4 and 5 Centuries might mistake 3. I am not concerned to make good what Smectymnuus said tho I knew the Men that made that Book and know that none of them wanted learning but for the Commissioners of the Savoy their saying they could find no intire Liturgies within the first 300 years doth not argue that they found any then for I am sure they did not but those being the times of the purer Primitive Church they by their Commission were concerned to speak to no more I do say it again that they might have said That they find no Record of any Liturgy universally used or imposed and commanded to be used by all for 600 years till the time of Gregory the great nor then by any imposed but by Gregory the worst of all the Bishops of Rome before his time whose Judgment and Practice in this case signified little but under the Protection of Charles the Great 200 years after that I repeat not here an Answer to the Answerers silly Reflection p. 138 I believe I knew what time Gregory the Great and Charles the Great lived before our Vindicator could construe his Cato and that his Book did not enlighten me with this glorious peice of Learning the Supplement will inform him and all those who have a mind to laugh at such lamentable Exceptions We must attend hereafter to what our Author can say to prove Liturgies of Prayer generally used or commanded to be used before the time of Gregory the great 4. In the mean time he takes notice that I will not allow that the three Canons which he quoted that of the Councel of Laodicea cap. 18. of the third Councel of Carthage can 23. of Milevis can 12. had any res ect to Liturgies and their establishment Where have I denied they had no respect to Liturgies Or what doth he mean by Estab ishment For still it is not our Interest I perceive to speak plainly and distinctly I have denyed and do deny that those Canons have the least tittle of proof That Liturgies in the time when those Canons were made and yet the last of these was more then 400 years after Christ were generally used or commanded to be generally used one of which they must prove before they have proved that my Opinion Tâ—at the Vniversal use of Liturgies is not lawful in all probability is false because contrary to the judgment of the Church for 1300 years past 5. I had reason to say so when the last of these Councels was not till 402 and then made for a particular Church and in a particular case which I have else where largely shewed and given a full account of it and for the Two first Supplement p. 30 31 32 33 34 35 36. it is doubted whether ever there were any such Councils and tho this Author produceth something out of Justellus to prove there was such a Council of Laodicea yet there is no Canon of it enjoyning a Form of Prayers should be used morning and evening Other Collectors of Councils very ancient too have no such Council there was but 22 or 42 at it and for the other 3 Carthag Justellus tells our Vindicator the 23 Cannon could not be theirs for that Council made but 21 nor is the 23th to be found in Justellus his Code of the African Church where it should have been if it had been of any authority And our Vindicator tells us too this Code was extant 451 so as at that time they knew of no such Canon And though the first mentioned Canon of Laodicea was taken into the Code which Code was approved by the Council of Calcedon Anno 451. yet there is no proof that Forms of Prayer were then generally used or imposed For the Canon it self mentions no more then a publick Ministry of Prayers as to which Forms are not necessary In the late times in Colledge Chappels there was morning and evening 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where no Forms were used but a certain Order observed all the Week and Year long And indeed this is an usual Cheat in these debates when Men hear or read of a Liturgy of Prayers they presently think there 's a proof for Forms of Praâ—er when it is but of late years that the term Liturgy hath been appropriated to signifie a Common Prayer Book And admit there were such a Council of Carthage and they made what is called the 23 Canon which Justellus denieth yet that as I have shewed in my Supplement determined no such thing that of Milevis or Mela indeed did but in a very small Corner of the Church and for a very particular reason and the Vindicator cannot say these 2 Canons were ever brought into Justellus his Code or confirmed by any general Council But of this matter I have elsewhere said enough 6. For what our Author objects p. 143. to prove the Laodicean Canon injoyned more then the same Ministry or Order of Prayer even Forms From the next Canon it speaketh not a word of Forms more then the other only three Prayers were made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the words used neither of them signifying the reading of a Prayer out of a Book by a Form See at the end of the Book in the Review a full Answer to all said by Dr. Faulkner on this head Whereas our Answerer p. 144 complains I have not read over or considered what he hath said to prove that the Canon of Carthage contrary to the plain sense of the words commanded a Form he will find it taken notice of in my Supplement largely enough p. 28. For the Councel of Milevis it proves no universal use nor any Vniversal Imposition Now that Forms may be used by some Ministers and at some times and that in some particular Exigent they may be Vniversally Imposed for a time which was the cause then I do not doubt but enough is said of that Council Supplement p. 30.31 c. I leave to any Reader to judge whether it is not like a very great part of their Ministry were tainted with Pelagianism whatever our Vindicator saith 7. I shall not trouble my self further about this Section the Argument if it were good concluding nothing as to the Lawfulness and Vnlawfulness I have said in my Supplement as much as I think can be said at least as I can say and so I think hath our Answerer let the Reader judge who hath spoken with most probability and from most Credible Authority So far as we understand the truth of Church Affairs for the first 300 years which we can have no great certainty of for the generality of our Editions are from the Papists who would let us know as little of the truth as they could where it was contrary to their Practice what was held practiced and retained in the Church not being matter of Faith within two hundred years after Christ is no great guide to our Practice tho I said and do believe that Forms of Prayer were
not control'd by any Law hath otherwise expounded the Statute I doubt not but in many of their Congregations Prayer and Praise as to these Providences hath not been restrained from the Almighty But your Honours know what is truth in the Affair more than any private Person can and who knows not that the particular Emergencies respecting several Congregations and the Members of them are such as had need of Forms to be made every week to have them comprehensive of all just matter of Prayer and Praise for that Congregation 7. Nor finally are the Sufferings of Multitudes both of Ministers and People things invaluable not to look back further than the manifestation of His Majesties and the Parliaments good will for Dissenters liberty Anno 1672 and 1673. though it was not formally perfected by an Act. It would fill a Volume to tell your Honours how many and how great the Sufferings of good men have been since that time all have been bottomed in this or at least most of them that the most of the Sufferers have not thought it lawful either to perform their Ministerial Acts in Prayer by the prescribed Forms of others or to hear such a Ministration and therefore Ministers who thought themselves obliged to Preach have been constrained to do it in private and People who could not satisfie themselves without hearing somewhere have been inforced to hear in Private Meetings Hence both Ministers and People have been most wofully pursued in Ecclesiastical Courts at Assizes and Sessions some to the loss of two Thirds of their Estates some to Imprisonment for six Years together some one way and to one degree others in another way to another degree Some more legally in Courts where some have been found to defend a righteous Cause Others more illegally they have had doors broken open their Goods taken away to great Values when some Ministers have been 20 Miles off at that time when they were sworn to preach at Meetings Others private Persons at great distances from home or sick in their Beds yet have not been able to remedy themselves But it were infinite to run into Particulars we doubt not but your Honours have seen and heard enough as if some men had designed to leave none to whom the King and Parliament should shew any mercy All this while the Papists scarce one of whose Names we heard of in any Courts were hatching their most Hellish Designs against the Life of the King our Religion and Government since which time their Designs have broken out and been made manifest to our English World and certainly the madness of some Protestants to speak no worse and their apparent inclinations to more charity for Papists than Protestants whose very Name some of these men do not like Catholicks they say pleaseth them better it is easie to be judged they do but keep the Epithet within their teeth for a while layeth an high obligation on all true Englishmen to unite all Protestants that we be not made a common Prey 8. Yet did we ask of your Honours to take away all Liturgies our desire might be more liable to Exception why should we prescribe to others Consciences Nor did they in 1641. it was the Act of a Parliament in which not the Tenth part were either Presbyterians or Independents They only desire the leaving it at liberty as in most if not in all other Reformed Churches Nor are they ambitious of Bishopricks Deanaries Prebendaries they can truly say Nolumus Episcopari let the King give these things to whom he pleaseth Let us but have Bread and a liberty to Preach the Gospel without the wounding of our Consciences 9. Now may the Great God of Peace grant an happy understanding betwixt His most Excellent Majesty and Your Honours May the King live and live for ever and the Parliament be as a sheaf of Arrows in His Hand to strike through the loins of all those who have ill-will to Him to the Reformed Religion or Ancient Government of this Nation And may Your Honours have the glory of causing your Banished to return and being called The Repairers of our Breaches The Restorers of our waste places to be inhabited So shall all Posterity call you blessed And your Petitioners ever humbly pray c. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ENSUING DISCOURSE Offered to every Intelligent and Pious Reader Good Reader I. THou hast found me so unhandsomly Represented in a Book of Dr. Falkners which he calleth A Vindication of Liturgies To which I have here returned an Answer that I cannot but judge it reasonable that I should introduce thee into my following Discourse with a Character of my self I had my time of Childhood and Vanity as well as others and perhaps did my self once think that there was no such Service of God as by Forms of Prayer But since I began to write Man since I understood any thing of Communion with God since I entred into the Ministry which is now Thirty four Years I have seen what I judged reason to be of another mind My whole Ministry hath been ordinarily exercised in one and the same place where my Conversation hath been exposed to a sufficient view As the time of my appearing to the World will clear me from having Concerns in the late Wars from having any thing to do in pressâ—ng the Covenant or the Ejecting Silencing and Imprisoning Men for the refusal of it So it is enough to tell you that I never came near an Army nor ever saw the face of Oliver Lord Protector nor ever had the least Preferment from him or Concernment with him I was always a man of a very open and free Converse and have had the honour of an Acquaintance and Converse with the most Learned men of the Episcopal Presbyterian or Congregational Persuasions in the place where I lived and elsewhere in some degrees Tros Tyriusque mihi c. Where I saw Learning and Sobriety I never made a difference thinking That the Kingdom of God lay not in these things I have had many opportunities as to men of an Episcopal Judgment to do them signal Kindnesses or Injuries of the former I did many of the latter none to any one Learned and Sober Man I always thought England was short enough of them for its Ministerial Uses so as we should not make a particular Persuasion an occasion to render them useless In the late Times I constantly pleaded the cause of any Minister in question if he were question'd only for using the Common-Prayer not for any fundamental Error nor for any Debauchery in his Life I must confess I always thought a Sottish Minister was the vilest of men and never had an heart to plead one of their Causes though I think there is not one of them can say I did them further injury than by leaving them to plead for themselves This freedom of Converse I kept till His Majesties Restauration and several Years after until I saw that some as I judged at least
partly connate and natural partly revealed in Holy Writ that in matter of Gods Worship their Reason is to work not so much upon the first as second sort of these Principles hence they form Conclusions from comparing Scripture with Scripture in the light of which they walk And even in this ratiocination they do think Optimus Philosophus non nascitur and therefore judge none but walk in their own Light making no Mens Dictates or Decrees the Rule of their Practice in the things of God but crying out To the Law and to the Testimony and for the determination of the sense of that as to their own practice finally resting in the practical judgment of their own consciences If any represent them to the World as Dunces Men that have nothing to say for their dissent from others but doing what they do out of meer Faction Rebellion Disobedience to Rulers They are ready to give a reasonable account of their Actions 3. This was the apparent design of that Book composed immediately upon the coming out of the Vindicators Libertas Ecclesiastica and more than two years since given to a friend after which the Author never saw it till he saw it in print and abating the Errors of the Press the Author sees no cause to put it into his Retractations nor doth believe that one leaf of it will be a grief of heart to him when he comes to die nor be charged upon him as guilt with reference to the main matter of it in the day of Judgment But because we will not believe because the Church that is some who call themselves so believe that Faith and Fervency are the gift of Vocal Ministerial Prâ—yer which is no better than Nonsense and that there is a Natural Eternal Order and Decency left to the liberty of Rulers to specifie in particulars antecedent to the will of God concerning external Worship to which the plain precepts of God for attention and fervency in Prayer must give place and be by it regulated or that words are no essential part of Ministerial Publick Prayer and some other such like unintelligible things and as unscriptural we must be exposed at this rate for most unparallell'd Dunces and Rebels to Authority and persons who to use our Vindicators words in the close of his Introduction vent Notions to widen our Breaches and such as are inconsistent with the publick establishment of a Church and which put advantages into the hands of other Enemies the drift whereof tends to confusion and the matter of them is unsound and untrue when as in truth the imposition of Forms of Prayer on all Ministers and inforcing them to use and all the people to hear them hath been the source of all our Breaches and most if not all and those the purest Churches are established without any such imposition and they are only used amongst our greatest adversaries from whom it is that we are reformed as all men know such misteries of sense some men speak in their passion 4. From hence may appear how truly the Vindicator tells his Reverend Diocesan in the Epistle Dedic That for justifying our Seperation I have adventured so far as to charge the general use of Forms of Prayer to be sinful which if it were true would indeed be a high accusation against our Publick Worship The matter is neither so nor so if the Vindicator doth not judge this good Logick What some pious men judge as to themselves unlawful is certainly and absolutely so which is so weak as every one will see the inconsequence of it Our Vindicator will hardly be pleased to hear me tell my Reader That there is not much truth to be expected from him who so manifestly prevaricates in the first leaves nor consistency from him the second p. of whose Epistle Dedicatory agreeth no better with his Title page tho p. 138 he minds his Reader That he may not reaâ—onably expect any accuracy in the right computation for the birth and first product of Liturgies from me who talks so loosely and falsly about the Age wherein Gregory the Great lived when yet the mistake was his own not mine as I shall hereafter fully shew 5. I am beholden to the Vindicator for allowing me both in his Epistle Ded. and else where to have stated my Question plainly and then produced my Arguments but I am not so far engaged to him for owning no more in my Book than slender and weak appearances of Reason and what was not like to prevail much with understanding men wanting strength of Argument But these things being yet in Issue I shall say nothing to them save only this That in some causes it is necessary to fore speak Readers and more politick to prejudice them then to leave them to their own judgments for the strength of the Argument I shall once more try that with them and examine whether he indeed hath as he saith This great advantage to have manifest truth on his side 6. In his Introduction p. 1 2. He tells us he thought my Vndertaking strange and that in my Book he found nothing of any great weight I am not much concerned at his thinking my Undertaking strange nothing freer then thoughts But why strange Was it not the contrary Opinion that broke the Church at Frankfort in the beginning of our Reformation Was it not 100 years since disputed in Latine betwixt one Carpenter and an English Minister fled into Holland My self hath the printed Copy of it hath not Mr Cotton long since declared his judgment against the lawfulness a Prophet without Honour from a party in his own Countrey but whose name is not only very honourable to multitudes at this day in England but over all the World where the Gospel is Preached Hath not the judgment of the Churches in New-England been the same if not more rigid then mine Hath it not been the judgment of the Church of Scotland ever since the Reformation Nay is it not the judgment of all Reformed Churches at this day where Liturgies are only prescribed and left at liberty Why then should this undertaking be so strange Especially considering that himself tells us in his Epistle Dedica That the Genius of the Non-con Party is much set against them and in their Practice they generally reject them eagerly 3. Tho indeed he saith in his Epistle That the more cautious and wary Men amongst us dissenters will not Affirm the constant use of Forms Sinful because they think suâ—h a Position not defensible But the question is Whether those Cautious Wary Men will not affirm The Vniversal use and imposition of Forms of Prayer in Publick Worship and such Forms too as were never prescribed by God or Christ or any Prophets or Apostles unlawful I never yet met with one such Dissenter tho never so Wary and Cautious and thus much I dare say That in the whole County where our Vindicator lives there is not one single Dissenting Minister would take up a Living
doth not Prayer as I told him p. 61. is in Scripture called a crying to God a wrestling with him a powring out of our Souls it must be with strong cries and groans Is there any such thing said of Reading the Scriptures Or of Singing Psalms Attention of our thoughts indeed is required in all so are such degrees of Fervor as are proper to those duties but what if God will require some degrees of Homage to be performed to him one way some another some in a way not capable of the like degrees of Attention and Fervour as others are such I take reading the Scriptures to be is it not enough for us to do that duty with such degrees of Attention and Fervour as he requires in that duty tho we do not do it with such degrees of Attention and Fervour as in that duty he hath not required Or shall it be concluded by any man of reason that the mean which God hath appointed by which we may serve him in one duty as in Reading the Scripture it is nothing but the use of our ability to read which is not by reason of the infirmity of our nature capable of such an attention of our thoughts which will wander if they have the least liberty may be used in another duty of another Species where God requires other degrees of Attention and Fervour or that the mean which he hath given us for that duty is not necessary but that duty also may lawfully be performed in the use of a mean which doth hinder such degrees of Attention and Fervour 19. This was the substance of one of my Answers tho a little further opened now what saith our Vindicator to this Truly little what he saith is p. 135. in these words and no more But what he saith That there are different workings of the Soul towards God in Singing and in Prayer I suppose he will upon further consideration discern to be an oversight since the Application to God for the same things require the same Pious Exercises of Mind whether it be in Prose or Meeter and it was another oversight that he declares me to know and confess what he thus asserts when I never declared any such thing but know the contrary As to the last Clause Reader judge see Libertas Eccles p. 123. Both in reading the Scriptures and in Prayer our hearts ought to be religiously moved towards God tho in somwhat a different manner Wherein have I wronged him here Neither see I reason to acknowledg the oversight let him prove if he can that we are obliged to Sing Psalms with an equal degree of Fervor of Spirit at all times as we are to Pray Though we may sing the Words of a Prayer yet it is more then I know that we are to make those words our Petitions or to address our Souls unto God for the same things which are the matter of the Psalm we Sing If I thought so I should hardly sing many of Davids Psalms having no occasion for the things he asked of God Nor do I think Singing is the Application of our Souls to God for obtaining Mercies but the Praedication of the Holy Name and Will of God and only to differ from Reading the Scripture as the first is done with the Modulation of the Voice the other not so which Modulation is required as having some force in it to excite several Affections either of Joy or Grief according to the matter sung Further in the same page he saith Tho there be different Acts of the Mind exercised in these duties yet that Consideration Reverence Faith Submission and other Gracious Dispositions which suit the special parts of Divine truth doth require as much seriousness diligence and care in reading the holy Scriptures But doth it require as much Fervour of Spirit and Affections That is the Question and the contrary was shewed by the Phrases wherein Prayer is in Scripture expressed but as to this not a word onely he had shewed before that a Form of Words in Prayer doth not hinder any Exercises of Piety therein What he hath formerly said I have formerly answered I leave the Judgment to any Intelligent Reader 20. I had further told him That the Scriptures are Divine Forms and reading them is a Divine Precept and the Forms we Sing Divine Songs and the Singing of a Congregation by a Form naturally necessary and the duty impossible to be performed but by a Form The Question was only stated about Humane Forms and in a Case where no such thing is necessary all the World will see the inconclusivenes of such Arguings I shall not trouble my self to answer such things further which nothing relate to the Question in issue which himself owned to be plainly and cleerly stated I wish I could say that on his side it had been as plainly and clearly Argued against CHAP. V. An Answer to what the Vindicator hath said in his Third Section of Chap. 3. concenring the General use or Impositions of Forms in the Primitive Church Some further things noted of the Canons of the Provincial Councels of Laodicea Carthage and Milevis Further Discourse upon the head of this Argument waved because the Argument it self if true concludeth nothing as to Lawfulness or Unlawfulness 1. I am now come to the Argumentum Palmarium of our Adversaries in this Question the pretended Practice of the Church for 1300 years Indeed I always looked upon the Practice of Men a very poor Argument where the Question was about the Lawfulness or Vnlawfulness of an Action And it is doubtless no Argument tho Ex Abundanti I did speak somthing as to that point and since at the request of some Friends have spoken much more in a Supplement to that Book I shall now say little but refer my Reader to my former Book and the Supplement to it 2. Our Author hath told us That it is not probable that such excellently Devout and Judicious Men as the 4th and 5th Century abounded with should not discern helps and hindrances of Devotion I told him it was possible Like one in Cathedra he tells me This is a rash and contumelious Expression What is That some particular Men may be mistaken in a particular point This is all can be made of my words and such a point too as is of a mutable Nature for I have shewed before That that may be an hindrance to Devotion to one which is not to another which is most certainly true Is this a contumely when David saith All Men are Liars and tho he spake it in haste yet it hath thus much truth in it that there are in all Men grains of Falshood and Error and Fability Did ever any modest and judicious man talk at this rate When our Articles tell us That the Churches of Jerusalem Alexandria Antioch and all Rome erred both in matters of Worship Ceremonies and Doctrine Artic. 1562. n. 19. may not we say it was possible that some Churches in the
or an opportunity to discharge their lusts and passions have call'd a flanting piece of Oratory a Lecture out of Aristotles Ethicks or Plato or such a discourse as lately was made before my Lord Mayor to the admiration of all men Preaching which is just such Preaching as before the Reformation the people had from the Popish Priests whose Preaching was but a Lecturing out of Scotus and Aquinas or a story out of the Legend and as the story of that age tells us they had not onely the brutish impudence to do this but also to Petition Magistrates for a liberty to do it when the common people discerned the folly and madness of it and would no longer endure to be so abused and deluded 10. In his 214 p. he groweth very angry that I should say How many discourses of late years have we had in Pulpits pretending to prove Men have a natural power to things Spiritually good That we are not justified by the imputed Righteousness of Christ but by our own works How many perfect Satâ—res Raillerys and Evomitions of the Lusts and Choler in the Preachers hearts To this he subjoyneth These are the kind words and meek Expressions of one who judgeth and censures the sharpness of other Men. Then he comes to defend those who have spoken for Mens Natural power to Spiritual Acts and against the imputed Righteousness of Christ These things must not pass unexamined 11. Will our Answerer say there have been no such discourses of late years I appeal to thousands and ten thousands of Witnesses Will he say Ah but they should not have been spoken of because they reflect on the Ministry of our Church That is false they reflâ—ct not on the Ministry tho upon many Ministers of our Church or who call themselves so The Ministry of our Church are those who Preach according to the Doctrine of our 39 Articles which these Doctrines are not others are but Intruders whom our Church owneth not they are but our Churches Natural Sons Our Church hath declared against them in her Articles and Homilies 12. Besides did not our Answerer inforce me to what I spake he had before often told us of the Impertinencies Errors Nonsense Blasphemy to which conceived Prayer gave a scope and That a Prayer may be put up and the People could not joyn in one Petition I told him Reasonable Account p. 106. That was a rare and an hard case 2. That their not joyning might be from the Lusts and Error of their own Hearts 3. That it was the same case as to Preaching and therefore the Argument was as strong for Forms of Sermons to be Vniversally imposed and used He told me there had been many such Prayers I told him there had been also many such Sermons But must our Vindicator who knows this plead for it too as he doth now to the end of this Chapter p. 215 216. Let us hear what he saith 13. He tells us that all our Ministers own Christ to be the Saviour of the World so did Pelagius and that the New Covenant of Grace is confirmed through him so did he for ought I ever heard or read and that in this day of Grace God gives his Aids and Assistances besides the Instructions of his Word the mighty motives of his Gosâ—el and the benefits of the Ministry of Reconceliation and his Holy Sacraments Hold here a lirtle for here lieth the pinch What doth our Vindicator mean by Aids Helps and Assistances besides the Instructions of the Word and Motives of the Gospel c. doth he mean any more then the Remonstrants have in their confession 1622 thus expressed Chap. 17. n. 8. That the Holy Spirit gives to all and every Man to whom the word of Faith is ordinarily preached so much Grace or is ready to give so much as is sufficient for the begetting of Faith If he meaneth no more by those terms then this he meaneth no more then a common Grace granted unto all men that are in the Church and tho this indeed be more then a Natural Priviledge yet I do not understand how it is more then a Natural Power under the advantage of those Priviledges For Natural here is opposed to Adventitious and such adventitious assistance as is more then the improvement of meer natural Abilities by ordinary and common Means Which improvements we commonly call The common Gifts or Grace of the Holy Spirit All these are comprehended under the term of a Natural Power and are opposed to Spiritual which here signifies the mighty workings of the Spirit of God in a way of special and distinguishing Grace inabling the Soul to do some truly Spiritual Acts which it cannot do without the Assistances either from the powers of meer Nature or improved Nature but must be done from a Soul changed born again of the Spirit renewed transformed c. 14. I am sorry to read our Answerer declaring That he cannot understand the End of Preaching unless a man under no special Circumstances differencing him from none who lives within the Church hath a power to believe and work out his own Salvation and to live Godlily Righteously and Soberly I am sure no man can truly believe what he hath no sufficient Evidence of the truth of and our Saviour told Peter Flesh and Blood had not given him a sufficient Evidence That Christ was the Son of the Living God Matth. 16.17 But what our Author saith is the Arminians Argument and hath been sufficiently answered in multitudes of Books and what our Vindicator saith is confuted by the experience of many good Christians who will own the quite contrary and I am sure the Church of England saith in her 10th Art We have no power to do good works pleasing and acceptable to God without the Grace of God by Christ preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will And Art 13. Works done before the Grace of Christ and the Inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasing to God because they spring not of Faith in Jesus Christ neither do they make men meet to deserve Grace 15. As to the point of Justification our Author saith thus We disclaim every where merit in our own works so do the Socinians and acknowledge Vindication p. 217. that our Saviour hath as our Mediator interposed by his Obedience Righteousness and Sacrifice to expiate our sins give the Sanction to the New Covenant of Grace and Righteousness and to assure the Mercy of God and Pardon and Forgiveness upon the Terms of it But if we speak of the Gospel condition of Justification that must be performed by our selves and we do account that as Repentance which includes that I dare say he meant not Excludes as it is Printed though he hath not been so charitable to me as to think I meant the Opinion and Practice not the Person of Gregory the great was protected by Charles the great is a necessary condition to
and so far as man can judge mind what they are about with all Indication of Reverence and Godly fear Whether they be the Persons that talk or sleep out Sermons or that hear the word of God so far as men can judge with trembling Not that none but they do so my concern is not to discourse of others but for them Whether they generally be not a People against all Idols and Idolatry that dread to use the name of God idly or to swear by it or by any Creatures Prophanely Whether they be those that prophane the Sabbath by unnecessary Journyings or Labours or Recreation and do not ordinarily spend it in the publick and private Duties of Gods Worship For their behaviour towards men Are they generally the Sons and Daughters of this age that dare curse their Fathers and Mothers and reproach the Womb that bare them Are they Murtherers Thieves Adulterers Fornicators Perjured Persons Do they not generally make Conscience to Owe nothing to any but to love one another to deal justly with men I will not speak for every Individual Christ had a Judas in his Flock Nor do I reflect on any others I know there are many that are no Dissenters who are Pious towards God Righteous towards Men. I would only have these on both sides made one What have their worst Enemies to Object but disobedience to an Humane Law in matter of Divine Worship wherein they do in all sincerity profess they cannot do or omit the thing commanded or forbidden without sinning against God In the mean time your Honours see their bitterest Enemies can disobey Laws against Pluralities and Non-residents Others of them can disobey Laws against Drunkenness Swearing Cursing Adulteries c. and not see the beams in their own eyes tho they cannot but say these Laws are against things plainly and syllabically forbidden in the Word of God And indeed none lives on either side but violates some Humane Laws Nemo sine crimine vivit Optimus ille qui minimis urgetur said an Heathen Poet and truly without doubt 5. Nor most Honoured Patriots are the Arguments of those who are charged as disobedient as to this very point of Prayer invaluable nor can any mans confidences make them appear so to your Reasonable and Generous Souls It is not so evident as some Infallibles of our age would make it That the Holy Spirit of God hath not or may not have a special and immediate influence upon Pious Ministers Souls as to their words in Prayer as well as upon Gods Peoples words in Confession or Ministers words in Preaching both which the Scripture asserts which ought not to be excluded in that Prayer where words are to be used Nor is it certain that words are not an Essential Part of all Ministerial Prayer and these or these words an Essential part of this or that Prayer Nor that any Superior can direct an Essential Part of Gods Worship nor that in an Act of Worship where God hath left any thing to Ministers or Peoples Liberty that they may do this or that any Superiors can determine them to one part against the other Nor many things more in the following sheets which are inlarged upon Some parts of some of these Questions may appear clear to some the other part to others But this will conclude the things in themselves not to be plainly and clearly lawful Your Honours abhor an Infallible Judge boasted of by the Papists let it not be pretended to in the Tents of Protestants Nor one Infallible person suffered to triumph over others in the near concerns of Divine Worship In things necessary for all by a Divine Law we humbly allow it the Kings and your Honours duty to command us But if they appear not such upon plain evidence to our Superiors we beseech their Pardon if we say They cannot with any security to themselves from the Divine Law enjoyn them to or inforce them from those who judge them sinful in Divine Worship 6. And as it is not possible that any Divine Rule should be produced to make such a thing as this necessary to be brought into or continued in Publick Worship So these two last years have given abundant Evidence that it is not Expedient to tye all men to the use of them We are sure your Honours will grant from the Instances of the Songs of Thanksgiving Recorded in Scripture both those of Moses and Miriam and Deborah and David and from the Prayers in Scripture of Solomon David Jehosaphat Hezekiah Ezra c. That when Persons are under Signal Providences whether of Deliverances or Distress or in respect of some general Sin the Servants of God have not thought it sufficient in Publick Prayer To give thanks in general words for all Mercies and Preservations but to tell him of his particular wondrous works to recognize him the Author of this or that Salvation To confess and bewail those particular Sins if they be the Sins of the generality of the People To put up Petitions suited to those particular distresses the Church or State is in This is plain in all Scripture And where it is not done God is eminently restrained in his Glory our duty is eminently neglected We are sure God within these two years hath made England as remarkable a Stage of Provividence as ever any Nation in the World was made We have been in most eminent distresses and have had most eminent deliverances Both of them concerning the whole Nation and all that in the Nation can be dear to every good man The life of our Soveraign the life of our Religion The life of our Ancient Government The lives of several of our Noblemen multitudes of our Gentry and many thousands of our Commonalty Plots upon Plots have been discovered Uno Succiso Pullulat alter We have had to deal with an Hydra Now we humbly refer it to your Honours to judge what particular Homage either of Prayer or Praise God hath had relating to these distresses in all our particular Congregations And whether the limiting all Ministers to Old Forms of Prayer hath not been the cause of this High Omission The Practice of our Ministers satisfied as to Confirmity is two-fold Some take themselves obliged not only as all are in the Desk to add nothing to the Forms But in their Pulpits to keep to the Bidding of Prayer in the Canon or at least to Preface their Sermons with half a dozen lines taken out of some Collect and conclude them with either Gloria patri c. or that excellent Collect our Vindicator tells us of Grant we beseech Almighty God c. those and these are not a few could never put up one Prayer except upon 11 April 1679 for which were indeed good and particular Forms made for any deliverance nor yet offer up one Publick Thanksgiving Others there are who conceive that though the Statute gives them in the letter of it no further liberty yet the continual Practice of our Church
the Plotters The often repeated Declarations of it by the King and Parliament the several Declarations of the Council the proceedings against the Plotters by the Reverend Judges are not enough to make these Men believe a matter of Fact so often proved before them Let this be in answer to the Provision for particular Emergencies by Collects p. 199. This is enough to have spoken to this Chapter of our Vindicators where the Principles we seem to differ in are 1. That all Ministers may be lawfully tyed up to Forms of Prayers made by others in the Church and all People in their Families and they are useful for those who have Abilities to Pray in their Closets 2. That Forms of Prayer for any States and Churches may be made comprehending all wants of Churches and States upon particular Emergences of Providence I utterly deny the former and the latter too if there be not a renewing of them every Month or Week CHAP. VII A Reply to what the Vindicator hath said Chap. 6. p. 206 c. The Vindicator's great esteem for reading other Mens Sermons instead of Preaching The tendency of Principles to be considered before we grant them by our Practice He hath said nothing cogent to prove that Superiors may not as well impose Forms of Sermons as of Prayers His Notions about Mans power to Spiritual good examined as also his Notion as to Justification and the imputed Righteousness of Christ How consonant to the Articles of our Church and those of Ireland The mischief of the Scheme of Doctrine which he in this matter defends 1. I laid my fifth Argument thus To agree a Principle which agreed would also allow a power in man Reasonable Acco p. 98. when pleased to suppress all Ministerial Gifts in Preaching is sinful But to agree it is lawful for Ministers to obey Man in performing their Ministerial Acts in Prayer by the prescribed Forms of other Men is to agree a Principle which agreed would allow man a power when he pleased to suppress all Minsterial Gifts in Preaching Ergo The Major is evident upon the Principle before laid down That it is not in the power of Man to suppress extinguish or render useless any Ministerial Gift for this were to frustrate Christs design in giving them which was not to be laid up in Napkins but to be used for the good of Men. Nor will our Answerer say that it is lawful for Superiors to suppress all Ministerial Gifts in Preaching and tye Ministers only to read other Mens Sermons He saith p. 211. It is lawful to cite other Mens Sentences Or to use a larger Portion of other mens Discourses owning the Authors All this is true but what is it to the purpose which is not about sentences and quotations but about the whole contexâ—ure of Sermons 2. Nay further then this It is lawful to read to People whole Sermons and Hâ—milies but this is no Ministerial Act tho it be a good Action and the People had better have this means of Instruction then none at all But every good Action is not a Ministerial Act. By a Ministerial Act I mean an Act which Christ or any of his Apostles required of or directed the Ministers of the Gospel not that which Christ meant when he commanded his Disciples to go and Preach nor as it appears by their Practice did they so understand it 3. Our Answerer seems to deny the other Proposition but for Answer to it he first referreth to what he premised to his Answer to the former Argument as to which I shall also refer to my former Answer only adding this That whereas out of Reverence to Superiors he seemed to hint that we should first stay till any such thing be commanded The plain English of that is this Stay till you have condemned your selves and shall have nothing to say if such a thing be commanded having first granted the Principle on which it is founded and then complain that is When the Steed is stollen shut the Stable door let us first hook you past escaping us without rending your jaws and then if we catch you and pull you up complain Every wise man ought to consider whither his Principles or Practice will carry him before he alloweth the one or ingageth in the other 3. Next he tells us That he hath manifested the ordinary and constant usefulness of Set Forms in Prayer in Publick Worship for the advantage of Religion if I be able to prove the same concerning the ordinary using the discourses of others in preaching he hath then and not till then made the Cases parallel but this he thinks I never can Let me try a little I remember p. 87 88 he hath given us a summary of these pretended advantages 1. To ascertain the people that nothing shall be prayed for by the Ministers but what they can say Amen to And is it not as great an advantage from Forms of Sermons that then the People shall hear nothing but what they may afore-hand consider and be assured they may by Faith agree to 2. That the people might be under no Temptations to give their minds a liberty for ill ends to observe Expressions and the manner of composure of the Prayer And is it not of as great advantage there should be Forms of Sermons that Ministers may not have a Temptation to make their Preaching a business of Rhetorick or of Raillery or meer Philosophy which too many have done and do do Witness Mr. Hickringill's Curse ye Meroz 3. That there may be an Vnity in Prayer And is not an Vnity of Faith and Doctrine of as much advantage to Religion as an Vnion in the words and syllables of our Devotion and something more too Might not Forms of Sermons both contribute to and also testifie that 4. Dull Capacities would be so helped And are not people ordinarily more dull in comprehending the Mysteries of the Gospel and the Doctrines thereof then in understanding the words of a Prayer 5 To prevent Impertinencies in advised Expressions results of Passion Imprudence Negligence Weakness bad Principles Erroneous Opinions Would not Forms of Sermons as much advantage Religion by preventing all these ten times more ordinary in Sermons then in Prayer Thus I 〈◊〉 made â—he Cases parallel I think But 〈◊〉 Divine Institutions we argue without â—â—â—rd to the Will of God as the only Diâ—ectâ—â— in the case from such things as we â—aâ—â—y would be advantages of Religion we d â— but set the Sun by the Dial God knew better than we what would be advantages to Religion There 's no arguing in these cases but concerning the Will of God in the case They are not our fancied advantages that will prove the Will of God in these cases 4. In the next place he tells us The Ancient Church appointed Forms of Prayer but not Forms of Sermons Admit this were true that the Ancients for 500 years after Christ did either generally use or impose Forms of Prayer which I am
very far from believing to have any truth in it and not Forms of Sermons doth this prove that the one is more lawful then the other Are the Opinions and Practices of Men things to be urged argumentatively to prove a thing Lawful or Sinful They may be urged indeed to put us upon a strict Enquity but no further I may consider these differences when I believe the thing is true in matter of fact but I shall never so consider them if I knew the thing was true as to determine lawfulness or sin from them 5. But Preaching is directed to Men therefore there must be no imposing Forms as to that but Prayer to God therefore Forms may be appointed as to that Can any Mortal understand why there should be more care taken what a Minister speaketh in mans name unto God then in Gods Name unto Man Hath not an Embassador more reason to take care what he speaketh in the Princes name unto People then what and how he speaketh in ordinary Petitioners name unto his Prince But Men may be taken with varying of Phrases but God cannot But God may be pleased I hope with the doing of his Will and by the exercises of those Abilities in his Service which he hath given us on purpose for that Service and it speaketh no great Reverence for God for any to express these things by the Puerile expression of Varying Phrases 6. The next thing he saith p. 208 is very admirable That Erroneous Notions and Practices cannot be so well beaten down by Forms as by every Ministers Abilities This is to say that Errors may be better confuted and Arguments for them better answered by any Ministers private Conceptions and Expressions on a small premeditation then by a Book or Forms deliberately by many composed and written for Forms may be made every Month of this nature if they be lawful and necessary 7. He tells us thirdly p. 209. That by leaving men to the use of their own abilities in Preaching Ministers may acquaint People with such things as are suitable to them and in a Phrase suitable It is much that he could not consider also that if Ministers were left to pray by their own Abilities they might also pray to God for such things as new Emergencies make needful for them which they can never do by Forms except they were renewed every Week And surely God never left his Church so ill provided for that if at any time he bestowed a new Mercy upon them or the particular Members of any particular Congregation either preventing or removing some great Evil or conferring some great benefit or by his Providence brought them into some great distress they could not obey his command calling upon him in the day of Affliction that they might be delivered nor being delivered praise him till a Council was called to make a Collect for the purpose 8. Our Vindicators next difference or further need of Forms of Prayer then of Sermons assigned by him is Because in publick Prayers must be compreheâ—ded Adoration Thanksgiving and Supplication for all ordinary good things 1 Tim. 2.1 2. what he means here by Adoration as a part of Worship distinct from Confessions Supplications and giving of Thanks I cannot imagine the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.1 speaks of nothing but Supplication Prayers Intercessions Thanksgivings I hope he doth not mean bowing at the Name of Jesus or towards the Altar for they are neither of them mentioned 1 Tim. 2.1 2. For such things indeed there is need yet not so much of Forms of Prayer as of a Rubrick for there is nothing about them In Albo S. Scripturae He saith to secure this Comprehensiveness there is need of publick Forms But it is no way he saith neeedful that every Sermon should contain all the necessary points of Doctrine and Practice Now here all the Fallacy lies in the term every Sermon for there is the same need of one as of the other but not indeed in eveâ—y Sermon But how doth this prove that there is no need of Forms of Sermons Suppose that in a thousand such forms there might be all comprehended were it lawful for the Superiors to impose them Or Ministers to use them when all Ministerial Gifts in Preaching must necessarily be so supprest He seems to think it is for his next words have a scurvy hint that the contrary liberty is but indulged to comply with the humour and temper of the present age And he saith much more in his 6 and 7 Paragraphs p. 210 211 in commendation of instructing people by Set Forms as a Ministerial Act. 9. He is not pleased p. 212 that I should call Preaching the greatest Ordinance of the Gospel or from the Commissioners at the Savoy tell him That Preaching is a speaking in Gods Name unto People so that if we speak falshoods there we make God a lyar I must confess so dull was I that I did say so for if that be not what is Preaching is the publishing of the great glad tidings of the Gospel to the Children of Men. It was Christs great work for he left Baptizing to his Disciples and himself Baptized none John 4.2 and St. Paul tells us 1 Cor. 1.17 That Christ sent him not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel that is the administration of the Sacraments was not his principal work for he tells us there v. 14.16 That he did Baptize Crispus and Gaius and the houshold of Stephanas and v. 21. he tells us that Preaching is Gods Ordinance to save them that believe and Rom. 10.14 How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher Is there any such things spoken of any other Ordinance of the Gospel Or are there any other greater things then saving of Souls to be expected from any Religious Institution And to speak Vntruths in Preaching is as much as in us lieth to make God a lyar for it is a speaking to People in the name of the great God The Commissioners at the Savoy it is like understood as much as our Vindicator what Preaching was and whether our Vindicator be of their mind or no signifieth not much I must confess from some Mens Sermons which I have heard and read I have seen reason to suspect that they and others have had a vastly different Notion of Preaching from us The Noncon generally and very many Conformists too looking upon it as a great Institution of Christ for the publication of the Grace of Christ and perswading Men to the acceptance of that Grace to Repentance Faith and Holiness without which none can be saved Accordingly they have preached Scripturally and proved from thence what they say and the bent of their Sermons is to perswade Men to a life worthy of the Gospel to Acts of Morality out of a Principle of Faith in Christ Love to God c. Others looking upon it as a meer Exercise of Wit or an entertainment for peoples ears