The need we have at present of the Liurgy Oft the length of the Liturgy The peace of Church and State must depend on the Liturgy The Liturgy nâ—t 〈…〉 liberty 〈◊〉 Bishop without authority The same Liturgy unites King and people 〈…〉 Jealousies and Wars arise from difference in Religion and Devotion Authority must 〈…〉 nd the 〈…〉 Kings The Authors inoffensive designe for publick good The Liturgy not to be left arbitrary or abrogated The Liturgy a great glory and Saâ—â—â—y to Church and State to King and people Changes though for the better in small matters must not be easily admitted The want and 〈◊〉 of the Liturgy will 〈…〉 to 〈◊〉 religion and 〈◊〉 station The innocency of the Liturgy Of Responds Of Musick used with the English Liturgy Some discreet regulation in Church Musick Of Ceremonies used with the English Liturgy 〈…〉 Every Nationall Church hath authority and liberty from Christ in ceremonies The ancient Bishops and Presbyters pâ—ayeâ—s We may have both the Liturgy and Minest as abilities in prayer The sad 〈◊〉 following the want and disuse oâ— the Liturgy The ingenuous confession of a poâ—… Minister Of the Chatechisme in the Book of Commâ—n prayer Two Books of Cathâ—cumens and Communicants The Auâ—hors mâ—tive to these humble Considerations Fervent and 〈…〉 a mâ—st 〈…〉 The excellent use of the Liturgy The way of Englands happinesse in Church and State
of the same Church and polity in one holy harmony and to secure the unity of Faith and Doctrine which were oft tainted by ill tempered passions and courser kind of devotions but also by the joynt wisdom and devotion of the Church they sought to preserve the sanctity and solemnity of Holy duties from the contagion and deformity of private Ministers frequent infirmities either in their invention judgment memory or utterance all which ought to be avoyded as much as may be in publick celebrations of Christian mysteries Nor may any Ministers single abilities be compared especially when extemporaneous to that sociall and concurrent sufficiency of gifts and graces of wisdom and devotion which may be presumed in the spirits of the Prophets united and piously improving their joynt abilities to the common stock of Gods glory and the Churches edification while they wisely weigh measure and fix according to the Word of God which is the onely standard of true Religion both in Doctrine and Devotion the foundations of Faith and the superstructures of Worship by an humble obedience holy fervency and unanimous harmony so firme complete and uniforme that they shall least receive any prejudice detriment disparagement or diminution from any Ministers weakness depravedness or indisposition on which they are no more to be ventured than the Ark upon a Cart which should be carried on the Priests shoulders The established and uniforme use therefore of a well composed Liturgy hath very many great and good influences upon true Religion and every Church 1. First it conduceth much to the more solemne complete August and reverent Worship of the Divine Majesty in Christian Congregations where otherwise the most sacred and venerable mysteries must be exposed to that rudenesse and unpreparednesse that barrennesse and superficialnesse that defect and deformity both for matter and manner judgment and expression to which every private Minister is daily subject as late experience hath taught us Certainly societies of men and Christians owe a Solemne Comely Worship in publick services to God beyond those in private Closets proportionable to their dignity and eminency above single persons or families 2. Secondly a Liturgy is a most excellent means to preserve the truth of Christian and Reformed Doctrine by the consonancy of publick Devotions into which other wayes corrupt minds are prone to infuse the sowre leven of their own corrupt Opinions 3. A Leturgy is necessary for the holy harmony and sweet communion of all Christians in National as well as Parochial Churches while thereby they are all kept in one mind and spirit praysing the same things and cheerfully saying Amen to the same praises or petitions A little spark of difference in Religion is prone to kindle great dissentions among Christians nor doth any thing more quench the heat of Disputation than the cool and gentle dewes of uniforme Devotions when Obs. and Sols are resolved into Amens or So be it 's which are still the seals of charity and mutual love or consent 4. Liturgical forme and use is not onely of great benefit and comfort to the more knowing judicious and well-bred sort of Christians but highly to their security and to the Holy and humble composure of their spirits in the Worship of God who otherwise are prone not onely amidst the publick devotions curiously to censure but scoffingly to dispise yea many times to laugh at and at best to pity or deplore the evident defects and incongruities which appear in many Ministers odd expressions and incongruous ways of officiating according to their several opinions humors or abilities Hence not only distraction but indevotion yea great irreverence and profaneness do follow men of quick fight and acute understandings being made to dispise and abhor even these holy things of God when so unholily at least unhamsomely handled 5. But above all a constant and compleat Liturgy mightily conduceth to the edification and salvation as well as unanimity and peace of the meaner sort of people to whom daily variety of expressions in prayer or Sacraments is much at one with Latin Service little understood and lesse remembred by them They are still out and to seek when a new Minister officiates yea and when the same if he affect varity of words where the duty is the same Alas as I have oft observed when poor Boys and Girls who have no institution of Religion from their ignorant Parents or Masters and Dames when these whose souls are precious begin first to gape upon the Minister in Religious duties and to see as well as hear a Sermon which way can they in populous places be brought to or built up in Christian principles of Religion without some easy clear and constant summary or set from of wholesome words and sound doctrine in the Catechisme and Liturgy or Common prayer frequently repeated to them and so inculcated on their minds and memories For want of which what sober Minister sees not and grieves not to see how of late years ignorance profaneness faction irreverence superstition scandall of manners and all villany of opinions as well as of practise To remove this scruple I conceive that this meerly passive regeneration by the grace of God in Christ of which an Infant baptised is partaker is sufficient for its salvation in point of taking away the imputed guilt of Original sin by Adam if it dye without any actuall sin But if it live to wilfull actual sin it must have a further active work of regeneration by an actual faith and repentance without which 't is sure there is no salvation for knowing malicious or presumptuous actuall sinners The passive baptismal regeneration may suffice to take away Originall sin as to guilt and penalty in Infants and to fit them for heaven When from being born of flesh and blood yea children of wrath and death and damnation by nature they are by Christian baptisme instated into a relation and condition of Grace life and salvation by the Spirit and Merits of the second incarnate Adam Christ Jesus effectually applyed in baptisme to take away the sin of the first Adam derived to them without their actuall fault But this baptismal grace and passive regeneration or seminal principle and spark if afterwards smothered and quenched by actuall and presumptuous sin will not alone as I conceive suffice to save an adult Christian under another guilt though baptis'd in infancy unless there be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a further renewing reviving by actual faith and repentance in w ch he is a worker together with the grace of God That first little spark and degree of grace baptismal as fire will serve to take tinder which is dry and apt to kindle but it will not take or continue in grosser materials nor on the same tinder if it be grown more damp and wet Nor but that the same first spark of regenerative grace received in Baptisme may continue in the soul as only raked up in the
one or two Verses there cited in the Margin to which they refer the Reader and believer of those words which are great Evangelical Truths clear both in Old and New Testament and confirmed by the joynt suffrage of many Scriptures not to be denyed by any sober Christian nor to be abused by any presumptuous sinners who dayly harden their hearts by deferring their repentance turning that Grace into wantonnesse which God offers and the Church declares to draw men to repentance by the Cords of Divine Love referring I say not only to those single Verses figured in the Margin but to others both in that same Chapter and elsewhere fully to that sense as Verse 27 28 30 31 32. So Ezekiel 33.11 so Isaiah 1.16 17 18. and in many other parallel places as Acts 3.19 promising free and full pardon of sins past to those that fully repent of their sins from the bottom that is with sincere and upright hearts having no reserve of sin under any pleasure or power which is inconsistent with true repentance and sure pardon Is this to be called a lye which is the result of so many Evangelical Scriptures or is it new to find in the New Testament places cited out of the Old not word for word but to the sense scope and summary of one or two united together as Heb. 10.5 6. cited out of Psalm 40.6 7 8. let these supercritical censors compare the words a like allegation or reference is made yea by name cited out of Jeremiah as spoken by him Mat. 27.9 and fulfilled when the place is not verbatim to be found in Jeremiah but most in Zach. 11.12 13. and little in Jer. 1.8 save onely the historical mention of the Potter and the parabolical applying of his work to the Jews so that Mat. 2.23 of being foretold by the Prophets that Jesus should be called a Nazarene which is not literally read in any of them yet collectively is in them as Christ is called Netzer Isai 53.2 or as he was typified in Sampson the Nazarite or sacred to God These and many like places well considered upon which no brand of lye or falsity may be fixed though they do not literally and syllabically agree with the quotation but are verified either in a partial or concurrent sense may sufficiently justifie that place in the first front of the Liturgy to be no lye but a Divine Scriptural Truth and may sufficiently shame the popular petulancy of those Ministers who dare cast such high reproches upon the Liturgy and the whole Church upon so true grounds or merits at all which is so vile a rashness in men pretenders to Learning and Sanctity as is infinitely to the disgrace of their persons and profession so to abuse the common people and maintain faction by calling good evil and branding Gods Truth with the Devils mark of a Lye As then the present Liturgy cannot justly be exautorated and abolished without infinite inconveniencies and mischiefs so nor may it as I said before and again cautiously repeat be rudely changed as to the main beyond any want that really is in its matter or forme which are holy and comely which would be an over-pragmatick boldness much to the reproch as of all times and duties past so to the great dissatisfaction of the present Age in which many yea most judicious and steddy Christians do highly desire justly approve love and devoutly use the Liturgy as a very excellent publick form of judicious humble holy united and pathetick Devotion I am sure we all need it as to our common relations and publick devotions and truly those commonly most need it who are most inconsiderately eager to be rid of it some alledging If nothing else yet the great length and burthen of it if all parts must be used by each single Minister in one Lords Day besides other duties of praying preaching and chatechising expected from him to all which a man aged or infirme will hardly be sufficient For Answer to this Truly I never knew any such rigor or exaction used toward any Minister that did soberly and ingenuously shew his conformity to the use of the Liturgy as occasion required and as his strength or time would fairly bear but to crowd all or most of it quite out of the Church onely to make way for the pomp and ostentation of mens private gifts this is not to obey but to baffle and affront the authority of Church and State by a most preposterous pride and disobedience Therefore there might be an appointment of some parts which shall never be omitted others appointed on some days and occasions only in the Sacramental forms all Ministers should be commanded to use them wholly and solely This is in Reason and Religion in Order and Church-polity evident that private Ministers prayers should not be as great trees over-dropping the Church Liturgy but only as small grafts or little inocculation added to it and growing modestly with it as the main standard test and measure of publick devotions upon the unity and harmony of which setled by due authority and preserved with efficacy depends the peace and unity of this Church and State as much as the house did on its pillars which Sampson pulled down Nor doth any Minister upon due examination if he pray soberly and judiciously add any thing in his particular forms which is not for the main and general parallel fore-comprised in the Liturgy There is no outward conservation of Ecclesiasticall and Civil peace comparable to that of united Religion whose orbe or sphear is true Doctrine its center holy Devotion and its circumference good Government or Autoritative order and polity The one is best set forth in a few clear Articles the other in a constant Liturgy and the last in Catholick Episcopacy all must be conform to the word of God for the main contrary to which nothing is to be believed prayed or obeyed in the Church of Christ Our Doctrine blessed be God as a Christian and Reformed Church is not much shaken or can be justly disputed by men of any worth for it is Scripturall primitive and Catholick if to this union of Doctrine we can be happy to adde and enjoy that of an uniform Liturgy and to joyn to both for their preservation a setled Church Government by learned pious industrious and authoritative Bishops assisted with grave humble and choise Presbyters nothing will be wanting by Gods blessing to Englands happiness or the honour of his Majesties most welcome person and government whose wisdom doubtlesse never intends either to exautorate the Liturgy by leaving all to Liberty or to Enervate Episcopacy by sending Bishops to govern without any jurisdiction or coercive authority either Spiritual or Ecclesiastical which is indeed to make both King and Bishop despised Add to all this How not only comely and convenient but even necessary it is in order to publick peace that people of all sorts should be thus united as
for those few Ceremonies which the wisdome of this Church thought fit being very ancient and innocent to retain and fix as signall markes of faith or humility or purity or courage and constancy upon some parts of the worship and service of Christ For these ceremonies sake the Liturgy fared the worse yet I have known many grave and learned men very reverently and constantly use the Liturgy who scrupled at some or all of the ceremonies which yet in time they grew reconciled unto and used not as any Sacramentall signes conferring any grace which the Church of England never dreamed of and oft declared against as that which could not be but where there is a word of God instituting a duty and promising grace but meerly as visible tokens or memorials apt by a sensible signe to affect the understanding with something worthy of its thoughts as signified thereby which not only sacred but even civil ceremonies and all motions or formes under the empire of reason do import among all rationall men when they come to be by use and custome instituted and as it were imposed upon them in any Country or Church for meditation or reverence or comlinesse as I am no enemy to decent ceremonies in Religion of Ecclesiasticall institution use and custome when such as S. Austin would have them and our Church had them few in number easy in practice apt in signification and fixed by the laws of Church and State So I judge them as the Church of England oft declared to be no parts essential or necessary in their nature to any divine duty or Worship That they fall not under the first or second command but under the third fourth and fifth as reverentiall in the solemn calling upon Gods name as decent in Gods publick worship on the Lords day or any other and as instances of our obedience to superiours in Church and State commanding things not contrary to Gods word in faith mysteries or manners And thereby reducing the vagrancy rudenesse or incertainty of necessary circumstances as time place vesture gesture measure and manner which are as the naturall skin or hair necessarily growing on all things done under the Sun and inseparable from them to some fixation unity comliness or fashion as we fit clothes to our bodies and perukes to our heads and tunes to Psalms so as seems to the Church most comly for the nature of that duty for the conveniency of the people and the honour of the Ministery in things indifferent Certainly Humane or Ecclesiasticall Ceremonies like shadows neither fill nor burden any Conscience of themselves that which is considerable in them is as they are in their nature and use comly for the duty and instances of either our obedience or our charity and unity And it is no lesse certain what ever indulgence as to penalty for non-practise of ceremonies His Majesties clemency may please to grant to some men of weak minds and scrupulous consciences in these things which Royall charity no good Christian will repine at provided it be used with meeknesse and humility not insolence and factiousness yet as to the principle which the Church of England went by in matter of ceremonies it is most true and undeniably to be maintained even to the death That this National Church as all others hath from the word of God liberty power and authority within its own polity and bounds to judge of what seems to it most orderly and decent as to any circumstance and ceremony in the worship of God which the Lord hath left unconfined free and indifferent in its nature and onely to be regulated or confined by every such Ecclesiasticall polity within it self where the consent of the major part of Church and State both in Councils and Parlaments includes the whole and may enjoyn its rules and orders in these things upon all under its jurisdiction and within its communion as well as a Master of a family may appoint the time place manner and measure gesture and vesture wherein he will have all his family to serve God with him But I have gone too much beyond my first design which was onely to consider the book of Common-prayer and to expresse the just value I have of it which truly is so great that I think the Church of England had far better want the so cryed up gifts of particular Ministers in their prayers then want the use of the Liturgy if the question were which should be laid aside or used I should for those many reasons before expressed prefer the Liturgy as the sure constant and complete measure of publick devotions before any private mens abilities Nor do I find that anciently the Bishops and Presbyters of the Church used any other or very little and those but short forms of publick prayers or praises save those which were in the setled Liturgies of their Churches which were most apt and adequate to every publick duty and to the satisfaction of all sorts of Christians But God be thanked by the divine permission as well as by the custome of this Churnh and His Majesties allowance people may enjoy and Ministers may use their own gifts before and after their Sermons in prayer and prayses besides the Liturgie and sure as it were pride in Ministers so to prefer their own as to reject the other so it were a great folly in people and an injury to their souls to be content with one when they may have both or so to dote on any Ministers private spirit and abilities in prayer as to neglect the publick spirit in the Liturgy the want of which as it already appears very much so it will daily more in the ignorance irreverence and uncharitableness of people every where for want of due fixations of their affections and illumination of their judgements by some constant light and sober heat of uniform devotion I have heard it from others and find it my self that many aged poor people being now asked very easie questions of their Faith since the long disuse of the Liturgy the Catechisme and other plain principles of Religion as Creed Commandments and Lords prayer have confessed they had forgot what heretofore they could have given some good account of Nor doth the hand of God onely punish people by gross ignorance fanatick vanities and great retrogradations as to sound and saving knowledge but by horrible Apostasies also as to the morall and practicall the equitable and charitable parrs of Religion yea and many Ministers leaning wholly on their own presumed gifts have grown so dull flat formal and tedious that they have brought and taught people to despise both them and their duties losing the honour and reputation which they might have kept if they had kept within sober bounds but running out to popular ostentations they soon lost themselves and the value of sober people so far that I have known an aged Minister after much noyse and glorying as if he were the delight of