pray against Lightning is as good as to pray against Rain Snow and the like by thine Agony too much like an Oath The Word gracious meaned of King or Queen is not proper in a Prayer to God who knoweth whom we mean without such Titles in Prayer the Attribute most gracious which is a superlative Degree is not well applied to Princes we can say no more to God and as good to call most holy King there ought to be a Difference in Titles given to God and those given to Princes specially in Church at the Worship of God In God's Sight they are but Men and the Lord is jealous of his Honour and Glory which he declared he will not communicate to any one Let Men keep flattering Titles when they speak to Princes though I think none but due ones were better but in Prayers to God let Names of Blasphemy be avoided which we all condemn in the Pope of Rome Farther it were well to forbear the often unnecessary Repetitions of the same thing which in this Litany and other Parts of the Book are frequent and those broken Parts of Scripture which have no relation one to another all might be made up into one Prayer and not be divided into so many Then in one of the Prayers 't is said Turn from us all those Evils that we most righteously have deserved We think the Word justly is more proper the other being ambiguous Justice and Righteousness do differ Now for the Collects there are many for several Sundays in Advent and so many after Epiphany and Trinity an odd Way of reckoning the Lord's Days by in that on St. Stephen's Day God is prayed to grant us to learn by the Example of St. Stephen The Name of the Lord Jesus is a strong Argument and sufficient to prevail with God if any can so that of any Man is not necessary but there is a Day appointed to be kept for that Martyr and upon it something of him must be said but we take a great deal of Pains more than the Believers in his Time who appointed no Day for him Who gave the Name of Innocents to the Children killed by Herod's Order They confessed not with speaking but with dying and because they were put to Death to satisfie Herod's Policy and State Jealousie it doth not follow they died either Confessors or Martyrs they did not lay down their Lives for the Testimony of the Lord Jesus for they were not able to know and discern Why to observe the Day of Christ's Circumcision and not of his Baptism No Man as I observed before can say for certain the Day of any such Feasts they keep why to keep Epiphany or Twelft Day so much turned to Excess in Popery and amongst us too None of these produceth Decency nor Edification I think amongst Christians in our publick Devotion book as the Liturgy is The Words Lord's Day or Sabbath were more proper than Sunday Rev. 1.10 having as we have a Warrant out of Scripture This is the Way of reckoning after Popery I pray God we be not called to an Account for too much following after them As to observing Days for the Apostles I know of no Warrant we have to believe God is pleased with it on the contrary nor of the Purification of the blessed Virgin which is but a Continuation of a Jewish Ceremony all which are or ought to be abolished under the Gospel As to the Collect wherein it is said thine only begotten Son was this Day presented in the Temple it containeth either a Lie which no Man can disapprove or at least an uncertain and doubtful thing there being no Certainty of the Day If by Michael the Archangel or Prince of Angels be meaned our Lord and Saviour for the Name Michael signifying who is like unto thee O strong God is appliable to him then he hath his Day called the Lord's Day if Michael be an Angel then he is a Creature so not to be joined with the Creator and no Days to be kept for Angels there being no Warrant for it in Scripture Honour the Angel would receive none Rev. 19.10 and Chap. 22 9. Psal 16.4 As for all Saints Days 't is a Shame a Day for all Popish Saints with David we should say I will not take up their Names into my Lips As for the Apostles whilst alive they never thought nor desired to have Days kept for them after their Death St. Paul the zealous Asserter of Mercy and sworn Enemy to any thing of Merit in Man would never have approved that a Day should be kept for his Conversion he sufficiently declares against observerving of Days Months and Times and Years which makes him say Gal. 4.10 11. 1 Cor. 1.12 and Chap. 3.5 2 Cor. 4.7 Rom. 9.21 I am afraid of you least I have bestowed upon you Labour in vain he would have said Who is Paul Who is Apollo Who is Cephas But Ministers or Servants Earthen Vessels And a Lump of Clay in the Potter's Hand whilest alive when Instruments in God's Hand but much less are they after their Death he would have said what are they that Days should be kept for them and for himself Which once was a Persecutor a Blasphemer and the chief of Sinners After this followeth the Order for the Administration of the Communion there in the Beginning of the Rubrick we read of the Curate and in other Places of Vicars and such inferior Limbs of Hierarchy whereof not the least Step in Scripture If Prayers be appointed to be read in the Chancel for Conveniency of Reader and Hearers it 's well but if upon any Opinion of Holiness or other Privilege of the Place then 't is ill for that Place is no better than any other in the Church but why the Minister should stand on the North Side of the Table except for Conveniency I see no Cause for the Temple of Jerusalem stood on the North Side of the City but now we ought not to stand upon such Points of the Compass The People saying after every Precept Lord have mercy upon us c. is superfluous specially with a loud Voice once after the last as we humbly conceive might be enough Matth. 6.7 Christ forbiddeth to use vain and unnecessary Repetitions for Men are not heard for their much speaking It may be observed that the two Prayers for the King are improper upon that Occasion it supposeth a Communion without a Sermon before instead of which an Homily to be read which is better than nothing but there ought to be a Preparatory Sermon except in Case of Accident or else the Ministers are encouraged to Laziness and Neglect and used to read rather than to preach After Sermon or Homily the Minister or Curate is to declare unto the People Popish Custom still whether there be any Holy-Days the Week following and if there be what To shut their Shops and give over working for the Day By a Moral Commandment of God the
Logicians are they all But if this was litterally to be taken I see no Reason but we may do so of all those Places where Bodily Members as Eye Hand Arm c. and Passions as Anger Fury Vengeance Jealousie c. are attributed to God and thus fall into the Heresies of Antropomorphites and Antropopathites I must not omit to say how Papists make use of this Place in the Philippians to the same Purpose as our Men do so that this Practice is not free from Superstition Of Holy-days NEXT comes the Point of Feasts by them called Holy-days but there is no other Holy-days besides the Sabbath which God blessed and sanctified and now the Christian Sabbath or the first Day of the Week which our Saviour sanctified by his Resurrection after which he at several times appeared unto his Apostles who constantly observed it so that in St. John's time it was called the Lord's Day Rev. 1.10 As for all other Days kept in Memory of Creatures we disallow Keeping of Days hath Relation to God's Worship which ought not to be communicated to Men We are not satisfied to keep Apostles Days but we must also keep All Saints Michael and his Angels the Innocents c. All idle and superstitious Fopperies for which we have neither Precept nor Example in the Word of God to what purpose they contribute neither to Decency to Order nor to Edification only are an Inlet to Superstition He that keeps a Day let him keep it unto the Lord and not to Man either dead or alive An African Council condemned certain Feasts used in Memory of Martyrs because they were drawn from the Errors of the Gentiles whose Abominations Christians must not meddle or have to do with 1 Cor. 10.20 for the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice it to Devils and I would not that ye should have Fellowship with Devils So that when a Man saith to us this is offered in Sacrifice to Idols we ought not to eat Upon this Consideration that Council resolved on this And this we are to seek of the Emperor that such Feasts as are in many Places contrary to the Word of God and from the Errors of the Gentiles be forbidden for indeed some Christians being too ready to draw such things from them they transmitted them to others Christians and their Guides and Pastors instead of fencing against these things such was their Frailty that they rather complied therewith For Proof of this De Origin fest In Tertul. de Cor. Mil. let us hear what Hospinianus saith after Beat. Renany The old Bishops saith he were used when they could not call Men from the Superstitions of the Heathens by the preaching of the Word to seek at least to do it by observing their Holy-days with their own Worship but this was to drive out one Nail with another no Way to take off Superstition Although at the Beginning these Solemnities seemed tolerable yet at last they grew to such a Heap of Superstitions that they became the Fountain and Beginning of most horrible things Thus far he and Austin who then was alive wished them abolished and he gives in a Counsel for a good End Hom. 6. de Verb. dom in Matth. If ye ask how the Pagans may be won enlightened called leave all their Solemnities and forsake their Toys So we may say at this time only changing the Word Pagans into those of Papists Now the great Reason in those Days used by their learned Men not to receive those Vanities or if received to abolish them was because they were derived from Heathens which made Tertullian so sharply dispute that a Christian might not wear a Lawrel Crown for no other Cause but that the Gentiles did so which makes him say elsewhere Those Ceremonies are superstitious and vain which we used without any Authority of Divine or Apostolical Command and are to be accounted superstitious and therefore be restrained because in some sort they make us like the Gentiles and we may say they in some kind make us like the Papists for certainly we have it from them as they had it from the corrupt Church and this had it from Pagans so that the Springs whence they came and the Pipes thorough which they were conveyed are corrupt if there was no other Fault but this that they are empty Observations to be justly upbraided with Vanity as being done without any Warrant out of the Word for such things serve not to Religion but to Superstition and are affected and forced and rather over curious than any wise rational at all and therefore to be restrained because they do some of them suit with the Gentiles and all with the Papists Why then should we practise Ceremonial Festivals of Man's making 't is well to take occasion of hearing the Word and praying upon any Day when 't is offered but 't is not the Day but the Word of God that puts us in mind of the Birth Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and with Bucer we may well say I would to God that every Holy-day whatsoever besides the Lord's Day In Matth. 12. were abolished that Zeal which at first brought them in was without all warrant from the Word and it meerly follured corrupt reason to drive out the Holy-days of the Pagans as one Nail drives out another Those Holy-days have been so tainted with Superstition that I wonder we tremble not at their very Names and yet these every Year upon certain Days are observed with Mention of him or her whose Day it is and with an Epistle Collect Gospel Of Fasts WHAT I say of Feasts may also be spoken of Fasts We own Fasts publick or private being kept out of a right Principle in a true manner and for a good End are commendable but it must be upon occasion either to prevent an imminent Danger to remove some Judgments or to be humbled for our Sins then it must be joyned with Prayer for 't is an Accessary and Help to it and to speak more generally there is a Fast from Sin and evil Works which we are constantly bound to observe 't is what Scripture calleth ceasing from Evil but here this is not the Question 't is of prescribed Fasts which ought not always to be upon certain Days of the Year which are a Yoke upon the Church but as I said only upon Occasion voluntary and not forced and they ought not to consist in the Abstinence of some Meats but of all sorts for a time the better to fit us for Prayer not to have them too frequent as in the Church of Rome which looks on it as meritorious The Heretick Montanus brought in and promoted the stinted Fasts which afterwards did superstitiously multiply and to this Day Papists are full of them from them we borrowed some as those by the Church ordered to be kept upon Eves of several Holy-days so called all to be returned to those whom we had it from as well as the Feasts of
Innocents Michael and his Angels All Saints with the 30th of January and 29th of May. But we shall wave them all to speak of Lent that Chaos and Complication of Fasts this above all is an intolerable Yoke and yet was a greater when People were to buy Licenses to get leave to eat Flesh brought upon their Table as 't is in the Church of Rome whence they had it 't is strange that after Men have bought their Meat and so it must be their own yet besides they are to buy a License to eat it but now I thank God that 's over though there be those who out of Custom do strictly keep it and we have seen such Formalists as during all Lent would wear no Lace in their Linnen none but black Cloths as it were putting themselves in Mourning for the Death of our Lord without which there had never been any Joy or Happiness for us At first when Lent came in two or three Days were kept before Easter to meditate upon the Mistery of our Saviour's Death and with Prayer reading and hearing of the Word to prepare to receive the holy Sacrament but as Superstition came in and that ever it is for going on those few Days so multiplied by degrees till it came to the Excess it is now in so that we hear of first second Matth. 4.2 third fourth fifth Sundays in Lent and this we must pretend to be in Imitation of our Saviour's Fast not to be imitated for it was miraculous of forty Days then it is not well timed for his Fast was immediately after his Baptism and not about the Time of his Death Of Musick SOmething must be said about Musick not so much Vocal as Instrumental the Vocal is necessary to sing Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs to the Praise of God according to the Advice of St. Paul and St. James Col. 3.16 Jam. 5.13 yet without Affectation and Nicety as minding the Tune and rules of that Art more than the matter and making a pleasant Harmony to the Ear more than the Affection of the Heart Sing with Grace in your Hearts saith Paul To this purpose in a Distich or two Latin Verses one said well not the Voice but the Affection not the Sound of stringed Instrument but the Heart not he that cryeth out but he that loves makes a sweet Harmony in God's Ear. Non Vox sed Votum non musica chordula sed Cor Non clamans sed amans psallit in aure Dei Pet. Martyr spoke well when he said Musical Instruments belong to Jewish Ceremonies and agree no more to us than Circumcision In Cathedral Churches it makes a very confuse Noise so improper as indifferently to sing Prayers and Praises I know there are Psalms of Prayer but they ought jointly to be sung in the Church by all the People not appropriated to few singing Boys and Men who after the Popish Way shew their good Voices and Skill strive to tickle the Ears of Hearers who must be content to hear and say nothing Should one beg Alms in a singing Tone some would think he is mad or at least in a respectless and mocking Humour besides that by this people are deprived of the Comfort of singing Psalms which no doubt would tend more to Decency and Edification Those who are so fond of this kind of Musick might go to Musick-houses or Popish Churches if any was now publickly in the Kingdom where they shall have enough and Variety of it and not to make of Churches Play-houses or a kind of Dancing-schools In the late Reigns we heard in the Royal Chappels Violins and such sorts of Instruments fitter for a Ball-room than for the House of God and therefore should be taken away It is not only my Opinion but also of the thirty two grave and learned Men which is King Edward's Days were chosen to reform Ecclesiastical Laws they say we like well to have this kind of tedious Musick taken away De divinis officiis cap. 5. And because I my self am a Party I will say nothing more of my own but bring two or three more considerable Evidences who will speak to the Purpose Thom. Aquinas is one in whose time in the Church of Rome this was not so much in request as afterwards Quest 22. A. 4. he saith The Church useth no Musick for Divine Praises least it should seem to Judaize Musical Instruments do no more stir up the Mind to delight than frame it in a right Disposition in the Old Testament there was some need of them c. and also because they did figure out something Then Zuing lius saith It is evident that that same Ecclesiastical singing and roaring in our Temples scarce also understood of the Priests themselves is a most foolish and vain Abuse Act. Disput 2. pag. 106. and a most pernicious Hinderance to Piety I make no Question but all that kind of Musick was a Part of the Legal Pedagogy in the solemn Worship of God I do not judge it more suitable than if we should recal the Incense Tapers and others Shadows of the Law into use I say again to go beyond what we are taught is most wicked Pervicacy So saith Calvin but let us hear Erasmus whose Testimony will by some be better received than his in 1 cor 14. We have brought a tedious and Player like Musick into the Church a tumultuous Noise of many Voices such as I think was not heard amongst the Theaters of Grecians or Romans for which purpose whole Flocks of Boys are maintained at great Charges whose Age also is spent in learning such Gibble Gabble at such Cost is the Church for a pestiferous thing c. Doth not he just fit our Case and how many Drones are maintained at this rate Not to speak of Prebends and Canons who if they were Men of Parts and Piety might be better imployed in preaching the Word than they are in doing little or nothing Of Consecration of Churches SOME few Words I must speak about Consecration of Churches which Papists make a great Pother about and we are their Diminutive To set a-part a Place for God's Service and make no other use of it but wholly and only to dedicate it to God is a sufficient Consecration without any farther Ceremony a Church and a Church-yard are never the better for being thus consecrated wherefore 't is vain and superfluous to do it 't is appointed to an holy Use but there is no inherent Holiness the true preaching of the Word and the right Administration of the Sacraments are that which doth sanctifie and distinguish it from a common Use If the Church is to be consecrated Why not the Pulpit Why not the Bells Which Papists baptize and have God-fathers and Godmothers for So they do to Ships so this Consecration of Churches is not commanded in Scripture an Imitation of Popery and an unnecessary unprofitable and superstitious Ceremony for some Men think the Church to
instead of adorning them as pretended broken Unity under the Notion of settling Uniformity All which mischiefs might easily be prevented if they would be prevailed to lay them aside They are inconvenient conveniency is esteemed when a thing after the consideration of all circumstances is found at least to bring with it more Good than Evil but our Ceremonies by Experience have brought more Evil than Good They can do hurt saith Beza but no good God knows saith Foxe they be the cause of much blindness and strife amongst Men they have been and still are notoriously abused unto Superstition The sum of the second Commandment is that in the Worship of God or Ceremonies thereabouts we are to devise nothing of our own head or borrow any thing of Heathenish or Idolatrous Rites our Ceremonies have an aptness to provoke to Superstition and Idolatry in Popish Countreys the Cross is an Idol Now as God hath forbidden to sowe the Field with mingled Seed Levit. 19.19 so in the Church there ought to be no mixture of Humane Inventions with God's Institutions Ceremonies borrowed from Idolaters such are Papists are vicious and superstitious Worship therefore not to be borrowed of them The Jews by God's Command Levit. 18.3 were not to live according to the Laws and Examples of other Nations The words of Pelicanus upon the place are remarkable God saith he by this one Law would have them cast away and abhor whatsoever in Worship had pleased the Gentiles much more care ought Christians to have of this who being taught to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth ought first and last to have abhorred the idle unreasonable and deceitful Forms and Rites of Idolaters which if the ancient Bishops had well considered the Church had never been pestered with so many prophane Rites and base Ceremonies by which it came to pass that some Christians differ little from Gentiles save in the Names of their Idols This is home and to the purpose this was commanded for detestation of Idolatry because Idolaters did so the Israelites may not do so In Ceremonies we must strictly hold to the Word of God least we transgress either in number or in form And the like Command is given in two several places of the New Testament 2 Cor. 6 14. Rev. 18.4 to shew we are bound to the same under the Gospel as they were under the Law nay God therein looks narrowly into the things that seems the least only that they should not be like the Heathens Ye shall not round the Corners of your Head Levit. 19.27 neither shalt thou mar the Corners of thy Beard We are commanded to keep our selves from Idols 1 John 5.21 and from Idolatry and Appearances of it or to have any thing to do with what hath been or is abused to Idolatry Such as I said before are our Ceremonies and so because unprofitable unnecessary dangerous hurtful and inconvenient ought to be abolished But this is not all they are unlawful because Will-Worship which is so expresly forbidden in the Word of God Deut. 4.2 which we must never add to nor diminish from God commanded Moses Heb. 8.5 See that thou make all things according to the Pattern shewed to thee in the Mount The true Worship is that appointed by God and the false is that not appointed by God for there is but two kinds of Worship First True and Good Secondly False and Evil That is the same which he hath commanded This is that which he hath not commanded and certainly Man's Inventions he hath not commanded but forbidden Tertullian saith That is forbidden which is not permitted That is we must account that not to be permitted by the Word against which any reasons out of the Word may be given though there be no particular Word against it Though there were free-will Offerings whence they would set up Will-Worship yet they were to be of such things as were manifestly known to be prescribed by God's revealed Will and so not the Offering but the undertaking of it at such a time or in such a measure was left unto the free Choice of Men according to occasion 'T is no Will-Worship to pray thrice or seven times a day to Preach once twice or thrice on sabbath-Sabbath-day to Pray and Preach are necessary Duties but how often that comes under the necessary Circumstances of God's Worship as to Time and Place Prayer is expressly allowed by God's Word and the determination of it as to this or that time is to be ruled by Reason and these are the things which fall under that 1 Cor. 14. Such things are allowed as accessary parts of outward Worship but not such as Cross or Surplice Now all Humane Ceremonies imposed and observed as parts of God's Worship are unlawful and this is the true question We must Ceremonise saith Pelicanus only according to God's Word and Vrsin all feigned Worship is forbidden all Worship which is not of God but is set up by Men when Worship or Honour is feigned to be done to the true God in some work which he hath not enjoyned And Zanchi saith We may not Worship God with any other Worship though it be in the kind of External and Ceremonial than that which he hath required in the Holy Scripture to be worshipped by us These Ceremonies are Superstitious and this makes them also unlawful Now saith Vrsin Superstition is that which addeth Humane Inventions to Divine Precept 'T is a Will-Worship which is more than is appointed by the Law of God On Acts 17.4 saith Dr. Fulk And Perkins saith On the second Command Superstition is Worship of God without his Commandment they cannot wipe off the imputation of Superstition seeing they judge them necessary in their use though indifferent in their nature Thus a Minister may not read without a Surplice nor Baptise without the Sign of the Cross but their Superstition appeareth the more in that they make them to be significant Ceremonies which we shall have farther occasion to speak of They divide their Ceremonies into single and double and threefold the former are those whose use is only for Decency and Order the others serve also for Edification by some profitable signification but if all circumstances belonging to Time Place Persons Instruments of sacred Actions be sacred significant Ceremonies then not only the Clock but the leaden Weights of it not only the Ground which they do stand upon but also the Rushes by occasion strewed upon it the Besom the Minister's Black Cap or Perriwig his Beard c. shall be holy significant dumb and speaking Ceremonies dumb because unprofitable speaking idly in such a place When an Image of the blessed Virgin spake to Bernard in the Church Good morrow Bernard good morrow he answered O Madam you forget your Sex it is not lawful for a Woman to speak in the Church Just so should be silenced our idle significant Ceremonies the more because the Gospel is the
of all into the wide World ready they and their Families to perish for Hunger and Want but when seven of our Bishops were sent to the Tower where they were in no danger to be starved how highly were we concerned abhorring such an unlawful Violence as indeed it was but this sheweth great Partiality Well as to the Surplice that Garment of Baal amongst the rest of Ceremonies hath been the Occasion of a World of Mischief we had it from Popery in time of Popery and hath been continued since Reformanion Antichr demonstrat cap. 11.26 Dr. Abbot calls all the Priests Garments whereby they are distinguished from the rest of the Church a special Part of the Character of the Beast the Surplice is the chief of them Upon the purpose of the Streights which some who involuntarily use that Garment are put to I now here set down a Speech by Hooker Page 246. made in their Person Brethren our Heart's Desire is that we might enjoy the full Liberty of the Gospel as in other Reformed Churches they do upon them the heavy Hand of Authority hath imposed no great Burthen But such is the Misery of these our Days that so great Happiness we cannot look to attain unto were it so that the Equity of the Laws of Moses could prevail or the Zeal of Hezekiah could be found in the Hearts of those Guides and Governors under whom we live or the Voice of God's own Prophets could only be heard or the Example of the Apostles followed yea or their Precepts be an-answered with full and perfect Obedience these abominable Rags polluted Garments Marks and Sacraments of Idolatry which Power as you see constraineth us to wear and Conscience to abhor had long ' ere this Day been removed out of Sight and Memory but as now thing stand behold to what narrow Streights we are driven on the one side we fear the Words of our Saviour Christ woe to them by whom Offences and Scandals come on the other side at the Apostle's Speech we cannot but quake and tremble If I preach not the Gospel woe unto me Being thus hardly beset we see no other Remedy but to hazard our Souls one way that we may the other way endeavour to save them touching the Offence of the weak we must therefore adventure it if they perish they perish our Pastoral Charge is God's absolute Commandment rather than that shall be taken from us we are resolved to take this Filth and put it on although we judge it to be unfit and inconvenient that as often as we pray or preach so arrayed before you we do as much as in us lies cast away your Souls that are weak minded and to bring you into endless Perdition But we beseech you Brethren have care of your own Safety take heed to your selves that ye be not taken in these Snares which we lay before you and our Prayers on your Behalf is that the Poison which we offer you may never have Power to do you harm Thus Conformers of that sort that hold Ceremonies to be only inconvenient but not unlawful declare their Minds to excuse their Practices which they are ashamed of and that they do it with Grief but the Author who is none of their Friends hath his Design to shew notwithstanding their violent Checks of Conscience they did better to conform than not to preach but what an unwarrntable thing is it for such Trifles to drive Men into such Anguishes as with the Bishops of Asia to cry out Nos non nostra voluntate sed necessitate Evagr. Hist lib. 3. c. 9. c. We subscribed not willingly but upon Constraint not with Heart but with Hand But to return to the Surplice it is not only a Ceremony in it self but there is also a Ceremony in the using of it for commonly after the Minister hath read he puts it off before he goes up to the Pulpit and if he comes down again to read at the Desk for the Pulpit is thought no fit Place for that then he puts it on again though we see some to save themselves the trouble of putting on and off go in it up to the Pulpit and after Sermon come down to read at the Altar what remaineth to be read let them shew me any Profit thereby arising to be compared with the Loss of one Soul thorough Offence given They say we have Tables Table-cloths and Bells and take no Exception thereat but there is reason upon the account of the Difference for such things are of a civil use but Cross and Surplice are not Brightman's Answer which is very short to Bishop Jewel's Allegations for the Antiquity of distinct ceremonious Apparel used by Ministers in their Ministration may give a farther Satisfaction about this point Of Kneeling at the Lord's Supper NOW we must come to another Head kneeling at the Lord's Supper any of the three Postures standing sitting and kneeling practised by Protestants may be used provided there be in it no Superstition which we ought to avoid the very Appearances of the two former are not lyable to Exception but the last is because 't is a Posture proper to Prayer and Adoration fitting is a Posture fit for People at Table standing is the Posture of those who are ready for a March and of Passengers as we are all in this World which was represented by the Rites of the Passover Exod. 12.11 With Loins girded Shoes on the Feet Staff in the Hand and ye shall eat it in haste Leaning is a posture mentioned by the Evangelist according to the manner of being at Table used in those Countrys John 21.20 even leaning on the Breast one of another but now this affords no matter of Discourse as to the other three Evangelists they every one speak of sitting As near as it may be we ought to observe the Posture used by our Saviour and his Apostles But here we shall speak only of kneeling as the most apt to be abused It is known how in the Church of Rome the Priest when he is about that idolatrous Consecration as they call it doth many times bow Head and Knee whilest the standers by are all upon their Knees specially when the Mystery of the Pageantry is finished and the Elevation made then all do adore the Wafer now to shew we have Notions of the Lord's Supper different from theirs and that far from approving their Idolatry and Adoration of Wafer or Bread we abhor and detest it 't were a Christian Prudence not to give them the least ground to think we are of their Mind Though the brazen Serpent was of God's own Appointment and great things had been daily done nay though it was a Figure of Christ lifted upon the Cross yet People might not kneel before it for it was the Work of Man's Hand They might indeed kneel before the Ark because in a special manner the Glory of God was present there but they might not before the Cherubims of
all the Papists keep for her when alas I defie them all together to prove any of those Days to be the Day which they keep it for so then they are kept at a Venture What shall we say of the Names of Rogations Ember Week and so many more to be found in our Prayer-book which are the Quintessence of Popish Superstitious Holy Days What I say is not in Relation to the civil Part of those Names but as to the Spiritual as they are brought into the Church But they will say we keep not all such Dayes there is only a certain Number mentioned after the Kalender but I ask wherefore then do you set them down yet there are Mornings and Evenings first and second Lessons for the very Day which I make no doubt are read where Service is every Day In the same Kalender we find the fasts as well as Feasts and those Fasts are always upon the Eves of certain Holy Days which are many only I find St. Mark and St. Luke have none whilest All Saints have wherein a Partiality appeareth we have Good Friday Holy Thursday no better nor holier than another whole Lent c. But this matter of Feasts and Fasts I have spoken of before Upon the first of May is the Feast by Papists dedicated to Philip and James but we are so fond of the Latin Tongue that because Jacobus is the Latin for James in the Payer-book 't is called Jacob and not James I know no other Reason why it should be so only because it hath a greater Affinity to the Latin the Latin Church we still retain a Kindness for After the Kalender are certain Notes belonging to it whereof one is that the 13th Chapter of Daniel is to be read until such Words The Book of Daniel hath but 12. Chapters in all and must the History of Susanna against which as an Apocrypha are lawful Exceptions be fathered upon that holy Prophet and be inserted into his Book as a Chapter of it In the Morning and Evening Prayers when the general Confession is read by the Minister it were well for the People within themselves or with a very low Voice to follow him but so loud as usually it is is not pertinent but makes a Noise and Confusion for the same Reason the Answers that follow the Lord's Prayer which indeed have very little Relation if any at all with what goeth before or what followeth In Prayer the Minister is the Mouth of the People to God and the People with their Hearts are to joyn with the Minister in his Prayer as with Reverence and Attention they ought to hear when he is God's Mouth to them that is when he preacheth I might take notice of what is said there of singing the Lesson in plain Tune to sing the Collect Epistle and Gospel which are very improper things So of their Benedicite Magnificat Nunc dimittis which I suppose might admit of English Names of which I shall speak hereafter as for the Answers at the latter End they contain good Expressions but ill applied without a Connexion between themselves all after the Romish way which 't is to be wished we had not so much of as we have we could well enough be without it as without those Portions of Apocryphas when we are wanting something for Instruction Comfort and Edification which the Word of God may supply us with 'T is not enough to sing our Prayers but our Creed and Confession of Faith must also be sung as ordered in the Evening Prayer upon some certain great Days therein named We grant that 't is well to have those several things in Verses to use them however herein Men ought not to allow themselves oto much Liberty for the Word of God ought always to be handled with a great Respect and Reverence the Tone of our Voice ought to be adapted to the Matter and the Occasion according to that Rule of St. James Jam. 5.13 Is any among you afflicted Let him pray is any merry Let him sing Psalms Prayer and Singing are different Duties to be used upon several Occasions as are Affliction and Mirth Before I proceed farther one thing I must take notice of which to me seems unaccountable that is the using of the Word Priest in our Prayer-book In the two Places I quoted before Ephes 4.11 1 Cor. 12.28 whereunto we may joyn Rom 12 the Apostle mentioneth the several Offices belonging to the Church but there is no sign either of the Name or of the Office of a Priest under the Law there were some because Sacrifices were to be made but under the Gospel no Sacrifice but of Prayer and Praise we have the Eucharisty or Commemoration of our Lord and Saviour's Sacrifice upon the Cross but that 's good for Papists to have Priests who pretend daily to make an Expiatory Sacrifice for the Sins of the Living and of the Dead but we abhor such a thing at least pretend to do so We say we abolish the thing and yet retain the Name the Name of Minister is in Scripture known in this Sence 1 Cor. 44.1 Let a Man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God The Names Bishop Pastor and Elder are known in Scripture but if they think the Word Minister below them which I charitably believe they do not because sometimes though seldom they use it then they may use the Word Elder or Presbyter which is the Greek for Elder 1 Pet. 5.1 Presbyter as St. Peter calls himself and Presbytery are Scripture Names signifying Office in the Church but there is a great Difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Presbyter and a Priest which is the proper Signification of the last as Heb. 5.6 so then the Word Priest is fetched afar off and there is no such Office in the Christian Church As to the Litany the same may be said by the People at the same time with the Minister but with a low Voice and not not after and separately they do it after the manner of the Kirie Eleison used by Papists here the People not the Minister make the Prayer for they and not he say Spare us good Lord Good Lord deliver us We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. When 't is said from Fornication and all other deadly Sin the Word deadly doth favour the Popish erroneous Distinction of Mortal and Venial Sins They hold but seven Mortal Sins whereof Fornication is one but they hold there are Sins of their Nature not mortal and which do not deserve Death which is contrary to the whole Course of Scripture Ezech. 18.20 Rom. 6.23 which saith expresly the Soul that sinneth it shall die and the Wages of Sin is Death This may easily be mended with changing the Word deadly into any of these gross horrid enormeous or such like which to deny is certainly to refuse Peace upon easie Terms to
Censure so contrary to what Scripture prescribeth in matter of passing a Judgment upon others There is nothing of an healing Spirit which a little before and at the time of the Conferences in Worcester House only to have time to settle their Affairs and amuse others those Men pretended to But in the Head following concerning the Service of the Church are these Words The Service in this Church of England these many Years hath been read in Latin to the People whereby is meaned the Time of Popery so 't is called the same now as it was then namely the Church of England which I think is no great Credit or Honour to the present Church then it implieth the Service now used to be the same as 't was in those Days only with this Difference that then it was in Latin now in English So there is mention made of the Division of the Psalms into several Portions called a Nocturn and the Rules called the Pie which made the turning of the Book so intricate However though it hath suffered some Alterations in Substance 't is the same as it was in times of Popery only put in plainer Order and whereas heretofore there hath been a great Diversity in saying and singing in Churches within this Realm according to the Uses of Salisbury Hereford Bangor York Lincoln henceforth there shall be but one Vse namely the Romish or next to it in Cathedrals Collegial Chappels and the like In the following Rubrick an unnecessary and unrequired Leave is given to say in any Language understood Morning and Evening Prayers by which means the Latin is still continued but all Priests and Deacons 't is imposed upon to say it thus amongst Papists their Clergymen must say their Breviary which is meritorious Morning and Evening to pray to God is a necessary Duty incumbent upon all but I see no reason why one should always be stinted to such a Form In the proper Lessons is a Feast called Annunciation of our Lady it is not sufficiently expressed by the Name of the blessed Virgin Mary but our Lady Seeing they come upon those Terms they ought to have said which of the Ladies either of Egypt Loretto Monserrat and fifty more without Hyperbole which we could name for they are all Ladies with Churches dedicated to and Days appointed for them The Word Lady is not enough 't is common to so many though in the Word we read of one Lord Jesus Christ but of no Lady she should have been called Queen of Heaven and those great Titles given her in her Litany In a due and decent manner we honour her Memory and call her the most blessed amongst all Women but not in a Popish and Superstitious Way In the Kalender we are taught to reckon the Month after the Roman Way by Nonae Idus and Calend but to what purpose they know best In the manner of ordering of Priests and consecrating of Bishops we have Veni Creator Spiritus for those Words in Latin have a greater Emphasis and Energy than in English but not in ordering of Deacons that is used in the Conclave in the Election of a Pope which brings Infallibility in the Election Acts 24.23 and 1 Tim. 4.14 and 2 Tim. 1.6 when Paul and Barnabas ordered Elders or Ministers in every Church they prayed fasted and laid Hands upon them without any other Ceremony I should have said how their Way of Service in Cathedrals depriveth People of the Comfort of singing Psalms But we must return back to the Kalender there in red Letters we find King Charles Martyr and the 29th of May Observations upon the 30th of January and 29th of May in 1694. but I shall say nothing thereupon one not long ago having published something upon the matter and thus saved me that Trouble only I take notice he is in the 3 d. Collect of Evening Prayer mentioned in this Stile according to the Example of this thy blessed Martyr if a Martyr then of Hierarchy as his Son King James Confessor of Popery in the Morning Prayer 't is said instead of Venite exultemus for we cannot leave off our Latin shall the Psalm following be used called a Psalm a Mixture of broken Parts of Scripture Acts Jonah Lament and Baruch too and this one Verse by the Minister the next by the People so round about and the last Collect of the three the People to repeat it after the Minister The Service for Charles II's Birth and Restoration as to the Occasion Matter and Manner is a fit Match for this all alike I remember one thing I shall mention now we speak of Kings and that 's about Coronation wherein are observed some meerly Popish Fopperies which make Westminster Abbey so much like a Church in Rome or upon such an Occasion any Popish Church elsewhere the manner of laying the Regalia upon the Altar the bowing and cringings c. But I shall only speak of the anointing an idle Ceremony now formerly a Jewish one anointing of Priests Prophets and Kings under the Law were Typical all ended in the Lord Jesus Christ who yet though a Priest a Prophet and a King was not anointed with Oyl but with the Gifts and Graces thereby signified our Ministers or Priests as they call them should also be anointed as well as our Kings in this and that certain Parts of the Body rather than in another it is pity but that to perform so solemn an Action we should also have a miraculous Bottle of Oyl brought down from Heaven or a St. Ampoul that 's never diminished to anoint our Kings as the French pretend to as also till now they imitated them in touching for the King 's Evil however anointing may not be said to be essential to the Coronation Now to the manner of using the Prayer-book Why should the Minister read one Verse and the People with a loud Voice another which is against Decency and St. Paul's Rule not to speak all at once Why should the Doxology Glory be to the Father be repeated so often as well as the Lord's Prayer And why so divided as that the Minister should ever say one Half and the People the other Like Priest and Clark in Popery this to answer for the other Why should the Title of every Psalm be Latin Why is Simeon's Song called the Nunc dimittis The blessed Virgin 's to be known under the Name of Magnificat when we speak of the Rich Man to call him Dives Why Simon rather Magus than the Sorcerer If we be so fond to call things by Names in an unknown Language let it be in Hebrew or in Greek which are the original Tongues of Old and New Testament and not in Latin which with their Decrees is the Language of the Beast if in English we wanted Words to signifie things then there would be Cause to borrow of others but we are not brought to such Streights every one knows how all the Popish Service is in Latin wherein we still