ancient Twelue they are a Iury will condemne you But surely you have of late abridged your faith omitted the Communion of Saints or else you professe to beleeue more then you can find in your heart to practise If your heart and tongue confesse this branch of faith why doe your works deny it He is not well affected to the inward communion that separates from the outward when it may be held with a safe conscience Open and vnanimous profession hath beene the holy ostentation of Gods true Worshipers I am sure you will not embrace Rome for you know too well that were to seeke fellowship with unfruitfull workes of darknesse whether will you goe you will not communicate with us yet you are afraid to renounce us Me thinks you multiply their number whose humour will neither let them goe to Church nor be at home For you are gone out from us and yet you will be of us Revel 12. Had the Dragon stirred up persecution and driven your mother into the wildernesse or into woods when she was in travell with you you might have pluckt some figge-leaves there to excuse your invisibility If you be a member of our Church as you professe your selfe why must you be concealed The secrecie and sheltring of parts 1 Cor. 12.23 is in Saint Paul's opinion an argument of their vncomlinesse as well as a signe of modestie Doe not thinke you may be betrothed to Christ in a wedding garment of your owne fashioning Clandestine contracts are not fit for Christs Spouse Iohn 18.20 and therefore 't was long ere the Church did admit of private Baptisme and still private Eucharists are rejected where publike ones may be administred by the Orthodoxall Churches * Aditus missis privatis est patefactus quae excommunicationem quandam magis referrent quam communitatem illan◠à Domino institutam Calvin Inst lib. 4. cap. 18. § 7. A devout soule may discourse with Christ and Christ may make love to her in private but when he concludes the match hee will have the contract published and his wedding celebrated with a solemne visibility But I perceive where the shooe pinches you 'T is our set Liturgy that is offensive because you thinke it bereaves you of your Christian liberty Is it so I am sorry that thred-bare cloake worne for colour sake is so much in fashion Had the primitive Christians that lived under the iron Age of persecution had they had such formes prescrib'd them under a command of exact obedience doubtlesse they would not have complain'd against them as pressures upon their libertie but have construed them as happy licenses for the exercise of their Religion They would have kist those hands of Authority that had thus restrained them and worne such chaines about their neckes with a cherefull fredome I would we had as much of their Zeale as they wanted of this our happy Libertie Your quarrell to set prayers and to our liturgy in particular is but the same which St. Peter had to the sheet which was let downe from heaven to him viz. because you thinke it brings you things common and uncleane I wish this discourse may bee as a voice from heaven to awaken you out of that fond distemper that you may arise and eate If you doe not yet I am perswaded our devotions will bee received vp in this vessell into heaven I know you have not so resigned vp your reason to this opinion but still you have reserv'd to your selfe a power to desert it when you see it overthrowne upon faire grounds If not you will manifest by effect that only for an opinion of libertie you have altogether quitted the freedom of your judgement Halt no longer betweene two opinions be something either fish or flesh and live wholly on the land or in the water Hazard not your selfe alone in that new found way you treavell in Either returne to us or make me your Proselite to beare you company I 'le assure you I am loath to leave you though you make a light matter of it to forsake a Church I am contented to goe along if you can assure me I shall have Gods speed with me But if you cannot passe that assurance to another I doubt you have not obtaind it fully for your selfe and if it be so I should thinke it paines well bestowed if I could make my selfe an instrument of your diversion For which purpose I have here sent you certaine considerations that may happily prove a Remora to your ship and cause you to sound a retreat and returne to your former station The Considerations are these I come into no house but I meet with a Manuell of devotions a poesie of godly prayers Helps to devotion and the like And I conceiue this is like a Passeover-marke to secure the family from the destroying Angell Did not the Saints that bound up these bundles of Hysop dipt in the blood of the Lambe to besprinkle our soules did they not doe well in it Who doubts it And if it were well done their formes were lawfull and usefull to us I wonder any man can shelter himselfe from such a cloud of witnesses Did they compile these for the use of themselves or others all is one the argument will hold strong for a stinted forme of prayer But we have a more sure word of prophecie to confirme us might Aaron or his sons blesse the people as their owne fancy led them they might not there 's a forme extant of Gods own prescription and a strict charge laid upon them to observe it Numb 6.22 c. And the Lord spake unto Moses ther 's the Author Speake vnto Aaron and unto his sonnes saying on this wise yee shall blesse the children of Israel saying vnto them then comes the forme The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee The Lord make his face shine vpon thee and be gracious vnto thee The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace When thou commest to the house of God looke to thy foote sayes Solomon Eccles 5.1 2. he drives at our expressions as well as our affections so he unriddles himselfe in the words following Be not rash with thy mouth c. An I am sure they are those upon which our soules doe travell into the hearts of ot ers The Prophet bid the people take words with hem but they may not bee their owne choosers Turne unto the Lord and say thus unto him c. Hosea 14.2 If we take the wings of our thoughts and ascend to the Church Triumphant we shall find that those burning lamps of zeale the blessed Angels of God never ring those changes in their devotions They have a perfect knowledge and large hearts to expresse their thankfulnes to their maker Exod. 15.1 and yet they thinke it no disparagement to sing a song of Moses setting while hee lived this in valley of teares Revel 15.3 * In the margin of Bibles That song spoken
beacon upon their discovery as if a whole army of Church-trained souldiers were to be raised to encounter them though I confesse in other respects this might be very vsefull The honourable house of Peeres hath set a watch * The Committee for Religion of so many flaming eyes piercing into every quarter tha 't is scarce possible any scruple should escape vnweighed Whosoever stumbles at the stone of scandall may there finde hands enough both ready and of abilitie to remove it Me thinks this might be a super sedeas to all paper quarrells that they have the Soveraigne hornes of such a sacred Altar to repaire unto for Sanctuary where all doubts may as well have a calme as they shall have a just tryall Wee doe see the honourable Court hath done the Dominicall letter justice for whereas it had worne black too long for the funerall of that Sabbath which was not dead but slept now it is reinvested in a festivall robe of scarlet And other things abus'd if they find no redresse here will appeale and cry to a higher throne for vengeance That Liturgy which hath beene sent of so many sacred messages to heaven and so often had Audience with the Almighty does their errand daily who are enenies to her imployment and will bee as ready to joyne with the word * Iohn 12.48 in their judgement hereafter as it is now to co-operate in the worke of their Salvation If we see some passionately religious aginst this vsefull and holy furniture this wind though it blowes with an high gale should not shake the well setled St Paul adviseth us not to admit of Zeale but upon tryall and distinction * Rom. 10.2 Gal. 1.14 Gal 4.18 That zeale of Gods house that eates up us is well qualified a Psal 69 9. But that Zeale in us which eates up Gods house is not commendable Zeale is like fire a good servant but a bad Master even in matters that concerne Gods worship b Iohn 16.2 When the blind zeale of Saul flamed highest it burnt up the Church of God c Act. 9.1 Phil. 3.6 It was well observed by a most learned man of our Church that d Hooker Eccles Polit. l. 5. §. 3. zeale except it be ordered aright when it bendeth it selfe unto conflict with things either in deed or but imagined to be opposite vnto Religion useth the razor many times with such eagernesse that the very life of Religion it selfe is thereby hazarded through hatred of tares the corn in the field of God is pluckt up And with this agreeth that of another worthy writer in a worke set forth lately amongst us e Mr. Leyes Sunday a St bath in the Preface There is saith he a sinister zeale in some against superstition which proveth many times prejudiciall to the practice of Religion For as our late learned Soveraigne hath observed under colour of weeding out superstition it will pluck up by the rootes many plants of paradise f K. Iames his Cign cant p. 8. If any man hath gone about to repaire Rome amongst us this hand that knowes no artillerie more offensive then the quill is as ready as any other to cast the first stone at him But as I must curse him that brings one stick to re-edifie the Popish Iericho Iosua 6.16 so upon the instigation of the same conscience Gen. 11.7 I shall endeavour to confound their language that would build up Babell We shall find the common maxime true in this case t is no thriving way to frame new buildings And there 's no probabilitie of good successe where not so much as the Modell is agreed vpon Our Ancestors thought it good husbandry to reforme and repaire and yet God be thanked we that succeed have no great cause to complaine against them for delapidations Though I am confident there are more blood-shotten then tender eyes that complaine amongst us I could wish the Church were purged from all the dust that is offensiue But I am jealous a new Broome let who will make it will not sweep so cleane here as is imagined Besides why should any man dreame of a new way to prevent offences when God himselfe hath revealed a necessity of their occurring Mat. 18.1 Shall we dis-beleeue Gods word Or can we disappoint his purpose Let us as farre as we can improue those divine directions that are authenticke and leave the successe to the Almighty They are decived that thinke to make the Church on Earth Heb. 11.10 triumphant We must remoue to that city whose maker and builder is God before we find perfection and when no blockes obstruct our way to remoue strawes is but an impediment to our progression God preserue my eyes cleare from beames and I shall be content to dispense with atomes that are vnavoydable in this state of imperfection In the next place let me tell thee Reader that this discourse was never designed to face posts and doores but to settle soules and consciences It was at first intended for the satisfaction of a private friend but is now made publike for the view and I hope for the vse of many And I 'le assure thee it had not come forth in Print had not the Author beene prest before it His modesty was not of proofe to resist or at lest not of ability to prevaile against that importunity that assaulted him therefore looke vpon it but as upon a poore spoile that strength hath forced from weaknesse Perhaps thou wilt not find every knot vntied here The Author knew that hath been performed by sundry hands of more skilfull dexterity Many such peeces have bin discharged already to the battering downe of the strongest Holds erected by our adversaries and 't is a worke may require a volume which cannot be comprised in a short Epistle This relates chiefely to such scruples as as were suggested and objected in a private conference and though it may seeme of no small value yet considering the coyne that passe for currant on the other side I find it may bee put into the ballance with them without allowance and yet because the law affords that liberty it might bee construed too much presumption in me to neglect it Farewell A PRIVATE EPISTLE to a Friend SIR AS you have beene accounted a burning and a shining light amongst us so I desire you would still justifie that opinion by continuing your flaming and devout appearance in the Candlesticke For not to flatter you which the sinceritie of my love forbiddeth I assure you many begin to thinke you are no star but a Comet that can blaze no longer because they see you are not fixed And I must tell you this wandring in mists and darknes will giue just cause to the wise observer to suspect you for an Ignis fatuus You were lighted up for the church and will you put your selfe under the bed-straw I wonder of how many Articles your creed consisteth If you reteine the
of Revel 5.9 is not stiled new in respect of the matter or composition but because the ioy of the Choristers is uncessant in it's satiety How often doe those flaming Seraphins repeat their Allelujahs and yet not guilty of a vaine Tautologie Revel 19. Why hath the spirit of God endited so many Psalmes of praise and petition not so much to be rules of faith as formes of devotion and so David and his followers ever vs'd them But to produce evidence beyond exception our Saviour himself prescrib'd a form that was alwaies had in veneration else the Canker-fret of superstition could never have eaten so deepe into it Let not us run so farre from the folly of the Church of Rome till we be driven into the other extreame by Antiparistasis J know there is a safe medium betwixt the pinnacle of the Temple and headlong precipitancy and it is Satan tempts and carries men from one of these extreames to the other while the golden meane is rarely pitcht upon Let not Our Father bee excommunicate because others have plaied the Harlots with Pater Noster This is a summe and rule to teach us to compile our devout thoughts into forme and method and the holy scriptures are not without presidents to this purpose A forme is the first furniture that Timothy must provide for the house of a 1 Tim. 2.1 I exhort 't is not that you pray for all but that first of all prayers bee made for all men they must be made i.e. set prayers God Saint Paul prayed thrice against one infirmitie and if wee pray for the same thing why may we not use the same words Doe we pray to redresse our language or our wants or is God taken with the variety of our expressions Surely Christ would then haue us'd it in his Agony He prayed earnestly and yet said the same words b Mat. 26.44 Why should the holy Ghost tell us this if it were not for our instruction Let a man use the oldest formes of prayer extant if no prejudice lye against his person and his intentions be undiscovered in this tryall and you will find they sound as well in your eares and I am perswaded in Gods to as those extemporary ones which pretend the prerogative of a free Spirit You doe but put your selfe into more private Chaines while you seeke to obtaine your libertie Let a man poure out his soule with never so much freedome vet his words to others are a stinted forme and set limits to his Competitioners that assist him Doe you thinke that God sheds and infuseth the Spirit of supplication into all his Saints in that measure that he did the gift of prophecie into the Apostles That 's a priviledge proper to his extraordinary ministers whom he furnisht with immediate and infallible inspiration The ministers of the Church that waite in Ordinary have no gifts conferred upon them that exempt them from meanes meditation and industry much lesse can others of the Saints pretend to such an absolute assistance 'T is confest that a Habit of prayer may be acquired by use and exercise and this is the holy usury by which we make a gaine of grace infused But then I must tell you this very Habit is an Idea an internall modell or platforme of prayer if not it must needs be Mother of a disorderly and deformed off-spring So that this very habituall prayer hath a formall d Rom. 2.20 Which hast the forme of knowledge and of the truth in the law impression in the soule as well as that other hath in paper hereupon the mind as 't is often stil'd in Scripture e Apoc. 20.12 is in stead of a booke to him that prayeth And therefore thus much must be granted that if a blind man officiates according to a set Liturgy he prayes with as much freedome of Spirit as he that vtters nothing but the dictates of his bosome We busie our thoughts to summe up and suggest our wants before we addresse our selves to our devotion and why not our words also without the first we know not what to aske and so are apt to run beyond our line of sobriety with the Sons of Zebedee Mat. 20.22 without the latter we know not how to aske and so stand upon equall tearmes of exigence with the Disciples when they besought Christ to prescribe a forme for them Luke 11.1 'T is the work of the spirit to give the affection rather then the utterance of prayer we have tongues of our owne we want but a gracious affection to imploy them Grace doth not destroy nor exempt but perfects nature God indeed must open his prophets lips before his mouth can shew forth his prayse because hee gives both authority and ability to his ministers But I doe not remember hee is any where said to give the tongue though he be said to give the Spirit of supplication And this Spirit helps the infirmities of our hearts rather then those of our language The Messengers of God are assisted by the Spirit as well in preaching as in prayer and yet we see their best Sermons are set or written ones God will have his Prophet eate the Roule before he utters it Ezek. 3.1 And 't was no blemish to a Rom. 8. That of Psal 45.1 my tongue is the pen c. and Luke 12.12 and St Paul his doore of utterance were gifts extraordinary St. Iohn that hee was commanded to eate the booke before he prophesied Apoc. 10.10 If the Church by the Spirit of God assisting it put a Liturgy into our mouthes why can wee not digest it Is it a forme you stick at The words of every minister you joyne with doe confine you Is it the intention of the minister you call for which you suspect is wanting in a familiar forme that is Popery Gods promise hath entaild his grace upon his ordinance not tied it to the qualification of the instrument Is it the repetition of the same prayer that is offensive Christ said the same words thrice in prayer almost without intermission And if you will read a Chapter or heare the doctrine of salvation read familiarly to encrease your faith why will you not make your selfe familiar with a forme of prayer to exercise your charitie especially considering the heart doth her worke with more attention when there is least imployment for the understanding * See Granods advise for meditation The soule should not be in travell with words when shee is conceived with devotion Doe you scruple at authority which commands it as if that bereaved you of your Christian libertie Consider if your selfe have not had a singer in this hand of Authority and so are become a Lawgiver to your selfe There is not a member of the Kingdome but is interpreted to consent to the Acts of the three estates of Parliament which have confirm'd our Liurgie Did you protest against it or any for you when it was a voting If you will be
prayer Rather let her imploy that intervall of time betweene the prayers to her vagaries then be guilty of an abruption in the midst of her long devotion And this is not a giving of the soule her head that shee may breake loose the sooner for if shee be so piously inclined she may improve that Mite of time by a good thought to prepare for the prayer following If we conforme our prayers to the patterne on the Mount the Lords prayer they must be short and pithy Christ knew what provision was best to be made against our frailty and the Church as I conceive aim'd at a two-fold end in following his example Whereas the Papists goe not to the common Benefactor but have hewed out for themselves a severall cisterne f Ier. 2.13 to furnish them with the several waters that they thirst for and repaire to severall Saints to releeve them in each infirmitie our Church on the contrary puts her wants particularly into the hands of her onely Mediator and hopes to obtaine nothing but through Jesus Christ our Lord. g This is the cloze of every prayer And builds her faith upon that promise Ioh 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall aske the father in my name he will give it you And againe she would have all the people set the seale of their Amen to every blessing that is requested And this is not only significant but usefull It witnesseth their vigilancie it declares their faith and so confirmes their joynt communion in the externall profession of their pure Religion The Church hath learn'd from Christ that where the spirit is willing the flesh may be weake h Mat. 26. v. 40.41 and cannot watch long in Gods service without some moniter to supervize over her and therefore that the Sabbath bee not kept as a rest of sleepe shee would have the people to stirre up themselves and assist the supplications of the Minister with that patheticall ejaculation so often used by our Saviour that hee is therefore as many thinke call'd Amen i Apocal. 3.24 that so their desires burning together in one flame may ascend the swifter with multiplyed wings to heaven * The same may be said for the other Responsals God makes not his construction of our praiers by their length but by their ardencie The Pharisee will for a pretence make long prayers k Mat 23.14 And the Heathen think to be heard for his much speaking l Mat 6.7 the strong cryes of Christ were short yet carnest ones m Heb 5.7 Luke 22.44 and so are the ejaculations of the faithfull n Luke 18.13 The hottest springs send forth their waters by Ebultion * Eructaburt lebia mea Psal 119.171 Devotion is the length and faith the eloquence of our prayers They are like Coine 't is not the bulke but the Image stampt upon them and the excellencie of the metall makes it currant One golden line that hath passed through the Furnace of a devout heart is of more value then a whole sheet of dull and leaden thoughts Wee are Petitioners for our wants to God and not Interpreters Wee doe not pray to expound our will to him but to make an attonement with him to pacifie him to please him that so wee may put a holy engagement upon him to fulfill his promise in fulfilling our desires And if God be to be pacified Opus imperf super Mat. Hom. 13. not instructed Non est necessaria long a narratio sed bona voluntas there is no necessity of a long discourse but of a good affection To put a period to this Argument I should thinke them indiscreetly scrupulous that should leave the outward communion of the church for some inconvenient ceremonies * Possunt te etiam debent multatolerari puetames non recte praecipiuntur Beza ep ad quosaam Anglic. Eccles fratres 1 Cor. 12. and t is more blameable to separate from the maine substance of Gods worship His house is the house of prayer and shall we make it a house of preaching onely that were to be all eare all hearing no mouth no heart which is the Apostles monster in the Church I cannot tell wither I should more pitty or wonder at those men that pretend a transcendent love to truth and vnitie and yet effect an vnreasonable diversity in the formes of their devotion When a good head lookes awry the best ornament is the greatest and the most unseemly deformity The Pythagoreans set a brand upon the Duall number because it was the first that durst depart from unity o Rom. 16.7.18 The Apostle will have us marke those that cause division as well as those that cause offences But all this must be fathered upon the jealousie of a tender conscience whence I take this observation that no men may preserve their Christian liberty about things indifferent so intirely as those who are obedient to the Authority that order them for these men confesse them alterable and therefore as the discreet hand of government shall wind these strings up or downe they can omit or use them without reluctancy Whereas on the other side those that straine at these gnats doe so entangle their consciences with needlesse scruples * Some men to satisfie their weakenes doe rob themselves of their christian liberty Nam ubi semel sein laqucum conjecerunt conscientiae lorgum inextricabilem labyrinthum ingrediuntur vnde non facilis postea exitus patet c vid. Calv instit lib. 3. cap. 19. § 7. that the things which are acknowledged by themselves to be indifferent in their owne nature become dangerous and unlawfull to be used by them and so with striving for it like birds in the lime twigs they doe the more loose their libertie * Non solum spectare debeo quid proximis quid ecclesiae quid honori Christi conducat sedetiam providendum est ne praetextu libertatis solidam sinceram libertatem christianam amittam Pet. Mart. vbi supra But let me expostulate with you a little further Doe we not assemble together in Gods house in Gods name Are not our prayers collects gleaned out of Gods word are not many of them very occasionall and all put up in and through Jesus Christ Doe they not aime at Gods glory and our owne salvation What is the scandall you take yet against them If you thinke mee too much wedded unto Liturgies I 'le assure you 't is not my superstition but my pious constancy for I know in some cases we must tollerate a bleare-eye and other blemishes that are pardonable 'T is no lesse then the crime of adultery that can make a divorce legitimate * Mat. 5.31 But that is a businesse of Gods own institution this of mans And therefore though I acknowledge it good and lawfull usefull and effectuall in the kind yet I am not so inseparably devoted to it as to Gods immediate ordinance I should bee more indulgent
up I conceive the Ancients caused it so to be ordered for the dignity of the Gospell And the Church may for the like reason order that in the reading the Gospell should be ushered in with an Epistle 2. If the Author were put to that streight that he should have but one part of the new Testament I am perswaded that he would preferre the Gospel of our Saviour and yet I should have more charity in mee then to conclude in his words That hereby The Epistle was contumeliously debased but the Gospell superstitiously exalted Pag. 21. A second abuse is Pag. 20. and surely 't is a great one that the Acts Revelation c. are stiled Epistles and surely he abused the Scripture very much that said It was the Epistle of Almighty God sent to his Church The third abuse is Pag. 21. that never a full passage is read but a shred And I pray why Why because wee begin after the beginning of a Chapter And truly he might have said as much of a Chapter if he had pleased that it is but a shread though I dare not say so for all men know the holy Pen-men of the Scriptures did not divide their Writings into Chapters but it was done afterwards and we see that men have differed too in the division of them and I see no reason but any particular Church may appoint what portions of Scripture she thinks fittest to be read at severall times Now whereas he sayes there is not a full passage read because they cut off before the end of a Chapter I would faine have any man instance in any one Epistle or Gospel where the sense shuts not up as fully as the 21 Chapter of the Acts doth As for the Gospel in particular I say but two things 1. That hee may finde better reasons for the choise of them then conformity with Sarum if hee would take the paines to consult with Hooker who hath abundantly answered all cavels about the Liturgie 2. If there be any foolish superstitions in the heads of some men about the Gospel we must not so farre runne into prophanenesse as to make the Gospel guilty of it nor faulty for it for upon such grounds wee should shortly have cause to abandon our whole Bible as well as our Liturgie I think there is no man will speake against the Pag. 22. Creed which is produced in the next place except Jo. Turner would have his inserted in stead of that which was drawne up by a Councell Pag. 24. For the predication as he calls it or Sermon I think none can speake against it but Shelford and birds of the same feather that commonly sing the same note too Thus I have done with that which seemes to make against our Liturgie which perhaps the Author did not intend to such a purpose for in other parts of his book hee hath beene a good compurgator as I shall observe in the second place His whole book I may stile a perfect glasse in which we may see how cleane the face of our Liturgie is washed from all Popish superstitions how decently dressed Pag. 6. Wee may see to use his owne words how that black body that most mistie and dark piece is cleared And who can see this change from darknesse to light and not be thankfull In the first place He saith of the Homilies of the Church of England Pag. 26. they are most orthodox The same is said at the Assembly in Glasgow p. 88. and composed by the most sound Fathers of that English Church since the Reformation And why shal not the Liturgie composed by some and approved by others of them be of the same stamp Concerning the offertory Chap. 4. Page 31. He sayes that all the Rubricks in our English Liturgie hinder the abuse and misapplication of the almes of the people Pag. 33. The Church of England detesting this abuse offering up of the bread and wine plucked it up by the root put it far away from their book Pag. 36. But no wayes the English for in this place they passe the honour of the Saints they speake not of the benefit of the dead and the blessings they crave to the living have no reference at all to the oblation of bread and wine for they have plucked up by the root that pestiferous weed Pag. 43. Cap. 5. Pag. 43. Speaking of those peeces of the Canon whereby the consecration and oblation of the great Sacrifice as they call it is performed he saith This unhappy heart the English had pulled out that the serpent might never againe revive amongst them Pag. 44. Pag. 44. A Rubrick for consecration alone then had beene suspicious especially here where the English Pag. 44. yea no reformed Liturgie had any formes of consecration Note here hee acknowledgeth that there are reformed Liturgies besides ours Pag. 47. Pag. 47. When the prayer which stood here in the English Liturgie is some impediment in their way opposing their Popish consecration c. Pag. 50. The English book hath two sentences which crosse transubstantiation and are against the corporall presence in the elements Pag. 61. Cap. 6. Pag. 61. A Rubrick for oblation they the English have none The most of this prayer in the English is put after the Communion to be a thanksgiving and a spirituall sacrifice of praise to God for the blessings in the communion received Pag. 62. Pag. 62. These words Accept this our Sacrifice c. as in the English Liturgie they stand in a thanks-giving after the Communion have no such shew of a proper outward unbloody Sacrifice Pag. 75. The English avoid all these superstitions Cap. 7. Innocents rule Pag. 75. to say it The Lords prayer on the consecrate hostie they abhorre and put the prayer in a place where it cannot be possibly so abused Pag. 76. Pag. 76. The English have indeed this prayer That our bodies may be clensed by his body c. But in a place that puts it out of all suspition to wit before the consecration Pag. 82. Pag. 82. That golden sentence of the English Liturgie that served much to hinder what ever evill imagination people might have taken of a grosse corporall presence of Christs body and blood in the elements or on the Altar either from the words in hand or any other that golden saying Eate this in remembrance of me The Speech at Glasgow p. 60. For feare of Popish transubstantiation the English put to this sentence Drink this in remembrance c. These words of the Masse Vt fiat corpus sanguis whence all Papists this day conclude Transubstantiation the English put out of their booke for feare to further by them this heresie pag. 93. Pag. 93. The golden sentences of the English which here were put in as Antidotes to the venome of Transubstantiation Reader by this thou may'st see the great evils wherewith saith R. B. K. * In the Preface to his Parallel the English Liturgie hath afflicted both Church and State Surely that was one which hee speakes of pag. 47. That some of these prayers were an impediment in their way that compiled the Scotish Booke opposing their Popish consecration Me thinks our Liturgie might take up the words of our Saviour against his enemies Many good works have I shewed you for which of them doe you stone me Touching the third part which I made of the book a Discoverie of errours I shall heartily joyn in evidence with the Author and sue for Justice But yet I must professe that notwithstanding all that is demonstrated against it I can see no reason but that all those most abominable passages of the Masse may in good reason be refused and abhorred too by those that doe cordially embrace the English Liturgie Lord we beseech thee to keepe thy Church and household continually in thy true Religion that they which doe leane onely upon the hope of thy heavenly grace may evermore be defended by thy mighty power through Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS Errata Read through every page An Epistle to a private friend p. 6. l. 28 r. in this valley p. 23. l. 23. r. to be beaten p. 30. l. 36. r. ebullition p. 31 l. 13. r. affect In the Margin Pag. 10 r. Granad p. 13. r. in Domino