Canon in stead of remedying their vices decreed that the Commutation of Penance shall not be without the Bishops privity XXIV The general abuse of that great ordinance of Excommunication which GOD hath left in his Church to be used as the last and greatest punishment the Church can inflict upon obstinate and great offenders and that the Prelates and their officers who of right have nothing to do with it do daily excomunicate men either for doing that which is lawful or for vain idle and trivial matters as working or opening a shop on a Holi-day for not appearing at every beck upon their summons not paying a fee or the like yea they have made it as they do all other things a hook or instrument wherewith to empty mens purses and to advance their own greatnesse and so that sacred ordinance of God by their perverting of it becomes contemptable to all men and seldome or never used against notorious offenders who for the most part are their favorites XXV Yea further the pride and ambition of the Prelates being boundlesse unwilling to be subject to either man or Laws they claim their Office and Jurisdiction to be Jure divino exercise Ecclesiastical authority in their own names and Rights and under their own Seals and take upon them temporal dignities places and offices in the Common-wealth that they may sway both swords XXVI Whence follows the taking Commissions in their own Courts and Consistories and where else they sit in matters determinable of Right at Common Law the putting of Ministers upon Parishes without the Patrons and peoples consent XXVII The imposing of Oaths of various and trivial Articles yearly upon Church-wardens and Side-men which without perjury unlesse they fall at jars continually with their Ministers and neighbours and wholly neglect their own calling XXVIII The exercising of the Oath ex Offâ—â—io and other proceedings by the way of Inquisition reaching even to mens thoughts the apprehending and detaining of men by Pursivants the frequent suspending and depriving of Ministers fining and imprisoning of all sorts of people breaking up of mens houses and studies taking away mens Books Letters and other writings seizing upon their Estates removing them from their callings separating between them and their wives against both their wills the rejection of prohibitions with threatnings and the doing of many other out-rages to the utter infringing the Lawes of the Realm and the Subjects liberties and arraigning of them and their families and of later time the Judges of the Land are so awed with the power and greatnesse of the Prelates and other wayes promoted that neither prohibition Habeas Corpus or any other lawful remedy can be had or take place for the distressed Subjects in most cases onely Papists Jesuites Priests and such others as propagate Popery or Arminianism are countenanced spared and have much liberty and from hence followed among others these dangerous consequences I. FIrst the general hope and expectation of the Romish part that their superstitious Religion will ere long be fully planted in this Kingdom again and so they are encouraged to persist therein and to practice the same openly in divers places to the high dishonour of God and contrary to the laws of the Realm II. Secondly the discouragement and destruction of all good Subjects of whom all multitudes both Clothiers Merchants and others being deprived of their Ministers and over-burthened with these pressures have departed the Kingdom to Holland and other parts and have drawn with them a great part of manufacturé of Cloth and Trading out of the land into other places where they reside whereby wooll the great staple of the Kingdom is become of small value and vends not trading is decayed many poor people want work Sea-men lose employment and the whole land much impoverished to the great dishonour of this Kingdom and blemishment to the government thereof III. The present wars and commotions hapned between his Majesty and his Subjects of Sâ—otland wherein his Maiesty and all his Kingdom are indangered and suffer greatly and are like to become a prey to the common Enemy in case the wars go on which we exceedingly fear will not onely go on but also encrease to an utter ruine of all unlesse the Prelateâ— with their dependancies be removed out of England and also they and their practises who as we under your Honours favour do verily believe and conceive have occasioned the quarrel All which we humbly refer to the consideration of this honourable Assembly desiring the Lord of Heaven to direct you in the right way to redresse all these evils FINIS THE ANATOMIE OF THE Common Prayer-Book Wherein is Remonstrated the Unlawfulness of it and that by Five several Arguments Namely From the Name of it The Rise The Matter The Manner and The Evil Effects of it John 9.31 Now we know that GOD heareth not Sinners but if any man be a Worshipper of God and doth his Will him he heareth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A pure Prayer is Gods Temple By DWALPHINTRAMIS Printed in the year 1661. TO The Well-affected READER Christian Reader OUt of a Respect to the Glory of the great God who is a God that will he worshipped by true Worshippers in Spirit and in Truth as also with a Desire of thy eternal good here is presented this following Treatise which was formerly Penned by some Eminent Orthodox Divines Late Non-Conformists wherein are many solid Arguments and Reasons declaring and clearly proving the Book of Common-Prayer or Liturgie to be wholly taken out of the Masse-book As first The Common-Prayers are taken out of the Breviary Secondly The Administration of the Sacraments Burial Matrimony Visitation of the Sick are taken out of the Ritual or Book of Rites Thirdly The Consecration of the Lords Supper Collects Epistles and Gospels are out of the Masse-book Fourthly The Ordination of Archbishops Bishops and Ministers is out of the Roman Pontifical So that the Service-book being thus unmasked is plainly evinced to be a rank Impostor in Gods Worship and notwithstanding its long Possession it is even a violent intruder in the House of God Then a Word to you Readers which are of Three sorts either doubtful in suspense vvho by this Treatise may be fully resolved or such as use it and Idolize it by strength of Reason may be brought off and that such as cannot brook it may be encouraged not only as a Learned Author observeth because many of Gods People are of the same mind but chiefly because God is of the same mind Lastly How much doth it concern all such who have lifted up their hands to the Most High God in a Solemn League and Covenant for the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Prophaness and the Reformation of Religion in Doctrine Worship and Discipline according to the Word of God and the best Reformed Churches to contend earnestly for the Truth and for purity in Gods Worship This being the prime work of the day and of this
so ordered aâ— decency and the dignity of so holy an Office shall require We have thought fit by the advice of our Brethren the Bishops who are to assist in that sacred Administration and with whom we have consulted in that behalf to order That at seven of the clock in the morning of the said day the Lords Bishops Elect do attend us at the Dean of Christ-Church his house and that all the Bishops Consecrators be there also in their corner'd Caps Rochets and Chimers That notice be given to the said Deans of the two Cathedral Churches of Dâ—blin that they likewise are expected to attend at the same time and place in their formalities That the said Deans respectively shall give orders to the Dignitaries Prebendaries Canons Pettit-Canons Vicars Chorals and Choristers that they do attend at the same hour in their respective formalities in the body of Christ-Church That the Vice Chancellor or Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University all Doctors of Divinity and of the Law as also all the Ministers and Civilians in this City with the whole University do likewise repair thither so far as they can conveniently furnish themselves with gowns and formalities to their respective Offices and Dignities appertaining That the order of proceeding be as followeth The Pursivant of the Court of Prerogative and the Apparatour general bare-headed The Vergers of the said two Cathedrals also bare-headed The Choristers two and two and the rest of the Procedents also in order two and two as followeth Vicars-Chorals Pettit-canons Prebends Dignitaries The said two Deans The Bishops Elect in their Albs. The Lord Primates Gent. Usher and Secretary bare-headed The Lord Primate The other Bishops Consecrators two and two The Bedel of the University The Vice-Chancellor or Provice-Chancellor and Provost Deans and Doctors two and two That the abovesaid orders may proceed with a silent solemn and slow-paced gravity until the time of entrance into the West-gate of St. Patricks Church where the Vicars and Choristers are to proceed singing into the Quire and there continue singing the te Deum accompanied with the Organ untill the Archbishops Bishops and the rest of the principal precedents shall be placed and seated in their respective stalls That the office of morning prayer be solemnly celebrated by the Dean of the said Church Which ended Dr. Jer. Taylor Lord Bishop Elect of Down designed to preach the Concio ad Clerum is to ascend the Pulpit during the singing of per veni nobis That after the said Bishop hath ended his Sermon he be conveyed by the Verger to his Stall That upon his Lordships descent from the Pulpit an Anthem be sung That from the end of the Anthem the voice of the Organ be heard and continued until the Lord Primate and the other Bishops who are to consecrate ascend into the enclosure within the rails and somewhat longer at least till the noise which may be occasioned by the usual motion of the People from their places after Sermon shall cease That after the Primate and Bishops Consecrators are seated in their chairs and the sound of the Organs continuing the Vicar-General as sent by the said Primate is to go to the Lords Elect sitting in their stalls and so with the Dean of St. Patrick to conduct their Lordships to the enclosure and there to range them in their order according as direction shall be given by the Primate That then the office of consecration be celebrated which ended the Anthem to that purpose composed by the Dean of St. Patricks called Quam denuo exaltavit Dominus coronam be sung as it here followeth Anthem after the Consecration Treble Now that the Lord hath re-advanct the Crown Which thirst of spoil and frantick zeal threw down Tenor. Now that the Lord the Miter hath restor'd Which with the Crown lay in the dust abhor'd Treble Praise him ye Kings Chorus all sing Tenor Praise him ye Priests Chorus all sing Glory to Christ our High-Priest Higheâ—â— King Treble May Judahs Royal Scepter still shine clear Tenor. May Aarons holy Rod still blossoms bear Treble and Tenor. Scepter and Rod rule still and guide our land And those whom God anoints fâ—el no rude hand May Love Peace Plenty wait on Crown and Chair And may both share in blessings as in care Chorus Angels look down and joy to see Like that above a Monarchy Angels look down and joy to see Like that above an Hierarchy That while Veni Creator is in singing the Bishops to be consecrated shall have their Rochets and Chimers put on which done the consecration ended and the Anthem and Te Deum sung the Communion is to follow and after the Communion the blessing to be pronounced by the Lord Primate That after the Consecration ended the whole Pâ—ocession do attend us to the Primate his lodgings That the laetificetur cor Regis be sung before the Lord Primate as he goeth from the quire to the outward part of the Church That in the return of his Grace from the Church the procession be so altered that the now consecrated Arch-Bishops and Bishops be disposed with the other Bâ—shops Consecrators according to the respective dignities of their Sees Quality and Seniority of Consecration This is an exact Copy Jo. Armacanus A Particular of the manifold Evils Pressures and Grievances caused practised and occasioned by the Prelates and their Dependants I. FIrst the subjecting and inclining all Ministers under them and their Authority and so by degrees exempting of them from the Temporal power whence follows II. The faint-heartedness of Ministers to preach the truth of GOD least they should displease the Prelates as namely the Doctrine of Predestination of Free-grace of Perseverance of Original sin remaining after Baptisme of the Sabâ—ath the Doctrine against Vniversal Grace Election for faith fore-seen Free will against Antichrist Non residents humane Inventions of GODS worship All which are generally with-field from the peoples knowledge because not relishing to the Bishops III. The incouragement of Ministers to dispise the Temporal Magistracie the Nobles and Gentry of the Land to abuse the Subjectâ— and live contentiously with their nighbours knowing that they being the Bishops Creatures they shall be supported IV. The restraint of many godly and able men from the Ministry and thrusting out of many Congregations their faithful dilâ—gent and powerful Ministers who lived peaceably with them and did them good only because they cannot in conscience submit unto and maintain the Bishops needlesse divices nay sometimes for no other cause but for their zeale in preaching or great Auditories V. The suppressing of that Godly design set on foot by certain Sects and sugred with many great gifts by sundry well-affected persons for the buying of Impropriations and placing of able Ministers in them maintaining of Lectures and founding of Free-schooles which the Prelates could not endure least it should darken their glories and draw the Ministers from their dependance upon them VI. The great increase of Idle lewd and
motive of their kneeling the Conclusion then must needs hold that it is Idolatry disjunct or improper at least as we argue against the Papists But if the minds of thousands of ignorant receivers in the Country were known it is to be feared they fall foul on conjunct or proper Idolatry making the Bread Octjectum determinativum in plain the Bread the Object of their Worship with which sin the Papists charge all the Protestant kneelers for if Christ were not there bodily say the Jesuits we would rather be racked with horses than kneel So said Spalato after his revolt to Rome and we confess ingenuously if the Papists should retort this argument upon us it would put the learned'st Conformers to a non-plus to evade it Here were place to have a fling at the Cross but we referre the desirous Reader to Zions Plea P. 95. to ◠106. wherein there is a succinct and learned Treatise against the Cross proving it by many strong Arguments to be the mark of the Beast All these and much more are the houshold-stuff of the Service-book against which we will produce one argument more in the closure of this point namely God will not hear the prayers of the Service-Book Ergo they are not to be offered The Antecedent shall be proved from that place of Saint Johns Gospel Ioh. 9.31 God heareth not sinners if any man be a worshipper of him and doer of his will him he heareth out of the latter part we reason thus negatively a contrario those prayers which are not a doing of the will of God God heareth not This Proposicion is confirmed from other places the Intercessions of the Saints saith the Apostle must be according to the will of God Rom. 8.27 Esa 1.12 and if they be not the Lord will say Who requireth them Now to the latter Proposition But the Prayers of the Service-book are not the doing of the will nor according to the will of God witness all the former Reasons given against it therefore God will not hear them CHAP. VIII Three Motives HAving thus clearly evinced by so many Reasons as a cloud of witnesses the unlawfulness of the Lyturgie for the expunging whereof we shall adde some more Motives in the closure Let us now humbly crave your Honours favour that according to the justness of our desires and the truth of the Reasons alledged you would be pleased for the love that you bear and owe to the Lord Jesus to the purity of his worship to the thriving of our bodies souls and estate to the turning away of Gods judgements mediate and immediate to your gaining of honour above all your Predecessors to the chearing of the hearts of Gods People the daunting of the enemies and the making our Jerusalem the praise of the world Matt. 15.13 by all these and many more we again and again intreat you to pluck up that Plant of the Service-book which God never set O how the Prelatical Priests grumble when they hear of this place and as the wicked Manichees abused this place in applying it against the Law of God so we have had woful experience how the Hierarchical Crue endeavour with tooth and nail therein worse than the Manichees to supplant Gods Law of whom we might justly say with the Prophet they have almost undone thy Law the Worship of God is a prime and precious piece the ultimate end as a Divine saith of all sacred performances Alsteed though the edification of man be the end subordinate pure it is and should be like God himself yea it is called the fear of God Psal 15.10 in regard of that reverend awe that should be upon men when they are in divine duties when Jacob awaked from the Vision it is said he was afraid and said How dreadful is this place Isa 29.13 this is none other but the house of God and the gate of Heaven by which is meant Gen. 28.15 the house of God where the Saints are assembled whose fear should be as Jacobs not a slavish fear nor an Idolatrous fear but a filial fear not daring to present to their Father in worship what he hath not planted commanded Bernard descants very sweetly upon this terribilis plane locus dignus omni reverentia c. 6 Serm. Psal 57. a terrible place indeed saith the Father not meaning the stone wals but the presence of God in the Assembly where the faithful inhabit the Angels frequent and God himself dwelleth How curious was Moses the man of God in the matter and manner of Gods worship Exod. 10 26. that he would neither have horn nor hoof over or under the Commandement that was the ground of his punctuality from which he would not go one hairs breadth and wherein we intreat your Honours to follow him to the full Caleb is said to follow God We will go and sacrifice unto the Lord our God as he shall say unto us Can it be so said of the Service-book No sure it is no sacrifice of a sweet smell Let any man that feareth God tell us ingenuously Rev 8.3 4. if he believeth that Christ the Golden Censer standing at the golden Altar will receive the Lyturgie prayers and persume them with the odours of his merits present them to the Father surely we have no ground for it Rom. 7.2 7. because as aforesaid they are not according to the will of his Father Yea Christ seems to threaten out of his own mouth the contrary in Psal 16. which is meant Christ he speaking of and threatning their Idolatrous service he tells them plainly he will not pour out their oblations that is he will not be a Mediator to their services and surely this is no acceptable service it is no beaten oyl for the Lamp though Mr. Wommock pleased to stile it so it is not sure that pure oyl Zach. 4.3 4. out of the two olives into the golden Lamp that lightens the Sanctuary but it is rather Train Oyl and scarce so good that fouls the house darkneth the light and for its messages to heaven which he mentioneth in his Epistle we have made a good Plea as we conceive for the contrary let him disprove it if he can For the whole Book though it concern them with whom he dealeth in it yet because it glisters as if there were metal in it we may lay it a little to the test The Epistle hath two heads in the former he maintaineth set Prayer in general in the latter he endeavoureth to justifie the set Prayers of the Liturgy in particular In both these the expressions be smooth and the Palliations stretched to the furthest but it may be said without offence of both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too neat but nothing useful The head of set Prayer we have not touched yet till we come to answer some Objections but we cannot but wonder at Mr. Epist p. 7 Wommocks incogitancy to father a set Form
observed by the Commissioners we may fear will prove too true the same causes will not fail to produce the same effects witness Simeon and Levi's digging thorow the wall that is the present conspired Plots of Treason like to blow up all if they be not hindered even when you and your brethren are making up the breach Now as we are tied by Oath to the preservation of this Peace according to our Power We can look for no peace with God nor blessing from God if we give way to that or suffer that according to our power that breaketh this peace They say in the Preface of the Ceremonies that without Ceremonies it is impossible to keep Order or quiet Discipline in the Church So we reply that Mans Ceremonies in Gods Worship will spoil the peace and quietnesse both of Discipline and Worship witnesse the putting of the Ark upon the Philistims Cart Apoph 66 though it was a new one Erasmus telleth us quod mala non sunt tantum abolenda sed etiam quae speciem mali in se habent things evil of themselves are not onely to be abolished but those that have in them appearance of evil In all this Noble Senators We take not upon us to put uncouth glosses upon your Edicts but under favour we use the words without forcing to overturn that which crosseth the Truth and peace of Religion and State as means conduce to the end so impediments frustrate the end if they be not removed And now since under favour We have presumed to inlarge our selves in this point oâ— Peace We beg leave of your Honours to speak a word or two of the Improbabilities of Peace here among our selves without removal of that stumbling block the Service-book People can worse be without the Ordinance than without Liberties Lives and Being When Pompey the Great was about to supply Rome with food in a great Famine the Master of the Ship told him when he went abroad a great Storm appearing that he could not sayle and live Pompey replyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is necessity of Sayling but not of Living and in this case what shall they do for with this Mock-ordinance or Will-worship of the Service-book they dare not joyn There are such multitudes of people saith Smectymnuus that distaste this Book that unlesse it be taken a course withall there is no hope of any mutual agreement between Gods Ministers and their people We will say no more of this but let the sudden tumult raised by that Make-bate Service-book in Scotland be a seasonable Caveat to us and all other Nations to strike with Authority lest that which should be done with the Right hand be done unhappily with the left hand Here might be place for another Motive namely from the reward sed recte fecisse praemium to do nobly is reward enough God employeth not man propter indigentiam sed propter munificentiam so much for any need of him as for honouring of him by that employment up then as the Lord biddeth you your Honour shall be blazoned through the world you shall be called the Saviours upon Mount Zion in setting Christ on his Throne and the Kingdom shall be the Lords Answer of the Surplice WE had almost forgotten to say somewhat of one rag of the Ceremonies namely the Surplice of all the Idolatrous Rites not least yea worse we dare averre than that Plague fore-clout which was sent as should appear to infect Mr. Pym and the rest of the House for this rag is so infectious in Gods worship that many thousands of Gods people dare not joyn with it and that upon good grounds as shall appear for as it hath been argued against all the rabble of the Ceremonies it is mans device and hath been an Idol in Gods worship Therefore in the worship of God it must be an Idol still The Antecedent no man will deny for it hath been the Master Idol in worship amongst the Papists sanct fying all other Idols and without which it is unlawful to officiâ—te The consequent is as clear from induction of particulars as hath been instanced from groves and things of that nature yea from the Brazen Serpent though of God his Institution now according to the rule of Art either let the Defendant give an instance extra propositum besides the thing in question or acknowledge the truth of the Consequent without contradiction This hath been a grand Instrument of much mischief against the Ministers and People of God as we can shew at large depriving the people of their faithful Ministers and the Minister and theirs of all means of livelihood The unlawfulnesse of this Babylonish Garment will further appear if we look to the original whence we have it We must either have it from Heathen Rome Gallestus which in her Idolatrous service did Apishly imitate Aaron his garments as it is instanced in the reign of Numa 800. years after the Law or we must have it from the Dreides the mad Heathen Priests amongst the Gaules and Britains or from the Antichristian Rome as we have indeed it being one of the Popish Ceremonies retained or lastly from the Pâ—iestly attire of Aaron which Heathen and Popish Rome hath impiously followed denying thereby the Lord Jesus to be come in the flesh who with his graces was typified out by those goodly and beautiful garments Col. 2.17 which being shadows are done away and Christ the Body is come for us then to imitate them in this foolish Relique or to devise a Priestly garment of our own head in Gods worship is to rob Christ of his honour exceedingly and to make our selves deeply guilty of will-worship Had not God himself clothed those garments in the Law with a particular and punctual command for matter and manner they had been foolish and ridiculous things Exod. 39.1 Simler they made the holy garment saith Moses as the Lord commanded which later words as the Lord commanded are repeated as the learned observe nine several times in this Chapter intimating that they did not swerve one jot from Gods â—irection teaching all Gods servants thereby as the learned apply it Pelarg. ut se contineant intra limites verbi Dei that they contain themselves within the limits of Gods Word and bring nothing into the service of God of their own invention for the Apostle calls that Simler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will-worship this being so it appears what evil workers those Ministers are who with an high hand do display this Banner of the Man of Sin against Gods own face in the time of his worship interposing betwixt Gods presence Exod. 39.43 and the worship and diverting of the blessing upon the worship for Moses is said to bless the work of the worship upon this ground because he saw it done as Jehovah had commanded The Hebrewes adde and that truely that because of this the presence of God was in it Isa 20.22 Wherefore we humbly intreat