the Father who of his everlasting love gave him a ransom for Mankind by his death And indeed to foresee and foretell things before they happen or come to pass is peculiar and proper only unto God as is evident Isaiah 41. vers 22 23. And therefore in this respect I can grant that the Common-Prayer Book had a being at or before Christ's coming But how can the Author make appear that either Christ or his Spirit have disallowed of it As for our Saviour he was so far from being against well composed Liturgies and consequently of being against ours because as King Charles the First the blessed Martyr said upon the Ordinance against the Common-Prayer Book in his seventh Paragraph that he held this to be a well composed one that indeed Christ composed a Liturgy himself to be used by all that should be his Disciples as Luke 11. vers 2. which Liturgy or Prayer of our Saviour as the aforesaid Martyr said in the Tenth Paragraph of those Observations was the Warrant and original Pattern of all set Liturgies in the Christian Church And I say especially of ours the Author so much inveighs against because if it be not the best that ever was extant before it yet it was a Liturgy inferiour to none So that for a blessed return and compliance of Dissenters to an Union with our Church I shall exhort all that shall peruse this small Tractate to consider diligently as to the Answers here to the several Errors couched in these Considerations so also diligently to ponder the exhortation of St. Paul to the Philippians chap. 2. vers 2 3. Fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves The second Proposition in the 13th Consideration is this The Book of Common-Prayer is against the Blood and Spirit and Gospel of Christ For proof whereof he alledgeth 1 Pet. 1. vers 18 19. Hebr. 9. vers 10 11. Answer Sure this man hath eaten shame as in the Proverb and digested it that he dare charge such apparent untruths upon our Church which is as full for Christ his Spirit and Gospel as any of the Churches in Christendom I appeal to any man that hath perused the Liturgy and Doctrine of our Church for the truth hereof for condemnation of this present Error Our Church in our Common-Prayer Book owns Christ the only Mediator of Redemption by the Merits of his active and passive Obedience according to that in 1 Pet. 1. vers 18 19 Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things c but with the precious blood For every where our Liturgy owns with the Apostle there that wâ— are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ And for evidence hereof consider the conclusions of our Prayers and Collects therein and they shall see all begged there of God for the sake merits or worthiness of Jesus Christ And if any man do but consider the Communion Service and that of the Sacrament of Baptism he must be wilfully if not maliciously blind to say that our Church or Liturgy is against the blood of Christ Further For evidence of the Author 's false charge here let men consider what Blessings and Thanksgivings we do annually offer to God for his giving his Son to us our all-sufficient Saviour and Redeemer in the joyful Commemorations of his Birth Resurrection and Ascension c. We own him the only Mediator of Intercession in Heaven and thereby to have obtained of the Father the sending of the Holy Ghost upon the Disciples in the day of Pentecost And that daily through his Intercession he sends the Holy Ghost into our hearts to sanctifie us to lead us into all truths guiding us thereby into the way of Peace and Salvation How are we then against the Blood or Spirit or Gospel of Christ If our Adversaries will peruse that Service-Book and the Doctrine of our Church contained in the 39 Articles and the Homilies they shall find all things therein agreeing with the Gospel and the Writings of the Holy Ghost deliver'd by Moses the Prophets Apostles and his other Penmen So that to conclude my Answer as to what is objected against the Common-Prayer Book of our Church in this 13th Consideration or elsewhere I cannot think but that if St. Paul were now upon earth taking the care of all the Churches as before he did he would give the like approbation of our Church both for Doctrine and Discipline as he did of the Colossian Church Coloss 2. vers 5. where he saith He was with them in Spirit joying and beholding their Order and stedfastness of their Faith in Christ To the 14th Consideration which is this Whether at the great and terrible day of Judgment any Magistrates Ministers or People can justifie before Christ the Making Imposing Reading or Hearing of this or the like Service To which I answer affirmative They all may justifie their so doing before Christ as hath been evidenced in the Answers to the Propositions and in what hath been laid down before for justification of set Forms as before limited in these Papers But then further In this 14th Consideration the Author would have men consider Whether good men as far as they build with this material namely by worshipping of God by this Book of Common-Prayer will not at the day of Judgment suffer loss To which I Answer Having consider'd of this Quaere and the excellency of building upon Christ the foundation of our hope by way of worshipping and serving God by way of Prayer and Thanksgiving as in our bounden duty to do and performing the said duty according to the Form of our Common-Prayer Book I see not how the Builders that build with this Material devoutly and fervently in spirit can suffer loss thereby that is lose their labour in so calling upon God For further evidence whereof I refer the Readers to my Observation of the great benefit King Charles the First of most blessed memory and divers there mentioned yea and the whole Kingdom have reaped thereby in my foregoing Discourse upon the the 6th Consideration But last of all he puts the Quaere Whether those can stand then in the Judgment without fear shame and sorrow that have cast out persecuted imprisoned or otherwise afflicted the true Preachers and Servants of God who did chuse to obey God rather than men and to obeserve his Divine Will rather than mens Traditions To which I Answer That if by the true Preachers and Servants of God he understand the Nonconformists to our Church before the 〈◊〉 Rebellion or if he thereby means the rebellionâ— Army and their Chaplains then his Argument â—alls to the ground because then he argues ex non supposins ex non supponendis of things not granted not to be granted for that they were neither true Preachers nor true Servants of God for evidence whereof I refer the Reader to my Discourse upon the first Proposition deducible out of this Author's 7th Consideration And for further Answer to this Quaere what the Author proposeth to the World to be consider'd of I wish earnestly might be laid to heart of all them that are alive of the late Rebellion for their true and unfeigned repentance that they might obtain at God's hand forgiveness of their sins that are as red as Crimson in Persesecuting Imprisoning Impoverishing Murthering and otherwise afflicting King Charles the First of most blessed memory the careful and godly Hierarchy of our Church the true Preachers of God's Word and others the most faithful Servants of the Almighty who did chuse rather to obey God and to observe his Divine Will rather than the Fanatical Inventions and Traditions of a rebellious multitude FINIS
and circumstances thereto belonging Deut. 5. vers 9. c. and withall look upon the latter part of the second Consideration at these words All that do serve him in any way or thing which he hath not himself commanded or appointed Deut. 7. vers 25 26 c. And ye shall see thus much to be imply'd and inserred The Proposition The Lord in the Scriptures hath set forth his own Worship and Service for us to perform and observe as to all the parts circumstances way and things thereto belonging Parts Circumstances any way and things are his own words as ye may read in the first and second Considerations and are secretly affirmed there by the Author of the Worship and Service of God to the same purpose I have predicated them in the Proposition To which I thus Answer As to the essential and absolutely necessary parts of our Worshipping and Serving God or as to what is to be believed and morally done by us to be saved I do grant they are contained and set forth first fully in the Old Testament and that by Moses from the Mouth of God though not so cleerly as since because of the Vail that was over so that then they could not steadfastly see to the end of them as St. Paul speaks 2 Cor. 3. vers 13. And they are again fully set forth in the New Testament and that by Jesu◠Christ from the Father John 12. vers 50. Whatsoever I speak therefore even as the father said unto me so I speak Whereupon Christ is called the Word John 1. vers 1. that is the Word of the Father because as the Father taught him so he spake John 8. vers 28. Therefore in respect to the setting forth fully the Worship and Service of God and way to Salvation as to the essential parts thereof both Christ and Moses have approbation by the Author to the Hebrews cap. 3. vers 1 2. Consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Christ Jesus 〈◊〉 faithful to him that appointed him as also Moses was faithful in all his house But to grant that the Worship and Service of God set forth so sufficiently by Moses or Christ as before granted was directed and order'd as to all the circumstances words ways and things by them or any under them is to grant more than can be proved by the Scriptures For to instance in one particular essential part or duty of Worship or Service we see that when God by Moses or his Son or by any under them have commanded men to call upon God by Prayer in time of need or to praise him for his goodness to them all the Circumstances of this Duty as to words or forms or places or number of times of Praying to God or Praising of him are not fully set forth by them neither by Precept nor Example for we see the Examples herein dissering Psal 119. vers 164. the Psalmist is at his Devotion seven times a day and Daniel is but three times Daniel 6. vers 10. And so as to the Posture or Gesture in performance of the Duty have not been the same Daniel's posture was kneeling in the place aforesaid Luke 18. vers 13. the Publican's was standing Deut. 9. vers 18. Moses's posture was sometimes falling down upon his Face at his Prayers And as much may be shewed as to other Duties So that from this hath been said 't is evident the circumstances wayes and things as the Author calls them as to the Worship and Service of God were not all commanded and appointed by God in the Author's sence Wherefore I cannot see but that our Church Liturgies are more justifiable than either the set Forms of the factious Persons which some of them desire should not seem to be set Forms by reason of their disuse of them for some considerable time yea and more justifiable than their Extemporary Prayers which they falsely and blasphemously call Praying by the Spirit Considering that both in their Composed Forms and Extemporary Prayers for the most part if not always they consent not to wholsome Words even the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ nor to the Doctrin which is according to Godliness to use the Apostle's Phrase in the first to Timothy cap. 6. vers 3. with neither of which can they charge our former or present Common-Prayer Book Look upon the former part of the second Consideration which begins thus How abominable and unacceptable to this holy just God have been all Idolatrous superstitious and false Services The Proposition is this as the Author's opinion All Idolatrous Superstitious and false Services are abominable and unacceptable to God Answer This Proposition I grant to be a Truth for God wills us to own him to be God yea and him alone 2 Kings cap. 19. vers 15. and Exod. 20. vers 2 3. I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land c. Thou shalt have no other gods but me As to godship lordship and absolute Supremacy God will indure no Corival in the heart of Man And whosoever ascribes to any Creature what the Scriptures have peculiarly attributed to God is guilty of Idolatry and Superstition also All therefore that is to be faulted in this consideration is the Author's misapplication of the Proposition for he applies it to them that worship God devoutly and call upon him fervently in a justifiable Form of Prayer And I see not but the Author in so applying the forementioned Proposition issuing out of that consideration how he can be guilty of less than Blasphemy in terming that Service of ours Idolatrous seeing we worship the true God rightly Where is our Idolatry or false Service in that Worship and Invocation Is it in our going to God by Prayer in time of need through the only Mediator betwixt God and Man Christ Jesus our Saviour As we do confessing with our Mouths because believing with our hearts that God is both able and willing to supply our wants as is necessary to be in devout souls in order to obtain at God's hands Hebrews 11. vers 6. In all this I hope we are neither Idolatrous nor false in our Service The Author might rightly have applied to himself and his Proselytes the Doctrin or Proposition considering his words in the seventh Consideration where he terms their own Speakers Soul-saving Teachers for in so saying he is both Idolatrous and Superstitious in ascribing that to themselves which is the peculiar of the infinite Wise God Isaiah 43. ver 11. I even I am the Lord and beside me there is no Saviour Is he not therein Idolatrous and Superstitious in ascribing to their own Teachers to be both the Fountain and Cunduit-pipe of Salvation or saving Grace as there he doth If not so I am sure he falls thereupon under St. Paul's reprehension of the carnal and ignorant Factions in the 1 Corimh cap. 3. ver 6. For indeed it will be evident when I come to speak of the aforesaid consideration that
Religion of the Counsil of Belial to use His Majesty's expression to Crucifie the Common-Prayer Book by an Ordinance for had the Liturgy of our Church and their Belial their Army stood together it would have been soon as it was with Dagon when the Ark of God and it stood together which soon fell down and brake in pieces their Army would soon have moulter'd to nothing what a confusion and consternation would have been among them and upon them had that Book or the substance of it either been in use by their Ministers as by the express word of God is commanded should have been 1 Tim. 2. vers 1 2 3. What thoughts of heart would have been in those rebellious spirits when being sent up to fight against his Majesty and his Forces before they had gone to Battel they must have prayed to God to be the preserver of him and them they were going to destroy for so 't is in the Litany according to the Command of God that it may please thee to be the King's defender and keeper and to give him victory over all his Enemies and in the Prayer for him 't is strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies So that had they continued our Liturgy as was their duty to have done or had their Prayers been according to God's direction in his Word they must as much as in them lay have been by Prayer blessing and strengthning his Majesty and cursing and weakning themselves in their Enterprises by preceding Supplications for both To end therefore my Answer as to this in general I confess indeed the former Common-Prayer-Book and almost all Prayers according to God's revealed will in his Word yea and all found Scripture Doctrine were inconsistent with the times of the day and light of the Gospel by the Author's calculation but in the light of the Gospel in the times of Christ and his Apostles they were consistent and justifiable for they had then no contradiction nor discouragement by God in the Old Testament nor by Christ and his Apostles in the New as is sufficiently proved at the beginning of my Tractate This may be sufficient to that fifth Consideration if not go on as followeth But to give the Adversary the fairest play that may be and to save him and his assistants the labour of replication perhaps they will plead their more abundant help of the Spirit to call upon God than formerly from their mode or manner of praying and that in three respects First in respect to the length of their Prayers or Secondly in respect to their Extemporary and Unpremeditated way of praying Or Thirdly in respect to their more powerful and argumentative way they use in their Prayers to prevail with God for the things they ask I will briefly consider what may be said for them and what against them as to the before-mentioned respects First They will say 't is evident they are much more inabled by the Spirit to call upon God than formerly considering the length of their Prayers To which I answer This is of no moment to them that will be guided by the Precedents and Precepts in Scriptures as to this mode of praying For first the practice of the Saints and holy men of God have in the weightiest matters and concerns been short in their Prayers put up to God Abraham's Intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah designed for destruction was but short Gen. 28. vers 23 24 c. Jacob in his great fear that Esau should destroy him and his going to God by prayer for safety his Prayer is past over in four short Verses with all the Arguments he used to prevail with God Gen. 32. ver 9 10 c. Nay Christ himself seeking by prayer for the Cup of Death to pass from him his Prayer was short every time in his Address to the Father Matt. 26. vers 39 42. Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt his Prayer was as short the second time and the third time it was no longer than at first for it was the same The Precepts of God and his Spirit are against this mode of long Prayers and therefore no argument from the length of their Prayers that they are more inabled by his Spirit to call upon God See for this 1 Ecclus 5.1 2. as concerning hearing when men come at the House of God he would have them very attentive as to the length of their Prayers he orders them to be short God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy words be few And our Saviour in his Sermon upon the Mount directing how to Pray effectually orders as well concerning the length of Prayer as to the matter thereof Matt. 6. vers 7. When ye pray use not vain repetitions as the heathen do the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated ne inania loquaemtra which our Church renders very well use not vain repetitions where our Saviour forbids tautological words variety of Expressions to one and the same purpose Learned Sharpâ—â—s in his Symphonia Prophetaâ—um Apostolorum saith That the word there used by our Saviour is taken from one Battus a soolish Poet in those days whose Verses were tedious to a loathing by means of many divers and vain words to the same signification So that there our Saviour admonished his Disciples and all men that their Prayers be not nauscous through tediousness or multiplicity of words which is abliorred of God and devout souls Vos 9. praedicti Capitis after this manner pray ye that is in a concise and short manner Further If in respect to the length of their Prayers they or their hearers will conclude their more abundant help of the Spirit to call upon God they do deny the Nature and being of God and Christ as described in the Scriptures for James 1. vers 1â— With God is no variablerese nor shadow of change And Hebr. 13. vers 8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Now if it be through the help and direction of the Spirit that their Prayers are so constantly long over they were by the direction of God and Christ and by the practice of Abraham the Prophets and others inabled formerly by the Spirit to call upon God then it must follow that with God is variableness and shadows of change and Christ is not now the same by his Spirit he was formerly for if they have now help to pray as they do by the Spirit of Christ then it follows he is now for long Prayers and whilst upon Earth by himself and by his Spirit in the days of the Apostles and Prophets he was altogether for short Supplications All therefore that can be granted the Adversary as to the usual mode of long Prayers is this That they are carried and helped thereto either by an heathenish ignorance or by that which is far worse namely by a Spirit of