Conscience sake That is in respect of the Ordinance of God which commandeth us to Obey those Laws of the Magistrate which are not Repugnant to the Laws of God This Liberty also the Apostle giveth to the Church to make such Orders as tend to Edification 1 Cor. 14. 26. Let all things be 〈◊〉 to Edifying And again 1 Cor. 14 40. Let all things be 〈…〉 and in Order Those Actions Things and Rites which in their own nature are Indifferent neither precisely Commanded nor expressely Forbidden in the Word of God As to Eate such a day Flesh and such a day Fish to keep such a kind of diet at one time and such a kind at another To wear at such a time such and such Vestures and Garments especially upon a Politick and Civil Account being Commanded and Required by the Magistrate are then not to be accounted indifferent to us because they are Injoyned to be observed of us and required by the Magistrate to whom we owe Subjection by the Law of God Thus you see this Christian Liberty whereon we stand is not a Liberty of Licentiousness to do what we list neither is it a Civil or Corporal Liberty of our Bodies from all kind of Service and Servitude under others Neither is it such a Liberty as doth Exempt us from Obedience to our Lawful Magistrates and to the Just Laws of our Land requiring nothing of us which is contrary to the Word of God You will say now What kind of Liberty then is it which the Apostle doth here perswade us to stand fast in wherewith Christ hath made us Free We answer it is a Spiritual Liberty of the Soul and Spirit whereby we serve the Lord Christ willingly and cheerfully in Spirit and Truth being freed from the Bondage of the old Law If you look upon the Words there going before and following after you will plainly find and all Interpreters do agree upon it that the Apostle St. Paul speaketh there of that Liberty whereby we are freed by Christ from the Observation of the Law which he calleth there the Yoke of Bondage Thus St. Peter also speaketh of them Acts 15. 10. Why tempt ye God to lay a Yoke on the Disciples Neckes which neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear For presently after St. Paul insisteth upon Circumcision because Circumcision was the Ground of all the Service of the Law and that which was chiefly urged by the false Apostles Thus he speaketh there v. 2. Behold I Paul say unto you If you be Circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing that is If you be Circumcised with that mind and meaning which the false Apostles pretend as that you look and Believe to be Justified by Circumcision and by keeping of the Law then shall Christ profit you nothing Christ profiteth onely them which Renounce their own Righteousness the Righteousness of the Law and fly to the Promise of Grace made in Christ by Believing and by Faith applying to themselves the Merits of the Death of Christ and resting upon him alone and upon that Promise of mercy made in him for the Forgiveness of their Sins and for the Salvation of their Souls For no man can keep the Law therefore no man can expect to be Saved by the Law But the Curse of the Law must needs lie upon him without Christ This is that Liberty which the Apostle there doth insist upon If you desire to be farther satisfied in this Point of Christian Liberty Be pleased to take it in these Particulars Our Christian Liberty Consisteth 1. In a Liberty or Freedom from the Power or Dominion of Sin as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 6. 14. For sin shall not have the Dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace From the Tyranny and Bondage of Satan Hebr. 2. 14 15. Christ took part with us that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death which is the Devil and that he might deliver them which for fear of death were all their life time subject unto Bondage And from the Torments of the Second Death Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus So that true Believers though they have sin still dwelling and abiding in them yet are delivered from the Power Raign Rule and Dominion of sin are not Slaves and in Bondage under Satan nor in danger of Eternal Death 2. In a Liberty and Freedome from the Moral Law but not in respect of Obedience but in respect of the Rigour Curse and Condemnation of the Law The Obligation to punishment For whereas the Law requireth of us perfect Righteousness we do not look to be Justified by the Righteousness of the Law but by the Righteousness of Christ according to that Galath 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree 3. In the Liberty of the Spirit The gift of the Holy Ghost which doth inwardly Seal unto us the former Mercies Rom. 8 15 16. For we have not Received the Spirit of Bondage to fear again but we have Received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father This Spirit of God taketh away the vail of Ignorance Darkness and Blindness from our Hearts Inlightneth us by the Preaching of the Gospel in the true saving knowledge of Christ Converting us to God and Quickning us with the life of Grace willingly and cheerfully to obey God according to that 2 Cor. 3. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 4. In a Freedom from the Ceremonial Law of Moses from the Sacraments Sacrifices and Services of the Old Law which were Imposed on the people of God and were Types and Shadowes of things to come and ended in Christ The Apostle tells us Galat. 2. 4. of false Brethren which were craftily sent in and crept in privily saith he of those times to spâ—e out our Liberty which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into Bondage To whom we gave not place by Subjection for an hour that the Truth of the Gospel might continue with you And from the necessity of observing those Legal Rites Orders and Ordinances which concerned things Indifferent The choice of certain Meats thé Observations of daies and the like As also from all the Traditions of Men Instituted in the worship of God as necessary to Salvation or putting Religion in them Christ hath delivered us from all these Yet notwithstanding all this Christian Liberty doth not at all Exempt us from our Obedience to our Lawful Magistrates or to the Laws of our Land Commanding and requiring that which is Lawful and not contrary to the Word of God and Instituting and Injoyning those things without any opinion of placing any Religion Worship or Necessity in them but in a Civil and Politick manner onely for the Edification of the Church onely
sighs within us helpeth that dulness ignorance and blindness in us teaching us how and what to pray for And he that searcheth the heart knoweth the meaning of the spirit What sighs and groans proceed from the spirit from the motion and breathing of the spirit because it maketh Intercession for the Saints according to the will of God It teacheth the Saints to pray according to his will it worketh in us those wishes and desires and kindleth in our hearts those earnest fervent and ardent affections sighs and groans which please God This we all acknowledge that we can do nothing in prayer without the help of the spirit which stirreth up earnest affections desires and groans in the heart but this spirit of God doth not exclude reason and prudence or any helpes that may be afforded us to forward us in that good duty but joyneth as it were with them and followeth them with his assistance In the performance of this duty of prayer three things are especially requisite and needful 1. To pray with Understanding to know what we say and what we pray for 2. To pray in Faith to come in the name of Christians to ask those things that are agreeable to Gods will believing that God both can and will hear us and help us and answer our Petitions as far as he shall see and judge fitting for his own glory and our good 3. To pray in the Spirit with zeal fervency intention of mind and spirit and with earnestness and true Devotion of the heart Now who can say but a man may pray with Understanding pray in Faith and pray in the Spirit with true Devotion of heart and with sighs and groans when the prayer is uttered after a prescript form or read upon a Book We grant that prayer is a spiritual work proceeding from faith neither is faith in any but there is some power to utter some matter of prayer in every one that prayeth in faith and to open his mind and to pour out his desires in some measure and that no prayer is regarded of God unless it do proceed from faith But because some are so overwhelmed with ignorance others so weak in expressions and dull in their conceit and some so perplexed in mind and disturbed in their thoughts that they cannot tell how to pray or what to utter of themselves therefore they need the help of a set form of prayer prescribed by another or may joyn with another in a form that is read upon a Book Yet when we pray thus by a Book we do not fetch the matter from the Book but from our hearts with sighs and groans only we are helped by a Book as the Congregarion which prayeth with the Minister is helped and stirred up by the Minister for the manner of delivery of their prayers unto God Christ himself appointed a set form saying not when you meditate but when you pray say thus c. Luke 11. 1 2. Object 3. Read Prayers were devised by Anti-Christ and maintain Superstition Idolatry and an idle Ministry Answ There were Liturgies in the Church of old before Anti-christ was set up in his Throne and the prescribed forms delivered in the Scriptures to be used and which were practised in the Church as you have seen before recited shew the thing to be allowed of God We may farther adde this that in singing of Psalms we cannot but confess They did read them upon a Book and did sing them to the Lord and many of those Psalms are full of Petitions and Prayers as is evident to all men These forms were first set up and are still continued for Order and Uniformity to avoid offences and inconveniencies which then did and still may arise in the Church neither doth it maintain an idle Ministry Our Ministers have liberty not only in private but in publick both before and after their Sermons to exercise their gift of prayer and to enlarge themselves upon any emergent occasion or opportunity afforded as God shall enable them and they themselves shall judge fit or any way expedient and needful Besides in all the Reformed Churches they have a Liturgy and yet have able Ministers Again if Read prayers and Imposed Liturgies be Idolatry where shall we find a visible Church For all Churches that are and have been for many hundred years have had Liturgies either Imposed or Allowed yet not branded with Idolatry Superstition or any such reproachful terms Obj. Set Forms and stinted Prayers cannot be as necessity doth require Answ The prayers of our Church are publick prayers and Common-Prayer They are called publick prayers in regard of the time and place when and where they are used and Common Prayer in respect of the persons that assemble together unite and joyn their hearts and voices together in their prayers and petitions unto God all joyn together So that no man can expect that the private necessities of particular persons unless there be some extraordinary cause can be there recommended unto God in their publick prayers and Common-Prayer of the Church Now no man can deny but some things are necessary to be prayed for at all times and for all persons as the confession of our sins and prayer for the forgiveness of them For the acceptance of our persons and prayers for our protection from danger for peace for grace to live well according to Gods Laws and the like Of these there may be a set form prescribed and used in the Church some things again are not necessary at all times these are not required but at special times and occasions to be used as the particular necessities of the time require as in time of War for Peace and deliverance from our Enemies prayers in the time of Dearths â—lagues Pestilence or any great Mortality prayers for Rain for Fair-weather in the time of Need and Thanksgiving accordingly For these also there may be a set form in the Church but for that which is extraordinary the Ministers may supply we do not say that a set form is of absolute necessity either in publick or private prayer If there were in all a perfection of knowledge and faith a quickness of conceit and a full freedom and power of expression we should not need the outward help of Form or Book But in the publick Service of the Church a form is only prescribed and required for convenience to prevent some miscarriages and extravagancies which otherwise might arise Thus we have Answered all the chief Objections which are made against all set forms of prayer and shewed you the true Grounds and Reasons how they came up at first and why they are still continued not for any absolute necessity we put in them but only for conveniency to prevent Schisms stop Errors preserve Order Unity and Uniformity in the Church and how we hold them lawful and allowed of God We are now to come to those exceptions which are made more directly and precisely against our Book of Common-Prayer Established and
Enjoyned by Authority to be used Obj. The grand great and chief exception that is taken against our Liturgy is that our Book of Common-Prayer is Popery taken out of the Popish Mass-book Answ To this we answer in general before we come to examine particulars Be pleased to take into your consideration this moderate point of Wisdom that all that the Papists have or make use of cannot properly be called or accounted Popery as we call Popery The old Rule is good here Qui hene distinguit bene docâ—t It is the part of a Wise-man to distinguish things to put a difference between things and not to confound and put together things that differ Therefore we should rightly know what Popery is Popery is properly the Errours Abuses Corruptions Superstitions Idolatries and Abominations which are used and mantained by the Pope Papists and Church of Rome either in Doctrine or Worship These indeed may properly and truly be called and accounted Popery if we submit our selves to the Pope of Rome receive his Laws his Doctrine his Worship if we cleave to his Adherents to them that worship him and receive his Mark if we maintain or profess either those false Doctrines or that Superstitious or Idolatrous worship which is professed among them and maintained by them Then indeed we may be rightly said to fall into Popery and to incline unto iâ— but if we call all those truths which they have and are kept sound among them in matters of Doctrine or those things which in matter of Worship are good and pure and free from corruption by the name of Popery we are very much mistaken If we must make use of nothing in the Service and Worship of God which they use nor may have liberty to assume to our selves the right use of those things which they do or have abused being purged from their corruptions we must then leave and renounce the Scriptures both the Old and New Testament both Baptism and the Supper of the Lord yea renounce all the Ordinances of God pull down our Churches and abandon all Religion Now it is known to the world that the Church of England renounceth the usurped power of the Pope of Rome and doth disclaim all his Religion and Laws all Errours Heresies Superstitions Idolatries and Abominations of the Church of Rome so that no man can accuse her unjustly of Popery or brand her with the name of Popery seeing she hath made a full Separation from the Church of Rome And though she maketh use of some things which they use in the Service and Worship of God yet they are such things as are lawful in themselves and fully purged from their Corruptions and Superstitions and cannot justly be accounted or called Popery The Church of Rome was once a true and sound Church though we profess no perfection in the world and not so pure but might be tainted with some Corruption and was famous for the profession of the true Faith and Doctrine of Christ Rom. 1. 8. Their Faith was spoken of throughout the whole world and as for her Bishops they were godly men most of them being Martyrs for three hundred years after Christ and more yet she was never accounted the Catholick or Universal Church but a Member of the Catholick or Universal Church But as time doth corrupt all things so she by degrees fell into corruption The Church of England even in the time of Popery was a Member of the Catholick or Universal Church and had not the being of a Church of Christ from Rome or by separating her self from Rome but having her eyes opened to see her Errours and her Spirits quickned and revived she began to think upon a necessity of Reformation and so cast off the yoak of Anti-christ and the usurped power of the Pope of Rome with all his Errours Superstitions and Abominations and sought to bring her Children to the right Faith of Christ and to the true and pure Worship and Service of God And examining the Liturgy and Book of Common Prayer then in use and finding it corrupted and fallen from the ancient purity she composed a new one of her own and though perhaps in some things it might not be much disagreeing from the former yet seeing those things were pure and sound free from corruption and after the ancient Form of Liturgies of the Church she thought good to retain them and to continue them for her use We do acknowledge our Liturgy and Book of Common-Prayer to be the work of man and as by man it was first composed so by man it may be at any time altered or put down and there is no work of man so perfect though never so absolute and compleat but may have some Errour in it or be tainted with some Corruption But that it is Popish Superstitious Idolatrous or Anti-christian as some who had more Zeal then Knowledge have been bold to defame it savoureth of too much Ignorance Pride Rashness and Presumption This we altogether deny and the very Ordinance of Lords and Commons which did put down this Book of Common-Prayer as you may see in the Preface to the Directory did not accuse it of any such matter as Superstition or Idolatry no nor so much as of Errour but speaketh reverently of the first Composers of it and modestly and discreetly of the Book it self onely they alledge this that they found by experience that it proved an offence to many at home and abroad disquieted many mens Consciences of Ministers and others was too much heightned by the Prelates made as it were an Idol by many ignorant people was a means to hearten Papists and to nourish an idle Ministry therefore did agree and resolve to put it down and to set up the Directory in its room Though it be granted that some things in this our Book do agree with theirs not so much perhaps as some imagine and give out yet if we do acknowledge that Rome was once a true and sound Church we cannot but suppose her Doctrine and Worship Then to be sound and pure although since it hath been corrupted if then upon our Reeformation for we did not make a new Church but only reformed the Errours of the old our prudent Reformers did take such things as were good and pure after the ancient Form of the Liturgies of the Church which they had corrupted with Errours being purged and refined for their use what just cause have we to complain The abuse of a thing doth not abolish or take away the Right use of it that were as the Heathen said to take the Sun out of Heaven that hath been worshipped and abused There is no Creature made by God or thing used and made by man but hath been some way wronged or abused They were Wise-men and godly men who did at first make and compose this Book of Common-Prayer some of the chiefest of them being Martyrs and burned in Queen Marys days for the Profession of our Protestant Religion and