Selected quad for the lemma: truth_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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to each other in their publick Liturgies and devotions so chiefly to their King or Prince and chief governour that as they have the honour of one God and Saviour so they may have the comfort to enjoy the same Sacraments and holy mysteries in the same method manner form and words without any envy or offence cavill or contention censure or uncharitablenesse emulation or jealousie against each other Yea doubtless Subjects cannot be so tite and firm or so zealous and forward or so chearful and constant in their Loyalty love and duty to their Soveraigns if they either think themselves commanded to serve God in a worse way then their Princes use or that their Soveraign and Prince serve God worse and lesse acceptably then themselves certainly the greatest honour love and safety of Kings is from the samenesse of true Religion with their Subjects as to the main though Princes may use greater pomp and solemnity in the publick worship From this seed of Schisme or Serpents teeth of division in Devotion and so in Religion arise the armed men and minds of Civill Wars of both which the good people of England cruelly sore and circumcised are now equally weary sick and ashamed Infinitely blessing the eternall God for his miraculous mercies in redeeming us from the later by the most happy Restauration of our gracious King and passionately praying yea hoping for the other deliverance of this Church from being any longer sawn in sunder with factions in Religion and divided devotions by the excellent wisdom condescention and moderation of the King who as a common Father is of all men in the world the fittest to make us all as Brethren friends by his naturall gentlenesse Christian charity and Princely clemency seconded with Kingly Majesty just Empire and vigorous authority For if His Majesty trust too much to peoples good natures it is most certain they will never agree but onely in this to destroy each other and at length their King the whole Church and their own souls neither Religion must be arbitrary nor government precarious As is apparent in the late inordinate zealotries and desperate frolicks of Religion which under pretence of some mens various and vertiginous Reformations contrary to our laws no lesse then against the will command and conscience of the King run themselves with this famous and florishing Church and Kingdomes into most miserable confusions yea and exposed the late incomparable King to those infinite Tragedies which only Gods grace and his own Christian Heroick constancy to our Laws and Religion could turn to and crown as they did with the honour of Christian Martyrdom for the truth of Jesus setled in the doctrine devotion and discipline of the Reformed Church of England And we see this piece of policy was early used by some Jesuitick engines to foment our sad divisions the Liturgy must be laid aside and people taught to differ from to be jealous of yea to despise the devotion of their Prince which is the flower spirit and quintescence of Religion For the preventing of which Iliades of miseries in Church and State for the future which some mens tongues and pens of late did not obscurely threaten I have as much as in me lies adventured thus freely to express my humble sense in this great concern for an establishment of an uniform Liturgy now under his Majesties and his Loyal Houses of Parliaments consideration Not but that it may be I might as easily dispense with the want of a Liturgy in respect of what is counted by some the gift of prayer as most of those who so gloriously contemn this and all other set forms of publick devotions yet in reference to the publick interests of this Church and State of my most dread and indeared Soveraign and of my Country-men also of our Religion as Christian and Reformed I do in all humble and conscientious freedom declare my judgment as highly approving yea and admiring since I lately perused it most seriously the piety prudence compleatness and aptitude for the main of the Liturgy of the Church of England as the best of any ancient or modern that ever I saw and I think I have seen the most and best of them Some modest and discreet alterations in some words and expressions with some small additions may soon tender it most compleat and polite both for matter and forme yea and satisfactory to all sober Protestants and to true Catholicks But I can never counsel or consent in conscience or prudence in piety loyalty or charity either rudely to innovate or totally to abrogate the Liturgy of the Church of England and as little to leave it free and arbitrary to every Minister whether he will vouchsafe to use it or refuse it For first I shall never live to see any thing set up comparable to the former Liturgy if this be once nulled and destroyed and if after its being reviewed it be not by Law re-established and authoritatively enjoyned but every one is left to ramble as they please I never hope to see Truth or Peace setled in the Church of England which had nothing in it of greater improvement ornament or muniment to the Christian and reformed Religion than this excellent Liturgy was Which I hope and believe His Sacred Majesty as a great and constant Defender of the true Faith will maintain and establish with no less Christian care and Kingly Authority than His Royal Ancestors King CHARLES King JAMES Queen ELIZABETH and King EDWARD did for in this both His Majesties and His Kingdomes welfare as well as the Churches is bound up Nothing will be considerable in England for publick Piety Honour Order Beauty and Solemnity much less for Charity and Peace if in this point of publick Devotion and Worship Ministers and People be left to eternal variations and mutual vexations Farewell the Glory Charity Unity and Safety of England farewell both Reformation and true Religion Other Objections or scruples which some sober men make are easily either satisfied or charitably smothered nor may things of publick consent and legal constitution be every day shaken or altered by every mans supercritical curiosity and needlesse severity things that are safe and setled in the circumvallation and defence of what is true and good are not every day to be put upon the tenters of new mutations in order to mend or better their condition or under an ambition of aspiring to the Acropolis or pinacle and height of what by some is thought absolutely best in its kind many times as St. Augustine observes the novelty in these things doth not compensate the scandal difficulty and trouble of attaining it much less of onely ayming at it with fruitless essaies of mendings which leave all things worse then they found them Our first pious and wise Reformers and the best Parlaments of England since that time with the people of all sorts heretofore justly thought it an high degree of happinesse to have by