Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A42477
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Considerations touching the liturgy of the Church 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.
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Gauden, John, 1605-1662.
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1661
(1661)
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Wing G349; ESTC R218825
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26,979
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44
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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
to the Reformed Church of England have made it their joynt designe to despise decry and destroy our Liturgy under pretence of I know not what new Modes and extemporary Abilities yea it was a great Jesuitick Artifice and back blow used by some to averre though falsely that the English Liturgy was nothing else but the Romish Missal or Masse-book turned into English 'T is true some things very Scriptural devout and excellent which the Roman Missal had taken and retained after the forme of the ancient Liturgy of the Church were severed and taken as wheat from chaff and jewels from dresse by our wise Reformers and preserved in the English Liturgy conforme to pious and unspotted Antiquity But nothing of the Romish corruption in Doctrine or Superstition in Devotion was retained in our English Liturgy which took nothing either of our Doctrine out of it but what was first in the Scriptures nor ought of devotional expressions but what were either used in the ancient Liturgies or were agreeable to the true Faith and nature of the duty No nor did the Church of England retain any ceremonies as the Crosse Surplice Standing up at the Creed or Kneeling at the Lords Supper but what were above a thousand years old and most in use when the Church knew nothing of Papal Usurpation or of Romish Superstition as is evident in the Histories Councils and Fathers of the first 600. years and being things in their nature indifferent were for their decent and devout use left by Gods general Commission to the liberty judgment and authority of this as any other Church within its own polity and communion to use and inpose As for the real and useful gifts of learned and discreet Ministers in Prayer as to Invention Judgment Memory and Expression as I do very much esteem them when used with humility gravity discretion devotion and sincerity nor doth His Sacred Majesty deny any Ministers such an use of them as may be advantageous to Religion and the peoples souls good according to those many particular occasions and instances which no to all those who in earnest have most need of some boundaries set to them not hereby to stint the spirit of prayer as some fear which consists in a judicious humble holy fiduciary and servent assent to what is prayed agreeable to Gods Word of which hearers as well as speakers and people as well as Ministers are capable but wisely to order and limit the profuseness confusions and straglings of Ministers private spirits which are many times as undevout as indiscreet The serious and speedy review of the English Liturgy much desired by some and not much opposed by others that are learned and sober men which is also graciously promised by His Majesty in his late Declaration as it can be of no more inconvenience then a New Translation of the Bible was if it be to the better so I hope it may be of good use for the explaining of some words and phrases in it which are now much antiquated obscure and out of vulgar understanding which is no newes after 100. years in which Language as all things under Heaven suffer some change Also it may serve for the quickning and improveing of some passages which seem lesse devotional and emphatick than they may easily be made also for the supplying of some things in point of dayly praise and thanksgiving to God which duty seems lesse full and explicite in the Liturgy for the frequent Doxology of Glory to Father Son and holy Ghost as it is ancient very excellent and Angelical so it might well bear some larger Expressions of praise and thanks to God whereby to set forth the grounds causes and just sense we have to give all glory praise and thanks to the Eternal God and the ever-blessed Trinity for his infinite and undeserved mercies dayly bestowed upon such unworthy sinners for this Life and a better This work once well and wisely done as it may by Gods blessing much tend to the satisfaction of all sober Christians so it will not be any thing to the reproach of our Church and of the Liturgy in the former plainer wayes of Worship as either defective or incomplete for the main which they in no sort were but very sober good and sufficient as to necessity only as one day teacheth another so there may be as in all outward forms of divine worship both harmeless additions and innocent variations yea and sometimes inoffensive defalcations of some redundances according as men and times and words and manners and customes may vary Therefore as in lesser things I can humbly and cheerfully consent to such pious prudent and improving alterations of the Liturgy as shall seem meet to the piety and Wisdome of His Majesty whereto all mens piety and prudence in private and publick capacities ought to be servient so my judgment is that the Liturgy of the Church of England as to the main and essentialls of it in Doctrine devotion consecration and celebration for matter order and method may in no case be maimed rudely changed or odly deformed for it was very conform to the Word of God and fitted to the nature of the several duties as may easily be made appear by putting to all the Book of the Common prayer in the margin those parallel places of Scripture which either for Words or sense are very consonant to it which work is easy to be done and prepared by me if it may be thought usefull and acceptable for God forbid we should be commanded to say Amen in any part of the publick service of God to which the Word of God doth not encourage us in faith and so God himself and his Spirit say Amen with us for the Word and Spirit must go together in all our devotions This endevour to fortifie the Liturgy by allegation of Scriptural strength and consent will not onely satisfie the consciences of all that are scrupulous upon that account but also stop the mouthes of those evil speakers and confute the intollerable confidence yea impudence of some who of late as I know one Minister and heretofore have blasphemed the Liturgy and the honour of the Church of England as if it began its publick Devotions with a lye for so these inpudent or ignorant men dare to speak alledging That because the first sentence in the Book of Common Prayer is not word for word in that place of Ezekiel which is cited in the Margin Ezekiel 18.21 22. Ergo It is a lye 'T is very true all the words of that Sentence are not in that place cited in the Margin nor could the Composers be so blinde as not to see the Verbal difference between them nor did they cite that place in the figured Margin to shew the literal samenesse of the words but the Evangelical soundnesse of that sense which is more fully united and comprehensively set down in the Book of Common Prayer than in that