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
one or two Verses there cited in the Margin to which they refer the Reader and believer of those words which are great Evangelical Truths clear both in Old and New Testament and confirmed by the joynt suffrage of many Scriptures not to be denyed by any sober Christian nor to be abused by any presumptuous sinners who dayly harden their hearts by deferring their repentance turning that Grace into wantonnesse which God offers and the Church declares to draw men to repentance by the Cords of Divine Love referring I say not only to those single Verses figured in the Margin but to others both in that same Chapter and elsewhere fully to that sense as Verse 27 28 30 31 32. So Ezekiel 33.11 so Isaiah 1.16 17 18. and in many other parallel places as Acts 3.19 promising free and full pardon of sins past to those that fully repent of their sins from the bottom that is with sincere and upright hearts having no reserve of sin under any pleasure or power which is inconsistent with true repentance and sure pardon Is this to be called a lye which is the result of so many Evangelical Scriptures or is it new to find in the New Testament places cited out of the Old not word for word but to the sense scope and summary of one or two united together as Heb. 10.5 6. cited out of Psalm 40.6 7 8. let these supercritical censors compare the words a like allegation or reference is made yea by name cited out of Jeremiah as spoken by him Mat. 27.9 and fulfilled when the place is not verbatim to be found in Jeremiah but most in Zach. 11.12 13. and little in Jer. 1.8 save onely the historical mention of the Potter and the parabolical applying of his work to the Jews so that Mat. 2.23 of being foretold by the Prophets that Jesus should be called a Nazarene which is not literally read in any of them yet collectively is in them as Christ is called Netzer Isai 53.2 or as he was typified in Sampson the Nazarite or sacred to God These and many like places well considered upon which no brand of lye or falsity may be fixed though they do not literally and syllabically agree with the quotation but are verified either in a partial or concurrent sense may sufficiently justifie that place in the first front of the Liturgy to be no lye but a Divine Scriptural Truth and may sufficiently shame the popular petulancy of those Ministers who dare cast such high reproches upon the Liturgy and the whole Church upon so true grounds or merits at all which is so vile a rashness in men pretenders to Learning and Sanctity as is infinitely to the disgrace of their persons and profession so to abuse the common people and maintain faction by calling good evil and branding Gods Truth with the Devils mark of a Lye As then the present Liturgy cannot justly be exautorated and abolished without infinite inconveniencies and mischiefs so nor may it as I said before and again cautiously repeat be rudely changed as to the main beyond any want that really is in its matter or forme which are holy and comely which would be an over-pragmatick boldness much to the reproch as of all times and duties past so to the great dissatisfaction of the present Age in which many yea most judicious and steddy Christians do highly desire justly approve love and devoutly use the Liturgy as a very excellent publick form of judicious humble holy united and pathetick Devotion I am sure we all need it as to our common relations and publick devotions and truly those commonly most need it who are most inconsiderately eager to be rid of it some alledging If nothing else yet the great length and burthen of it if all parts must be used by each single Minister in one Lords Day besides other duties of praying preaching and chatechising expected from him to all which a man aged or infirme will hardly be sufficient For Answer to this Truly I never knew any such rigor or exaction used toward any Minister that did soberly and ingenuously shew his conformity to the use of the Liturgy as occasion required and as his strength or time would fairly bear but to crowd all or most of it quite out of the Church onely to make way for the pomp and ostentation of mens private gifts this is not to obey but to baffle and affront the authority of Church and State by a most preposterous pride and disobedience Therefore there might be an appointment of some parts which shall never be omitted others appointed on some days and occasions only in the Sacramental forms all Ministers should be commanded to use them wholly and solely This is in Reason and Religion in Order and Church-polity evident that private Ministers prayers should not be as great trees over-dropping the Church Liturgy but only as small grafts or little inocculation added to it and growing modestly with it as the main standard test and measure of publick devotions upon the unity and harmony of which setled by due authority and preserved with efficacy depends the peace and unity of this Church and State as much as the house did on its pillars which Sampson pulled down Nor doth any Minister upon due examination if he pray soberly and judiciously add any thing in his particular forms which is not for the main and general parallel fore-comprised in the Liturgy There is no outward conservation of Ecclesiasticall and Civil peace comparable to that of united Religion whose orbe or sphear is true Doctrine its center holy Devotion and its circumference good Government or Autoritative order and polity The one is best set forth in a few clear Articles the other in a constant Liturgy and the last in Catholick Episcopacy all must be conform to the word of God for the main contrary to which nothing is to be believed prayed or obeyed in the Church of Christ Our Doctrine blessed be God as a Christian and Reformed Church is not much shaken or can be justly disputed by men of any worth for it is Scripturall primitive and Catholick if to this union of Doctrine we can be happy to adde and enjoy that of an uniform Liturgy and to joyn to both for their preservation a setled Church Government by learned pious industrious and authoritative Bishops assisted with grave humble and choise Presbyters nothing will be wanting by Gods blessing to Englands happiness or the honour of his Majesties most welcome person and government whose wisdom doubtlesse never intends either to exautorate the Liturgy by leaving all to Liberty or to Enervate Episcopacy by sending Bishops to govern without any jurisdiction or coercive authority either Spiritual or Ecclesiastical which is indeed to make both King and Bishop despised Add to all this How not only comely and convenient but even necessary it is in order to publick peace that people of all sorts should be thus united as
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