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A34547 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 ... Carr, Alan, d. 1668. 1665 (1665) Wing C627; ESTC R18228 69,591 90

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Imprimatur hic Liber cui Titulus A Peaceable Moderator Joh. Hall R. P. D. Episc Lond. a sac Domest Ex aedibus Londinens 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 an Ancient Minister and Friend of Peace LONDON Printed by G. Miller for William Crooke at the Three Bibles on Fleet-Bridge 1665. The Preface IT was the complaint of Doctor Eedes that Reverend Dean of Worcester long ago the fatal misery of these latter times hath made nothing good but in Shew nothing true but in Opinion when for Justice between Kingdom and Kingdom the longest Sword hath eaten up the Law of Nations and for Justice between Subject and Subject under the same Government Laws are lost in the cases of Law And for the Preserver of all both Truth and Justice Religion it self is in a manner lost in the Questions of Religion Our Fathers you see complained that the dayes were bad we have too much cause to cry out that they are worse and our fear is that yet we have not seen the worst That of the Heathen Poet will still be verified Aetas parentum pejor avis tulit nos nequiores mox daturos Progeniem vitiosiorem Never were more Questions among us raised about Religion then in these days yet never less practice of the duties of Religion We all cry up Religion with our mouths and lips but deny the power of it in our Actions and in our Lives so that we may say as that worthy Whitaker from Linacer did Aut hoc non est Evangelium aut nos non sumus Evangelici Either this is not the true Gospel which we do profess or if it be the Truth our Actions are not suitable to our Profession nor our Lives answerable to the truth of this Gospel We have marr'd the very face of Religion being in Matters of Religion broken into as many Sects Factions Shreds and Pieces almost as be Heads and Persons among us Every man generally differing in his Opinion one way or other from his Neighbour we have Conformists Non-Conformists Separatists Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Quakers ●anters Seekers and what not Some of all Religions some of no Religion And all Scepticks questioning all that ever wa● before us not only so but opposing themselves against all Antiquity every man framing Religion to himself which without Gods mercy m●st needs bring Confusion in the end We are all Self-conceited highly opinionated and puffed up with the conceit of our own Knowledge Parts Gifts and Graces so that we need Solomons check Eccles 7. 18. Be not thou just over much neither make thy self over wise Some are of such a cross humour high-conceited and contentious Spirit that they raise and foment vain Janglings Differences and Disputes about such things as themselves neither know nor understand whom I may well liken to those two Manlius speaks of who meeting together fell in Discourse and at last to a hot dispute about their Faith One said he was of Doctor Martins Religion the other stood stiff that he was of Doctor Luthers Opinion not knowing poor Simpletons that Martin and Luther were both the names of one man These divisions in Opinion m●st needs cause great Distractions in the hearts of well-meaning people who seeing the differences among us about Religion and not knowing what to chuse or to whom to cleave become very Atheists in their judgments and resolve to pitch upon no Religion at all This we may lament but so much liberty hath been given so long in these distracted times and people generally grow so high that we have little hope to amend it yet it lieth upon every one of us to give our helping hand wherein we can to make up our Breaches to heal our Rents and Wounds and to give that information to our people in a mild and gentle way Seeing Ignorance is the general ground of all Errours and that Natura vult Duci non Cogi whereby they may come to see the Truth and the true state of things and so by degrees may be reduced to a better temper with Gods blessing brought into the Unity of the Church and may all endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace Many stumble much at our Bock of Common Prayer Established by Authority and some of them I take to be good Christians honest moderate and well-meaning people and have found by experience much of their Dis-affection to it doth lie upon their Mistake through ignorance not peevish wilfulness because they do not understand the true Grounds and Reasons of the things therein contained and required mistaking much the right meaning of them If this may contribute any thing to their better Satisfaction I shall account this my Labour to be well bestowed Some are against all Forms of Prayer all Liturgies as they are prescribed and stinted Forms of Administration Others again are not against Forms but take Exceptions against this our Book of Common-Prayer Established by Authority TO begin with those who account all Forms of Prayer to be unlawful and condemn all Their Grounds and chief Objections are these Object That to be tied to a set Form of Prayer is a stinting of the Spirit of God Answ To this we shall Answer 1. We find set Forms of Prayer prescribed by God himself in the Old Testament and by Christ and our Saviour in the New and therefore we cannot but judge that they are allowed and approved of God There were set Forms of Prayer prescribed to the people of God of old and used by them To the Priests by Moses from the mouth of God himself Numb 6. 23. Another used by Moses himself who had abundance of Spirit both at the setting forward and resting of the Ark Numb 10. 35 36. In case of an uncertain Murther Deut 21. 7 8. In paying their third years Tithe Deut. 16. 13 14 15. At a publick Feast Joel 2. 17. The 92 Psalm was appointed for the Sabbath and so used and the 102. Psalm was the Prayer of the Church Christ himself in the New Testament gave a Form of Prayer to his Disciples Luke 11. 1. Which the Directory tells us is not only a Patern of Prayer but it self a most Comprehensive prayer and recommended there to be used in the Prayers of the Church And the Christian Church hath been so far from condemning all Forms as utterly unlawful that for about twelve hundred years she hath thought it expedient to use them in Publick Divine Worship besides all this herein they condemn all the Reformed Churches which as they themselves cannot but acknowledge have their Liturgies The Churches of Franc● ●en●va the Lower and Upper Germany have still set Forms of Prayer and Scotland had till these distracted times either Imposed or at