Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	service_n	spirit_n	worship_v	1,834	5	8.9813	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27487	The anatomie of the service book, dedicated to the high court of Parliament wherein is remonstrated the unlawfulnesse of it, and that by five severall arguments, namely [brace] from the name of it, the rise, the matter, the manner, and, the evill effects of it : whereunto are added some motives, by all which we clearly evince the necessitie of the removeall of it : lastly, we have answered such objections as are commonly made in behalfe of it / by Dwalphintramis.	Dwalphintramis.; Bernard, John.; Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.	1641 (1641)	Wing B1997; ESTC S100014	61,280	81

a Curbing bit to stop to wind and turne them at their pleasure yea sometimes to cut them in the mouth if they delivered any such part of Gods Counsell as touched their copy-hold besides the scoffing calumnies that the Prelats and their Janizaries would put upon them how did they grieve the soules of divers worthy men that divers of them were forced to breake through that Egyptian bondage with danger of their liberties and lives if they had beene reached by the Prelates ill Angels but flying with the Woman into the Wildernesse the flood of the Service-booke out of the mouth of the Serpent was sent after them but both fire and water conspired to the devouring of it witnesse its arrivall at New England two fellowes being drunke addressed themselves by water to disperse some bundles of them one of them swearing that he would have a pipe of Tobacco in despight of the Devill striking fire the sparks fell into a barrell of Gun-powder which blew both men and bookes all into the ayre the men were saved by swimming in the water and the Liturgie sunck when it could not swimme and so we hope it shall Some of us heard a painefull Minister complaine with abundance of teares a little before his death That so long as he and such as he carried the Prelates fardell after them they would never downe We will shut up this point with a very remarkable observation though God made conforming Ministers being the Dispensers of his Word the meanes to turne many from their evill wayes yet this proved for the most part but in the point of life and conversation and not in point of parity of worship according to our Lord and Masters practice upon his patient that Samaritan woman whom he reclaimeth not onely from uncleannesse of life but also from a polluted worship the Woman here is not onely touched in conscience for her evill life but also desires to bee rectified in the case of Religion Christ healeth her of both those diseases and having given check as a Father observed both to the arrogancie of the Samaritans and of the Jewes for the latter was faulty as well as the former though not in the like degree hee layeth downe an undeceivable rule for both that they and all who will worship God acceptably must worship him in spirit and in truth in spirit that is opposed to bodily service as washings annointings garments c. In truth that is opposed to shadowes and figures whereof Christ is the substance and the body such converts then as will reape comfort out of respect had unto all Gods Commandements they must come downe from the mountains of impure worship Austin hath a pretty saying upon this that he that will draw neare to God must come downe from his owne mountaine or from the mountaine of his owne device in Gods worship it is a duty laid on Christs Messengers in preparing of his way to lay those mountaines levell as well as others but the good men durst not meddle with the Gerezim of the Service-booke because they were captives to it and partly because the Philistims that kept it would fall upon them We come in the second place to the Ordinances blocked up by the booke as close as the Ministers we must give but a touch as our Liturgian Masse-mongers esteeme more of the Service than Preaching so they justle out and keepe out Preaching with it For the former let Howson speake not being ashamed to assert that Preaching is no part of divine worship agreeable to that Canon of the constitution Anno 1603. making a cleare and positive distinction betweene Preaching and Worship in these words in time of divine Worship or Preaching And for the later we vvill cite but one testimony for brevities sake namely from the same Canons If any Minister having subscribed to the Articles and to the Liturgy and to the Rites and Ceremonies therein contained doe afterward omit any thing he is liable to the penalty of suspension for one moneth and after that if he amend not to excommunication and lastly if he continue so the third moneth to totall deprivation they have their patterne from Pope Pius the fifth who made the same impious sanction for the Breviary that at no time nor in any case any thing thereof should be omitted yea the Congregations of London have had too much experience of Service for Sermons which exchange is very robberie contrary to the Proverbe for it is ordinary with the Iourney-men Levites and Letanie-priests to spin out all the time in making up that course thred of the Service that is allotted for Sermon and this they do of malice like the dog in the manger but were it good they would never be so eager upon it for the Countrey Priests will cast it thorow a riddle and curtall it to the waste to gaine a long after-noone for prophane sports but judge ye Honourable Senatours if this be not a miserable case that Hagar should not onely insult over Sarah but also thrust her out of her owne house How unreasonable yea how dangerous a thing is it that the wholsome and soule-saving Word of the Lord Iesus should give place to a fardell of mens devices in the worship of God We come now in the third place to the People there are three things of note in every common-wealth {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the People Religion and Law the Service-booke intrencheth upon all these as first upon the Law in so many particulars though we cannot name them all that it justly may be called Nomomastix a scourge to the Law we will instance in one or two particulars first by the Law of England no Clergie-man to the very Pope himselfe shall beare any Rule or Exercise any Iurisdiction Nisi in rebus spiritualibus Except in spirituall things witnesse the second Lawyer that ever wrote of our Lawes namely * Bracton who lived in the time of King Henry the third when Popery was in the ●uffe for a little before in King Iohn his time the Crowne of England was at the Popes disposing which I alledge the rather to shew the Insolency and Impudency of our Prelates managing of the Service-booke against the Law to which book if Ministers will not conforme and subscribe they out them of their free-holds contrary to right and law the iniquity of which course hath been clearly manifested in Caudryes Case Another witnesse yet more antient appears in this particular namely * Glanvill the first that ever writ of our Lawes in the time of King Henry the second under whom the said Authour was Lord Chiefe Iustice and speaking of the Case of the triall of advowsons belonging as he alledgeth Ad Coronam dignitatem Regiam To the pleas of the Crowne he produceth a prohibition to the spirituall Court which he calleth Curiam Christianitatis that they meddle not with the matter though it might seeme collaterally to

theirs and thence it is that our Lyturgian Patrons doe meet the Jesuite mid-way by owning the name of Masse to our Service-Booke witnesse Pocklington who calls the second service just the same with the Masse so Cozens witnesse Master Smarts Sermon and not onely so in relation to the second service but even in regard of the whole bulke as Pocklington in the end of his Altare c. and Mountague In name you see then there is an unanimous agreement and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} names are the very Images of things And for their agreement in Matter Manner in all things of importance we shall make it as evident as the former in the meane time what reason is there that wee should groane still under the burthen of a Lyturgie borne in upon us under the Name and Nature of the Masse which is nothing but a Masse of Idolatrie and an Idol of Abominations the name is a name of blasphemy out of the Devils Cabala as we take it for what language it is or what it signifieth for any thing we know was never yet knowne the Hebrewes call their Tribute by the name of Missa witnesse that place in Exodus laying out the oppression of the Israelites by Pharaoh and his Princes or Officers who are called Officers of the tribute set over Gods people the word tribute in the first language is Missa of the word Messas as the Learned observe which signifieth to melt both the name and Etymol●gie sute very well with the Popish Mass for it hath melted away true Religion and spirituall devotion and as it inslaveth the soules of people by leaving them naked as Solamon saith of the preaching of the Word for so the word signifieth so it is made an engine to screw out the bowels of their estates wasting melting mens substance as the snow against the Sunne besides the universall experience of the extortion of the Masse where ever it beareth sway we may instance it too fully in this Island where infinite masses of money have beene melted away within these few yeares without any profit to the King or Subject but to the great prejudice of both for the exhausting of the Subject is the emptinesse of the King Tiberius could say Adulterinum est eurum quod cum subditorum lachrymis exprimitur it is a base kinde of gold that is squeezed out with the teares of the subject but who hath cast the State in this consumption of money Who hath made the hearts to ake and the soules to groane of honest housholders when they have beene forced it may bee to part with more then they had Who in time of peace and under good Lawes have caused mens houses and fields forcibly to bee entered their goods to be carried away Who have caused the Kings Leige people and that for obeying the lawes of God man to be carried to stifling prisons contrary to the lawes of the Land and priviledge of the Subject Who have caused some to be tormented and tortured with unparallel'd cruelty both for kinde and continuance Lastly who have beene the Incendiaries or firebrands to melt away if they could the Kings love to his Subjects and the Subjects true loyalty to the King who we say but these Lyturgian Lords and their Iesuited confederates together with their Popish and hellishly prophane Priests Officers and Appe●dice● to prove these or any of them were to shew a man the Sunne and many sheets could not hold the particulars But to the purpose in hand the Service or Masse-Booke as they call it is the maine engine it is the Saddle and wee to speake a homely truth are the Asses for Englishmen are called by the Jesuites the Popes Asses the Hierarchie and their adherents are our riders the saddle hath so pinched and galled our backes that wee know not how to take on the burthen of the Lord Jesus though it be very light our riders have with spurre and rod of their Radamanthean Courts and temporall usurpations so jaded us with leave be it spoken that they have almost rid the spirit of zeale and courage out of us and had they but got the saddle with some more new girts and trappings upon the Scots as they intended they had gone neare to have rid Religion and Politie to death but as the Scots have proved like Dan Lyons for prowesse and S●rpents for providence in overturning both the saddle and rider up in the name of the Lord and doe the like what should we doe with the Masse some of whose friends not so well acquainted with the nature of it would storme if we should call a spade a spade but they must beleeve their Booke-mens testimonies published under the favour of their little great land-lord of the soyle who knowes best how it should be called one of whose Bandiliers tells us in great heat none but Schismatiques will deny the harmony of missification away with it then to finish this point I will enforce the conclusion with this argument We are not to name an Idol but with detestation much lesse are we to offer it as a worship of God But the Service or Masse-booke is an Idol Ergo we are not to mention it but with detestation much lesse to offer it to God as a worship The Spirit is abundant in the proofe of the former proposition Exod. 23. 13. Hos. 13.2 2. 17. Psal. 16. 4. all remarkable places teaching us to be wary with what worship we joyne with but in the first of these places there is a triplication of the charge in divers termes yet all beating upon the same thing to make us to looke to it In the later proposition there are two things one implyed namely that the Service-booke is the Masse-booke for proofe whereof Habemus confitentes we have their owne avouchment and if they should deny it we shall in the point following prove it whereunto now we come CHAP. III. Of the Originall THe second thing considerable for the matter in hand is whence the Liturgie hath his rise or Originall namely from the Masse-booke that whose originall and rise is naught must be naught in it selfe Can there come cleane water out of a corrupt Fountaine note that the Liturgie is wholly from the Masse-booke and other Popish pieces as it shall be fully cleared First by comparing of the Bookes Secondly for that mutuall liking that our Liturgie-masters and the Masse-booke men have one of anothers peace And thirdly from the evidence given from the King and Councell of England Sect. Now to the first every piece and parcell of the Liturgie word for word is out of these pieces namely the Breviary out of which the Common-Prayers are taken the kituall or booke of Rites out of which the Administration of the Sacraments B●riall Matrimony Visitation of the sicke are taken the Masse booke out of which the Consecration of the Lords Supper Collects Epistles and Gospels are

cast themselves upon the ends of the earth to injoy with much affliction the purity of the ordinances yet Esau his hatred slaked not like a a boyling furnace till he cast the scum of his cruelty after them doing them all the mischiefe he could in word and deed the serpent cast not onely the flood of waters out of his mouth that way after the woman but also pursued others in other parts who endeavoured to sacrifice that which God called for for proofe whereof take Doctor Laud his owne words This hand saith he shall reach them and threatning a Scottish-man for refusing to take the oath against his Countrey he laid his hand on his breast and vowed and protested as he lived he would make the hearts of all the Scots to ake and what had the Scots done to him nothing but maintained that worship that was an abomination to him and his One instance more very pat to the purpose God having appeared to Abraham as often he did Abraham in thankfulnesse builded an Altar but immediatly after he is said to remove to a Mountai ne Eastward of Bethel but what was the cause he staid not by it the learned tell us that it was dangerous so to do for the erecting of the Altar of God was so offensive to the Idolatrous Inhabitants that it was a wonder he was not stoned of them where observe now by the way that if the Altars now erected were of God they would be an abomination to the Prelates and their faction and dangerous for God his people to stay by them but as they are Altars of Baal erected and maintained by Baalites and Bala●mites so they and all their ceremoniall accoutrements and the Service-booke it selfe are an abomination witnesse that place of Exodus already quoted The abominations of the Egyptians shall we sacrifice to Iehovah our God saith Moses to Pharaoh it is not meet so to do The last ground or evidence of this particular is from the undeniable testimony of King and State namely King Edward the sixth and the Councels letter to the Papists of Cornwall and Devonshire making of Commotions and Insurrections against the King and State amongst many they give this satisfaction for the Service-booke that it was the very same word for word with the Masse-book the difference onely was that it was in the English tongue the extract of the letter recorded in the Acts and Monuments are these as for the Service in the English tongue it perchance seemes to you a new Service and yet indeed it is no other but the old the selfe same Words in English that were in Latine a few things taken out If the Service of the Church was good in Latine it remaineth good in English for nothing is altered but to speake with knowledge that which was spoken with ignorance we have the whole letter in print at large for your Service we thought fit for brevity onely to transcribe so much as made for the clearing of the point the summe of that which hath beene said by way of open discourse we draw up in this Argument That which is word for word out of the Popis● Masse-book is not to be offered to God as worship but to be abolished as an abomination to him But the Liturgie in controversie is word for word out of the Masse-book as hath been proved abundantly Therefore it is not to be offered as a worship to God but to be abolished as an abomination to him As the later proposition of the Argument is proved to the full so the former is as clearely by the parallelling place of Exodus twice quoted to which we will adde for abundance these places following Deut. 7. 25. and 12. 31. 2 Kings 23. 13. Ezra 9. 1. Esa. 44. 19. in all which places the Lord commands all Idols and Idolatrous Service to be utterly det●sted and abandoned and still the ground and reason is given that they are abominations to the Lord for so the word is in the number of multitudes to speake impartially we see no colour of way to evade this proposition but by undertaking the defence of the Masle-booke for as Mountague and others produced that their Service is the same in most things with the Church of Rome the differences are not great nor should they make any separation then a necessity is laid upon the Prelates and the rest either to defend the Masse so farre to be the true worship of God against the truth and all Orthodox Writers or else to give up the Service-booke to fall with the Originall and though the Treatise will not give us leave to limne out the Masse in every piece patch'd up by divers Popes having given a specification of some parts of it most concerning our Liturgie yet will it not be amisse to lay down from the learned the first entrance of it into England and then to take off briefly the silly defence that the Papists seeme to make for it To the former Augnstine the Monke sent from Gregori● called the great for what we know not except for his grand devices of wil-●orship his man Austin finding not all things for his tooth in France put over into England and there finding an ignorant King and a superstitious Queene there like the envious man he sowes his corrupt feed of all Popish trumpery as Masses Letanies Processions Copes Vestments Altars Candlesticks Holy waters Consecrations c. having like a serpent deceived the people and as the Apostle faith corrupted their mindes from that simplicity that was in Christ sore against the mindes of the godly and learned Preachers of the times yet to make them as Beda witnesseth adde this condition vvhich he never meant to keep that no man should be forc●d or co●strained thereunto but having played the wyly Fox in his entry to finish the vvorke he had begun he took on the Lyons skin and being opposed by one Dinoth a great Divine vvho vvithstood him to his face in a publike Synode avouching that he ought not to change the ancient form of Religion neither vvould he acknovvledge him for Archb. but the bloody Prelat to be revenged on him incensed Etheldred King of North●mber land against him vvho murdered the servant and Minister of God and tvvelve hundred of Monks vvith him aftervvard about the yeer 637. Pope Iohn the fourth sends over Malitus Honorius Iustus his Bandogs one after another to hold out and confirme the continuance of this dismall alteration as they might easily do once having got footing for Pompous superstition sutes too vvell vvith corrupt nature then came in keeping of Easter after the Romish manner Ministers called Priests chanting and playing upon Organs with all which godly Beda his soule was grieved who vented his griefe in this sad complaint heretofore instead of these things the principall service of God consisted in preaching and hearing of God his word Here we may observe for matter of humiliation how

faciant Christiant quod Antichristi faciunt That light should borrow from darknesse and Christian should doe that in Gods service especially which the vassals of Antichrist doe From this discovery also the Service-booke is unbottomed of that maine plea from antiq●●ty which Doctor Hall in his humble Remonstrance makes his sheet Anchor but Smectymnuus in his answer puts him to it that for want of ground it is come home but to follow this a little further and to wave the antiquitie of a set Liturgie an instance whereof for divers hundred yeares the Doctor nor any of their Book-men cannot produce wee desire to know what antiquity they or any other can alleadge for this Liturgie surely hee can goe no higher than the Masse-Book and when it hath gone as high or higher than it can sometime abusing Scripture and sometime butting upon the coyned and counterfeit Liturgies fathered falsely upon the Apostles and Disciples of Christ yea and also upon the Fathers as Peter Iames Matthew Andrew Dents Clement Basil Chrysostome and others the falshood whereof Morney discovers at large yet for all this saith the same noble defender of the truth the Popish Masse is no part nor ever was of the divine Service of God and therefore the English Liturgy out of it and not able to ascend higher than it can be no divine Service as they call it and that inclusively by Catexochen or excellency it can be no divine Service but is indeed a devised service but suppose it or the unbloody Sacrifice of the Masse should looke as high as Cains unbloody sacrifice yet if there want truth they would prove no better then ancient errors Last of all to shut up the point the discovery whereof casts the Doctor upon a very foule shift namely the denying of the Liturgy to have its rise or to be selected out of the Roman models wherein we beseech your Honours to cause him to deale Obsignat●s tabulis by comparing the bookes together and besides all the evidences alleadged if it appeare not and that to the eye to be what we have said to be the truth we will de-relinquish our suit but if it be so as we averre wee desire no more of the Doctor and all the admirers of the Liturgie that they would deale candidly with the truth with your Honours and with us a whole Body of Petitioners who in conscience doe professe we desire to doe nothing against the truth but for the truth and as it becommeth not those that defend the truth fictis contendere verbis to skirmish with devised or velitory palliations as the Poet hath it even so {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} there is nothing becommeth candid ingenuity better than truth To defend evill cunningly is no good commendation it was no grace to the Orator of whom it was said Candida de nigris de candentibus atra That hee could with ill abused eloquence make black white and white black and yet when such men have done all what they can they finde that true of the Civilian Mala causa pluribus get mediis The malady of an evill cause stands ever in need of more medicines than he that undertakes the cure can affoord For a closure of the point in love to the truth we desire all men that have any wit to take notice of these two things the former a man had better be tongue-tyed than appeare in an ill cause the latter when they have done all they can it will fall out with them as it did with the Scribes and Pharisees envying that the people should follow Christ Perceive you not say they one to another how yee prevaile nothing the world is gone after him Just so in this case of the worship of Christ as it is partly begun and shall be more fully accomplished when they have done all that they can all is but lost labour they shall not prevaile the world shall goe after Christ CHAP. IV. Of the Matter NOW we come to the third particular namely the Subject matter of the Liturgy the graine is like the ground it growes upon the fruit must be like the tree it is not possible that any wholsome sap of life should come out of a noysome and poysonous root To give a delineation of the matter in generall we can use no better expression than that of Calvin in his pithy letter to the Church of Frankeford much troubled with this Service-booke where hee calls it the Keliques or leavings of the Popish dregs this may be made to appeare without contradiction by scanning some particulars for to goe through them all would fill up a great volume then to give a touch as briefly as we can the Matter is partly false partly ●ridiculously frivolous yea and some part of it is not without a tincture of blasphemy To this effect a worthy and zealous Pastor to that people of Frankeford regrating fore the troubles brought upon them by that Service-booke after that he had told them that nothing must be thrust upon any Congregation without the warrant of the Word and forasmuch as that in the English Booke there were things both superstitious impure and unperfect which he offered to prove before all men he would not consent that of that Church it should be received To come then to the first particular of the charge concerning the falshood of the Matter which we will first discover in the generalls and then come to some particulars For the generalls we lay downe these three instances in false or corrupt translations of the Word additions to the word and substractions all which the Service-book not onely allowes but injoynes subscription to them being so rendered in the old Latine Bible which translation the Service-booke injoynes to be used and no other yea to which the Ministers were to subscribe it being the most corrupt peece of all the Latine translation none of them being sound witnesse the current of the learned Fathers and others yea the very pleaders for the Booke and that Bible Si in Latinis exemplaribus fides est adhibenda responderit quibus c. If we must believe Latine translations you must first tell us which of them saith Ierome Which argues the Latine one fathered upon him not to be his but of all other Latine translations hee damneth this most which we are forced to follow as Erasmus testifieth of him ' Damnat superiorem translationem qua nos tamen maxime utimur he condemneth saith hee that translation meaning the vulgar translation condemned also by the grand pillars of Popery Burgensis Lyra Iansenius and others yea and by two Popes Sixtus the fifth and Clement the eighth Lastly wee have the dict of the defendants themselves Doctor Sparke drebus illis complaining of the corruptions of the Service-book instanced in these two particulars First for omitting much Canonicall Scripture and putting Apocrypha in the place of it Secondly for appointing a corrupt

we translate it which might be more emphatically rendred sincere service unmixed service according to the Word for so the originall word signifieth as the Apostle Peter calls the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the sincere milke of the Word Now to draw to an end for we are forced in the bulke to exceed our intention we crave leave further of your Honours to binde our desires with three strong motives for effecting of the worke namely from Example or Patterne for doing of it from danger if it be not done and from the universall Covenant binding every one in his place to the doing of it CHAP. IX I. Of the Patterne FOr the first as the Apostle willeth to shew our selves to others Patternes of all good workes and words we should make others good Examples matter of our Imitation Brevius iter per exampla quam per praecepta Patterne is a more compendious way then Precept good Examples from Gods people have the force of a Generall rule to apply all the Reformed Churches when God turned them from darknesse to light they expelled the Prelates as the Officers of the Kingdome of darknesse and the Popish Liturgie as a false worship and worke of darknesse To passe France the Low-Countries Geneva the Palatinate and others bee pleased to cast your eye upon our Neighbour Nation of Scotland who have neither left root nor branch of Prelate or Popish Liturgie and have not wee the same reasons to reject both It is an infallible rule both in Divinitie and Politie both in Church and Common-wealth Vbi ●unt similes causae circumstantiae ibi locum habet exemplum where there are the like causes and circumstances there example takes place the causes why they cast both out were their offensivenesse to Christ his Church King and State and hath ever Nation beene so prejudiced in all these particulars as we have beene and have we not beene and are partly yet environed with a mantle wall of evill circumstances as the Prelates aggravation of their cruelty in pressing of that Booke and other like stuffe their insolent domineering over Nobility and others yea their daring attempts to set a-foot their interdicted power and their supercilious insultations their proud words and affronting attempts vented by themselves and their Priests even now when the hand of the Lord is lift up against them which they will not see but they shall see it in this they are worse than the Egyptians or Philistims who were content the Lord his hand being upon them not onely to let the Arke of the Lord goe but also sent it up in the handsomest way that they could taking Egypt for an example in this their insolent striving against God and his Truth they may be compared to the Peasants of Lycia whom the Poet fayneth to bee transformed into Frogs for their cruell and barbarous usage of Latona of whom Lactantius also makes mention but the Poet tells us that for all the Metamorphosis they left not their old manner Litibus exercent linguas Et quanquam sub aqua sub aquis maledicere tentant Englished thus Their brawling tongues but setting shame aside Though hid in water under water chide Or with Du Bartas in this posture they may be compared to Lyzards or Snakes cut in pieces Threat with more malice though with lesser might And even in dying shew their living spight Or as God said to Moses of Pharaoh that he would not let his people goe no not with a strong hand that is he will stand out with God so doe they they will not let the Ordinances goe the Liberty of the Ministery goe they will not let the Kingdome of Christ goe though Gods strong hand be out against them but as he fell at last so shall they and all their houshould-stuffe and never rise againe the Scots have put them in the Pond let the love of the truth lead you and their practice be to you as a speaking Embleme in the words of Gedeon Looke on me and doe likewise We will shut up the point with a parallel of loyall entertainment of Kings in their inthronization the men of Iudah and the men of Israel contended zealously who should be most officious in crowning King David though he was crowned before Iudah annoynted him King over them and Israel did the like over them and to bring the parallel nearer home what pious emulation was betweene us and out brethren the Scots to set King Iames of blessed memory upon the Throne of England they might both deservedly say for they shewed it in effect that they were his flesh and bone as Israel said to David he was no stranger as the Scripture hath it but a King from among his brethren never King was received with greater concourse higher magnificence and more applause this made the Kingdomes as Ierusalem as a Citie compacted in it selfe which the Septuagint translateth {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a participation or communication together often indeed attempted but never effected till then but now blessed be the name of God in a more loving league and stricter bond than ever contending who shall doe God and his Majestie that now is most service shall we not then joyne with them heart and hand in bringing the Lord Iesus the King of glory into his Kingdome hee hath shewed himselfe no Stranger amongst us but done great things for us but to the woe of our hearts we have used him too long like a Stranger in keeping him at doores and the doore upon the hinges Now let us set open the gates and bring him in with triumph which will never be done so long as the Prelacie and the Liturgie or either of them keepe the house Non patitur regni socios Christ will have no consort in his Kingdome much lesse an Antichrist Christ bare many casumnies and injuries from the Iewes at his arraignment under Pilat and past by many things not answering againe but when Pilat came to meddle with his Kingdome he would not let that passe but freely avouched it Art thou a King saith Pilat thou sayest I am answered Christ and to this ●nd was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare withessse unto the truth of which words Paul giveth this testimony that Christ before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession which words of the Apostle have two remarkable things in them First that Christ hath a Kingdome which he will vindicate in despight of all opposing power wherein he will have his owne Officers Government and Service to take place Secondly that this course must continue till the comming of the Lord Iesus and every one that is of the truth especially Ministers and Magistrates must maintaine it as they wi●l answer it at that day for this worke God hath brought you together and if you should divert this worke so exemplnied and pressed by command

piacle against God and man to offer to make up the waight with humane Lawes It is not unworthy your remembrance how one of the later brood of the Scotrish Prelates alleadging or rather mis-alleading before our late Soveraigne King Iames some Act of Parliament for the establishing and maintenance of the Prelacy the King asked a Noble-man being by being a great Legist and Officer of State what he thought of those Acts the Noble-man replyed That it went never well with them since their Church men laboured more to be versed in the Acts of Parliament than in the Acts of the Apostles But to the matter for all this cry we are more than halfe confident they shall have but little wooll for the Service-booke from the Acts of State when they are well looked into Wee know not any colour of confirmation for this Service-booke except that Statute prefixed to it which how little it maketh for it let the words of the Statute testifie of which we shall set downe those that are most pertinent for it is needlesse to write them all In the fifth and sixth yeare of King Edward the sixth an Act was made for the establishing of a Booke called The Booke of Common-prayer the which was repealed in the first yeare of Queene Mary which Statute of repeale was made voide by this same Act the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth and that the aforesaid Booke with the alterations and additions therein added shall stand and be and all Ministers shall use the said Booke authorized by Act of Parliament in the said fifth and sixth yeare of King Edward the sixth and no other This is the summe of the Statute in relation to the Subject namely What Service-booke it is that the Statute establisheth and for any thing we can see there is not one passage or title for confirmation or establishing any other Service-booke but that of King Edward the sixth divers Ministers in King Iames his time urged vvith subscription answered the Prelates True it was that if they refused they and theirs were like to bee desolated but if they yeelded they should make themselves transgressours of the Lawes of the Kingdome in subscribing to another Booke than that established by Law the Prelates in pressing this subscription forced two Statutes namely the Statute alleadged by the change of the Booke and also another Statute requiring no subscription but barely to the Articles of Religion which onely concerne the Confession of true Christian faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments Now to come to further answer let us grant by way of Confession that there were an Act or Acts for ratifying of the Booke which in terminis we cannot see as Statutes use to be expressed yet by the Law of charity and duty we hold our selves bound to beleeve that a State professing the truth of Religion would never inact so for a Service-booke of mans device as that it might be a snare to the people of God having other ends as a kinde of uniformity supply for want of Ministery and bringing Papists to the Church but not to presse it in the bulke beyond the spheare of any mans Conscience witnesse a Rubricke in King Edward the sixth his Booke but give it to speake as punctually for the Booke as they would have it shall it be simply good for that it is onely in the power of a divine Statute simply to make a thing good all Divines Humanists and Lawyers that have written on the Laws concurre in this Maxime Omnium legum inanis censura nisidivinae legis imaginem gerant the power of all Laws is void except they beare the impression of the Law of God the Orator gives a reason for it ●ex divina omnium legum censura the divine Law is the standard of all lawes yea a thing evill in it selfe established by a Law becommeth worse as the learned tell us it becommeth armata injust●tia an armed injustice or with Laciantius to the same purpose legitime injurias inferre to do injurie in forme of Law just with the Poet jusque da●um sceleri well Englished and licenced Which truth also is cleared from divine Authority the Psalmist complaineth of the injurious evill done upon Gods Church and People aggravating it from this that is it was framed by a decree which place the Authour of Zyons Plea applyeth very pertinently to the Hierarchie proving it to be the Master-sin wherewith the Church and State are pestered and for which especially God hath a controversie with us because it is decreed by a Law and as a Law for the Hierarchie proved of no force to keepe it up no more then the late Lawes of Scotland could uphold their Prelates so grant that there were a Law for the Service-book the thing being naught what could it help it Within these hundred yeeres there was a Law in England for the Popes supremacie say that were not repealed stood it either with Reason Religion or Loyalty to submit unto it Yea some fragments of Lawes are yet unrepealed in this land that no judicious man will obey neither have we alledged those evidences upon this suspition to encounter with any Statutes but to stop the mouthes of those men who would make the Statute-Law a blinde guide under which their unlawfull callings and superstitious service might march furiously against the word of truth Now to come to an end for we are sorry we could be no briefer we will onely answer this Quaere consisting of these two heads First whether we do approve of any set-prayer in a more private way And secondly whether we do approve of any set-liturgie in publike to both these we answer ingenuously as we thinke and for the former we do thinke that parties in their infancie or ignorance may use formes of prayer well and wholsomely set for helps and props of their imbecillity yea riper Christians may do well to read such profitable formes the matter whereof may by setting of their affections on edge prepare and fit them as matter of Meditation the better for Prayer but for those parties so to continue without progresse to conceived prayer were as if children should still be poring upon spelling and never learne to reade or as if children or weak should still go by hold or upon crutches and never go right out We may say of set-prayer used for infirmity as Divines say of the legall ceremonies in the interim that they were tolerable not necessary and so vvhatsoever is or may be said in the behalfe of it is not so much as vve conceive for the commendation of it as for the toleration of it for a time and for giving satisfaction to scrupulous consciences for the vvarrantable use of it in case of necessity To the second head for a set forme of Liturgia in publique vve ansvver that vvith all the Reformed Churches vve do allovv a sound forme of set-liturgie as an exampler or president of our performance of