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
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
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
the Soveraign Authority such an excellent Liturgy set up in our English Tongue end established as it hath been by many Statutes or Lawes in Parlament never yet repealed Now weaknesse and wantonnesse if not wickednesse are prone to betray men to such ingratitude toward God and the King that they delight with much proud squeamishness and nauseous coyness to loath and reject this Liturgy as the wanton Jews did their Quails and Manna Truly they have cause to fear lest leanness enter into their souls after such fulnesse and consumption follow their surfeits in Religion An easie spirit of Prophesie which is no other than prudential will serve to foresee and foretell that the want much more the contempt of so excellent and usefull a Liturgy will betray the Church and Nation to ignorance and prophaneness besides infinite factions divisions and confusions the best that can be expected is a devout kind of Superstition or superstitious devotion that instead of the English Liturgy which men so so ingratefully petulantly and unjustly quarrel at because they can understand it they shall be at last contented with such a Latine forme of Devotion in a strange Tongue which they will less cavill at and more admire when they least understand it 'T is almost a Demonstration That the darkness of Popery will follow the absence of that clear light of true reformed Religion which shines in the English Liturgy most agreeable to Scripture and purest Antiquity The Book of Common Prayer as I have of late by special Command most diligently perused to observe wherein a sober review might be most to its clearing and improvement as to some words and expressions so upon this serious perusal I must profess as Pilate did when he had examined our blessed Saviour and as Felix of St. Paul that I find no fault in it worthy of death no nor of stripes or bonds or any reproches and hard speeches or evil surmises much less are those many and great things true which some popular Orators as Tertullus vehemently object against it either as to matter or manner I cannot but commend the candor justice and ingenuity of Mr. Baxter who lately professed to me that he saw nothing in the Liturgy which might not well bear a good construction if men looked upon it as became Christians with eyes of charity Nor do I doubt but the faithfull people of the Church of England have since the Reformation served God acceptably day and night in the solemn devout and holy use of the Liturgy which in many places where were small maintenance and so but weak Ministers was the chiefest part of the provision which poor people had for their souls Nor can I believe but that the blessed Apostle St. Paul if living and the other holy Apostles would have joyned with it and said Amen rejoycing to see the soundnesse of our faith the sanctity of Sacraments the unity of Devotion the order and decency of holy duties carryed on with that Spirit and understanding which best agrees to the word of God the honour also and harmony of Christian congregations in the worship of God To which I find those devout alternations and responds sometimes used by the people especially in the Liturgy as the ecchoes of humble intent and fervent affections are so far from being any hinderance inconvenience or uncomliness when people are perfect in them that to me they seem in the most ample and judicious auditories among whom none exceeds that of the two honorable Temples to be very quick excitations and elevations of Ministers and peoples spirits in prayer and harmonious tokens of that mutual correspondency in holy duties which ought to be between Minister and people when the work is carryed on as it ought to be gravely decently and devoutly not in a huddling and perfunctory way whereof not onely some people but many Ministers seem very guilty in the formall use of the Liturgy when their lips move apace but their hearts not at all they speak with their tongues in a tumultuary and posting way but admit no such humble and fervent impressions on their souls as becomes the Majesty of God the excellent matter of that Liturgy and the miseries or wants of their own souls with the humble sense they ought to have of them I know some also have been more at discord with the Liturgy because they find in Cathedrals and other great Churches the use of Musick both vocall and organicall hath been applyed to some parts of it which certainly is as lawful as any meeter psalmody hymnology or singing to tunes which was never questioned by learned and godly men for lawfull in the worship of God publick or private especially that of praising and giving of thanks Nay there is no scruple but that even in prayer and the deepest notes of that viz. penitentialls both Musick of voice and instruments may be so gravely and solemnly applyed as may very much fit the temper of mens spirits and the spirit of that duty when either sad and solemne with grief or chearfull and exalted with joy Who doubts but David and the whole Church of the Jews served God in spirit and truth amidst those joyful and harmonious noises they used with singers and musicall instruments The gift and use of Musick is so sweet so Angelicall so heavenly and divine that it is pity God should not have the glory and honour of it in his service and the Church an holy comfortable use of it that such an orient pearl may not be used onely in civill conventions or abused in wanton carols and vain effusions which is to put a Jewel in a Swines snout certainly the Christian Church hath more cause to rejoyce then the Jews had and we see the Angels at Christs nativity began the Church Musick with their heavenly Quire 'T is true possibly there may be some discreet regulations and emendations even in our Church Musick so as not to sing either the Creeds or Commandements as not the Lessons or those parts of the Liturgy which are most plain doctrinall and fundamentall which ought to be fitted to the meanest auditors ears and understanding considering that in the pauses or intervalls of the lessons and in the close of Divine Service the Psalms and Hymns or holy and devout Anthems may be very aptly used not only as read or plainly sung but as advanced with excellent Musick so as may sometime suit with and regulate the common peoples tunes and singing other while it may be elevated to those perfections of Skill which are worthy of the best Quires and those chief singers or Masters of Symphony which were and still are in the Church of England it was onely fit for those mens rudeness to abandon Church Musick who intended to fill all things with the alarums of war and crys of confusion The last shock of popular envy and displeasure which the innocent and excellent Liturgy of England was wonted to bear was