Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A34547
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A peaceable moderator, or, Some plain considerations to give satisfaction to such as stand dis-affected to our Book of common prayer established by authority clearing it from the aspersion of popery, and giving the reasons of all the things therein contained and prescribed / made by Alan Carr ...
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Carr, Alan, d. 1668.
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1665
(1665)
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Wing C627; ESTC R18228
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69,591
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90
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least Allowed for the Minister to use in Publick Divine Administrations And if we look upon Antiquity the Presbyterians themselves will and do confess in their Smâ—ctymâ—â—us The occasion that moved the Church to appoint a Publick Form and Liturgy at first was when the Arrian and Pelagian Heresies did invade the Church then because those Hereticks did convey and spread their poysonous Doctrine in their Forms of Prayer and Hymns the Church thought it convenient to restrain that Liberty and set an Order that none should vary in their Prayers but all should use the same Form which was approved of and prescribed Now be pleased to consider rightly of it doth not the same reason hold good with us Have we not too much cause to complain of our Errours Schisms Heresies and Divisions and so just cause and reason upon the same grounds to tie all to one Form not upon any Opinion that we conceive a set Form to be of an Absolute necessity but only expedient to stop Schisms and Errours to prevent those Extravagancies and to preserve Unity and Order 2. Be pleased without prejudice or any strong over-ruling Affection or Passion to take into your serious consideration this Argument If the Ministers conceived Prayer which he doth make as the Mouth of the Congregation wherein all the Congregation doth or should joyn with him in his suit to God for them and in their behalf is no stinting of the Spirit of God to them nor counted unlawful though it be a form to them why should a Prayer conceived by others and made and framed according to the Rules of prayer prescribed to the Minister to use for himself and the Congregation be a stinting of the Spirit to him or them That the Ministers conceived prayer is a Form to the people and Congregation assembled cannot be denyed they are tied to it as to a Form because they may not vary from him in their hearts but ought in their hearts to joyn every way with him in their Petitions to God still in their hearts going along with him for Matter Form and Manner of expression The tie in regard of a form is still one and a like if the people may be thus tied to the conceived prayer of their Minister which is a form to them why may not the Minister likewise be tied to a form conceived by others made according to the rules of prayer and prescribed to him both to use and follow If it be no stinting of the Spirit of God in the one then how can it be in the other We confess that without the help of the Spirit of God we cannot pray at all that is pray aright so as to find acceptance with God For the Apostle Paul telleth us 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God and Phil. 2. 13 It is God which worketh in you the Will and the Deed even of his good pleasure So that iâ— must be the Spirit of God within us must move us to pray and work it within us moving our hearts to pray and we know God regardeth not multitude of words Matth. 6. 7. Floquent or Elegant Phrases or neat expressions it is the heart God looks upon how that is affected he regardeth the groans and desires of the heart issuing from true faith and proceeding from the Spirit of God as he telleth Moses Exod. 14. 15. Why dost thou cry unto me Neither can we think that the Spirit of God excludeth reason and prudence setting a mans Tongue so agoing that he cannot rule it and guide it or stop it at his pleasure Object 2. Prayer is a Spiritual work proceedâ—â—g from the Spirit and a work of the Spirit therefore needeth not a Form or Book to pray bâ— or to read it upon a Book Our Saviour saith John 4. 23 24. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth for the Father requireth even such to woship him God is a Spirit and they thaâ— worship him must worship him iâ— Spirit and Truth And the Apostle Paul telleth us Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pâ—ay as we ought but the spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered or as the Old Translation is with sighs which cannot be expressed so that prayer needeth not the help of a Form or Book Answ Those words of our Saviour were spoken to the Woman of Samaria and are grounded on ver 20. as an answer to her words where she speaketh of the difference between the Jews and the Samaritans about the place of Gods worship The Samaritans tied the place of Gods worship to that Mountain called Gerizim The Jews to Jerusalem Christ telleth her that the time is now coming under the New Testament that the worship of God shall be tied to no certain place neither to that mountain nor to Jerusalem but the true worshippers shall worship God in Spirit and Truth The word Spirit is there set against that Commandment which is called carnal Heb. 7. 26. And Truth against the outward Ceremonies of the Law which were only shadows of things to come The meaning of them then must be this that under the New Testament Gods worship shall be tied to no certain place neither shall it consist in any outward corporal or carnal things sacrifices purifyings washings and the like Ceremonies of the Law they shall all cease and be ended in Christ But the true worshippers shall worship him in spirit and truth that is in a spiritual manner not with outward observances but the inward Devotion of the heart and mind The mind is there called the Spirit it is not meant of the Spirit of God but of the mind the spirit of man with true faith true love reverence obedience holiness and righteousness Now this we do acknowledge doth forbid and cut down all carnal worship if any man think that the outward action of reading a prayer upon a Book or in a â—ook is the worship of God but no man can deny but a man may pray by the spirit of God with sighs and groans proceeding from Faith when prayers are uttered after a prescript form or read upon a Book And for the words of the Apostle expositours give us the meaning thus There is no cause why we should faint under the burthen of our Afflictions seeing prayers yield us a strong defence help and comfort which cannot be in vain because they proceed from the spirit of God likewise the spirit helpeth our infirmities besides the support of faith hope and patience mentioned before the spirit helpeth to bear up 〈◊〉 burthen that we sink not under it for we know not what to pray as we ought but the spirit maketh Intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered that is the spirit doth move us and stir us up to prayer and doth as it were dictate words groans and
upon them or Imposing them as Parts of Gods Worship and thus may bring in Superstition and Idolatry Answ If you desire to receive full satisfaction in this you must look upon the Doctrine of our Church whence the Grounds of the Imposition and Practice of these Ceremonies are drawn That is the Truest and Surest Rule to go by Examine the xxxix Articles agreed upon by all our Divines Anno Dom. 1562. which are called by some Our English Creed containing the summe of our Faith and the Doctrine of our Church The xxth Article speaketh plainly in the end of it Though the Church be the keeper of Gods Word Yet as it ought not to Decree any thing against the Word of God so besides the same ought it not to inforce any thing to be Believed for Necessity of Salvation And again in the end of Artic. 34. Every Particular or National Church hath Authority to Ordain Change and Abolish Ceremonies and Rites Ordained onely by mans Authority so that all things be done to Edifying And for Particulars search the Canons of our Church made Anno Dom. 1603. where in the 30th Canon the lawful use of the Cross in Baptism is fully Explained thus That it is no part of the Substance of that Sacrament being used addeth nothing to the Perfection and Vertue of Baptism nor being omitted detracteth any thing from the Effect and Substance of it but is used onely as Primitively as a Lawful outward Ceremony and Honourable Badge whereby the Infant is Dedicated to the Service of him that died upon the Cross And for Decency of Apparel Injoyned to Ministers in Can. 74. thus All which Particulars concerning Apparel prescribed our meaning is not to Attribute any Holiness or special Worthiness to the said Garments but for Decency Gravity and Order Now if you find in the General Doctrine of our Church which is Visible and ought to be in Charity the Rule of Judging Particulars that she doth not onely disclaim those Superstitious Grounds but doth farther declare The Grounds of such General Imposition of all these Ceremonies to be onely in a Civil manner to be Imposed for Distinction Order Decency and Uniformity and not for any Religious Opinion that they put in them you have little Reason to be Jealous or Suspicious of any ill meaning in your Governours to whom you owe Charity which thinketh no Evil as well as Obedience and Submission Here you see fully and plainly that Christian Libertie is not against the Duty and Obedience which we owe to our Governours and Lawful Magistrates but rather Tieth us in things Indifferent Lawful and not Contrary to the Words of God to all kind of Duty to all our Lawful Governours To Fathers to Masters to Husbands to Pastours to Magistrates Kings and Rulers and by the strongest Bonds of Obedience Of Wrath as the Scripture speaketh Of Conscience and for the Lords sake Thus I have done my Indeavour to give Satisfaction I speak as to Wise Understanding Rational and Moderate Men Free from Passion Prejudice and strong Affections to Judge aright of things You know that Innovations are dangerous either in Church or State It was an approved saying of Seneca that Divine Heathen of Old Non expedit Concutere Faelâ—cem Statum It is neither the part of a Wise Man nor yet accounted Safe to shake or disquiet a well setled State Nay Remember that Old Rule in Policy of State Malum bene positum non est movendum An evil as onely Inconvenient being placed well is not to be Removed It is no Wisdome if a Stone stand a little out of square in a great Building by Pulling it out to indanger the Fall weakning or shakeing the whole Frame An Inconvenience is better then a Mischief If it could be found and proved that there were some Errours in this Book of Common Prayer If they be small they might be borne with If they be such as some may Judge them not to be Tolerable yet they may be Corrected and Amended and not the whole Frame pulled down But we may make that Challenge to all our Adversaries which Mr. Deering in a Book called A sparing restraint c. doth against Mr. Harding Look if any Line be blameable in our Service and take hold of your Advantage I think Mr. Jewell will accept it for an Article Our Service is good and Godly Every tittle grounded upon Holy Scriptures and with what Face do you call it Darkness If this Book should now be put down after so many years Continuance in our Realm and a New Form set up to satisfie the Scruples and Fancies of some Self-conceited people who are never long content with any thing Think what sad Consequences would follow upon it The Papists would and might Triumph and Insult that our Church is Corrupt and Impure and hath been full of Errours and Corruptions from the first Beginning and from the first Foundation of it the putting down of it upon such an account must needs be a Confession and Acknowledgement of Errours in it to all the world The Non Conformists They would also crie out and seeming Just that they have been wrongfully Presented all this while onely because they would not Submit and Subscribe to Errours And the Common people would generally take a New Liturgy to be a New Religion Thus that weighty saying of St. Augustine would fall upon us Ipsa Mutatio Consuetudinis etiam quae adjuvat Utiliâ—ate Novitate perturbat The very Novelty of such a Change would more offend then the Profit of it would do Good Reason well tell us if this be yeelded to the same Reproof must justly come upon Our Liturgy of Variety Uncertainty Unconstancy which Dr. Suâ—cliffe in his Book De Missa chargeth truely upon the Romane Missal and what Obloquie and Reproach will this Occasion to us and to our Religion But to cleer Our Book from all such Aspersions and to Confirm the Perfection of it we have the Testimony of that Learned and Glorious Martyr Dr. Rowland Taylour given above a Hundred years agoe Who as Mr. Fox Recordeth in his Examination Jan. 22. Anno Dom. 1555. before Bishop Gardiner then Lord Chancelour and other Commissioners spake thus There was saith he set forth by the most Innocent King Edward for whom God be praised everlastingly the whole Church Service with great deliberation and the Advice of the best Learned in the Realm and Authorized by the whole Parliament and Received and Published gladly by the whole Realm which Book was never Reformed but Once and yet by that One Reformation was so fully Perfected according to the Rules of our Christian Religion in every behalf that no Christian Conscience could be Offended with any thing therein Contained Here you have his Judgement not onely of the Perfection of this Book of Common Prayer but also of the very first Making and Composing of this Book who doubtless knew the Truth and spake the Truth For this was spoken by him within