on the will of the Speaker which perhaps he understandeth not and never knows what they are till they are delivered nor whether they be fit for him to joyn in or in plainer words whether a man be likely to pray and ask most fervently he knows not what or that which he knows and comes on purpose to pray For sure the quickning and enlivening of the Spirit is not so perfectly miracle as to exclude all use of reason or understanding to prepare for a capacity of it for then there had been no need to have turn'd the Latine Service out of the Church the Spirit would have quickned those Prayers also CHAP. III. HAving thus past through the Ordinance and the Preface and in the view of the Ordinance stated and setled aright the comparison betwixt the Liturgie and the Directory and demonstrated the no-necessity but plain unreasonablenesse of the change and so by the way insisted on most of the defects of the Directory which are the speciall matter of accusation we prosesse to find in it I shall account it a Superfluous importunity to proceed to a review of the whole body of it which makes up the bulk of that Book but instead of insisting on the faults and infirm parts of it such are the prohibition of adoration toward any place p. 10. that is of all adoration while we have bodies about us for that must be toward some place the interdicting of all parts of 〈◊〉 â—â—ochryphal Books p. 12. which yet the Ancient Church avowed to be read for the directing of manners though not as rule of Faith the frequent motion of the Covenant in the directions for Prayer once as a speciall mercy of God p. 17. which is the greatest curse could befall this Kingdome and a great occasion if not Authour of all the rest which are now upon it then as a means of a strict and religious Vnion p. 21. which is rather an engagement of an irreligious War then as a precious band that men must pray that it never be broken p. 21. which is in effect to pray that they may never repent but continue in Rebellion for ever Then as a mercy again p. 37. as if this Covenant were the greatest treasure we ever enjoyed Then the praying for the Armies by Land and Sea p. 38. with that addition for the defence of King Parliament and Kingdome as resolving now to put that cheat upon God himself which they have used to their Fellow Subjects that of fighting against the King for the defence of him Beloved be not deceived God is not mocked Then affirming that the Fonts were superstitiously placed in time of Popery therefore the Child must now be baptized in some other place p. 40. while yet they shew not any ground of that accusation nor ever will be able to do Then that the customs of kneeling praying by towards the dead is superstitious p. 73. which literally it were Superstitum cultus if it were praying to them but now is far enough from that guilt And lastly that the Lords day is commanded in the Scripture to be kept holy p 85. the sanctification of which we acknowledge to be grounded in the Scripture and instituted by the Apostles but not commanded in the Scripture by any revealed precept The first that we meet with to this purpose is that of Ignatius Epist ad Magnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us therefore Sabbatize no longer Let every Christian celebrate the Lords day which saying of an Apostolick writer being added to the mention of the Lords day in the New Testament is a great argument of the Apostolick institution of that day which the universall practice of the Church ever since doth sufficiently confirm unto us and we are content and satisfied with that authority although it doth not offer to shew us any command in the Scripture for it And then you may please to observe that the same Ignatius within a page before that place foreciting for the observing of the Lords day hath a command for Common Prayer and I conceive for some set Form I shall give you the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all meet together to the same whether action or place in Prayer Let there be one Common Prayer one mind c. and Cleâ—â— Alex. to the same purpose the Altar which we have here on Earth is the company of those that dedicate themselves to Prayers as having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common voice and one mind which cannot well be unlesse there be some common Form by all agreed on Instead I say of pressing these or the like frailties upon this work which will argue the Composers of it to be men and fallible I shall rather desire to expresse and evidence my charity and my endeavour to read it without any prejudice by adding my opinion that there be some things said in it by way of direction for the matter of Prayer and course of Preaching which agree with wholsome doctrine and may tend to edification and I shall not rob those of that approbation which is due to them nor conceive our Cause to need such pâ—evish means to sustain it Being not thereby obliged to quarrel at the Directory absolutely as a Book but onely as it supplants the Liturgie which if it had a thousand more excellencies in it then it hath it would not be fit to do And being willing to give others an example of peaceablenesse and of a resolution to make no more quarrels then are necessary and therefore contributing my part of the endeavour to conclude this one assoon as is possible And the rather because it is in a matter which if without detriment to the Church and the Souls of men the Book might be universally received and so the experiment could be made would I am confident within very few years assoon as the pleasure of the change and the novelty were over prove it 's own largest confutation confesse it 's own wants faults and so all but mad men see the errour and require the restitution of Liturgie again This I speak upon a serious observation and pondering of the tempers of men and the so mutable habits of their minds which as they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easily changed from good to evil so are they which is the difference of men from lapâ—st Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easily reduced also to their former state again when reason comes to them in the cool of the day when the heat of the kindnesse is past and a saâ—iety hastning in its stead or if it prove not so well yet falling from one change to another never coming to stability How possible this may prove in this particular I shall now evidence no farther then by the parallel vehement dislikes that the Presbyteriall Government hath already met with among other of our reforming Spirits very liberally exprest in many Pamphlets which we have lately received from London but in none more
about the time of the Jews destruction Gamâ—liel and his Sanhedrim added a nineteenth Prayer and after him others so that at length the daily service grew to an 100 Prayers That it is likely that the Pagans come to use their set Forms in their Sacrifice also and perhaps the Mahumedans too by the example of the Jewish Church for which he there referres the Reader to many Books of the Learned I conceive the authoritie of this Gentleman hath not been despised by the House of Commons and the Assemblers when it hath chanced to agree with their designes or interest and therefore I have thus farre as an Argument ad homines insisted on it Sect. 16 3. The not onely practice but precept of Christ in the New Testament who did not only use himself a set form of words in prayer three times together using the same words Matth. 26. 44. and upon the Crosse in the same manner praying in the Psalmists words onely changed into the Syriack dialect which was then the vulgar but also commanded the use of those very words of his perfect form which it seems he meant not onely as a pattern but a form it self as the Standard weight is not only the measure of all weights but may it self be used Luke 11. 2. when you pray say Our Father c. which precept no man can with a good conscience ever obey that holds all set forms necessary to be cast out of the Church Sect. 17 4. The practice not onely of John the Baptist who taught his disciples to pray Luke 11. 1. which occasioned Christs Disciples to demand and him to give them a form of Prayer but especially of the Apostles of which we find intimations 1. Cor. 14. 26. When you come together every one of you hath a Psalm which sure referres to some of the Psalms of David or Asaph used then ordinarily in their devotions and that as even now I said authorized by the example of Christ himself upon the Crosse who it is thought repeated the whole 22. Psalm it is certain the first verse of it My God my God why hast thou for saken me and so certainly a set form and that of Prayer too of which thanksgivings and Praises are a part But because every one had his severall Psalm it is therefore reprehended by the Apostle as tending to confusion and by that consequence S. Pauls judgement is thence deducible for the joyning of all in the same form as being the onely course tending to edification in the end of that verse and then sure 't would be hard that that which the Apostle conceived the onely course for edifying should now be necessarie to be turn'd out of the Church as contrary to edification Farther yet 't is clear by text that the Apostles when they met together to holy duties such are Fasting Prayer receiving the Sacrament continued very long time sometimes a whole day together This being too much to be alwayes continued in the Church and unsuteable to every mans businesse is said to have been the occasion that S. James first made choice of some speciall Prayers most frequently by them used which was after called his Liturgie which or some other in the disguise of that the Greek Church still use on solemn dayes This also being of the longest for every dayes use St Basil is said to have shortned and that again St Chrisostome how certain these reports are I shall not take upon me to affirm but onely adde that the Greek Church who are most likely to know the truth of it by their records do retain all these three Liturgies and would loudly laugh at any man that should make doubt whether St James St Basil and St Chrysostome were not the Authours of them 2. That the judgement of that Church if they are deceived also and may not be thought worthy to be heeded by our Assemblers is yet an argument of great authoritie to any prudent man if not that these Liturgies were purely the same with those which were written by that Apostle and those holy men yet that there were such things as Liturgies of their penning The like might be added of that short form of St Peters which alone they say was used in the Roman Church for a great while till after by some Popes it was augmented and the same of St Marks Liturgy I am sure St Augustine speaking of some forms retained in the Church and still to be found in our Liturgie particularly that of Sursum corda Lift up your hearts c. faith that they are verba ab ipsis Apostolorum temporibus petita words fetcht from the times of the Apostles which supposes that they did use such Forms And for that particular mentioned by St Augustine it is agreeable to the Constitutions of the Apostles l. 8. c. 16. which collection if it be not so ancient as it pretends doth yet imitate Apostolicall antiquity and so in St James's and Basils and Chrysostomes Liturgy in the same words with our Book as farre as to the word bounden and for many other such particular Forms used by us we find them in Cyril of Jerusalems Catechisme one of the ancientest Authours we have and then that it should be necessary for the Church to turn out what the Apostles had thus brought into it will not easily be made good by our Assemblers Sect. 18 Fifthly The practice of the Universall Church from that time to this which is so notorious to any that is conversant in the writings of the Ancient Fathers and of which so many testimonies are gathered together for many mens satisfaction by Cassander and other writers of the Liturgica that 't were a reproach to the Reader to detain or importune him with testimonies of that nature To omit the practice of Constantine who prescribed a form for his Souldiers a Copy of which we have in Euseb de vit Const l. 4. c. 20. I shall onely mention two grand testimonies for set Forms one in the 23 Canon of the third Councell of Carthage Quascunque sibipreces aliquis describet noniis utatur â—ise priùs oas cum instructioribus fratribus contulerit No man may use any Prayers which he hath made unlesse he first consult with other learneder Christians about theÌ„ And the other more punctuall Concil Milev c. 12. Placuit ut precesquae probatae fuerintin Concilio ab omnibus celebrentur Nec alia omninò dicaÌ„tur in Ecclesia nisi quae à prudentioribus tractantur vel comprobatae in Synode fuerint no fortè aliquid contra fidem aut per ignorantiam aut per minus studium sit compositum It was resolv'd on that the Prayers that were approv'd in the Councell should be used by all that no other should be said in the Church but those that had been weighed by the more prudent or approv'd in a Synod lest any thing either through ignorance or negligence should be doÌ„ne against the Faith Instead of such Citations and because
the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the head of the Congregation And the Patriarchs among Christians are taken from the heads of the Tribes among them called ordinarily by the 72 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adde unto these the Christiaâ— Censure of Excommunication answerable to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether it were from sacred or onely from civill Assemblies among them it matters little for the civill among them may be accommodated to Ecclesiasticall among Christians as in some of the fore-mentioned is acknowledged and as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies primarily any kind of Assembly is so taken Matth. 6. 5. is appropriated to a place of divine worship in other places and the severall degrees of it in the Christian Church answerable to their Niddui Cherem and Schammatha And so for Absolution also All this I have said and might adde much more to make the demand appear no unreasonable one that it may be lawfull for the Church to use a custome which hath some resemblance of some Ceremony in sorce anciently among the Jews viz. that of the Purification of Women in our Churching Which objection being removed there will remain no other and then that it should be simply unlawfull or unedifing to take notice of the deliverance of each Woman or to pay acknowledgement to God for it and necessary to set up such Schools of ingratitude in the Church is more then ingenucus nature will suffer any Christian to believe upon the bare authority of these Assemblers Sect. 44 14. The Cummunion of the sick if it be superstition Popery also as sure is implyed by the no mention of it at the visitation of the sick in the Directory 't is sure of a very long standing in the Church the Canons of the Councels about the Lapsi and Excommunicate that generally take care that they should have the Peace of the Church in extremis answerable to our Absolution at that time and if with expressions of penitent hearts they desire it the Sacrament also are evidences so clear of this custome that I shall not need produce any testimonies those that are moved with the practice of Antiquity being sufficiently furnisht with them If any may be unsatisfied in this let him read the famous story of the dying Sâ—rapion in Eusebius l. 6. c. 36. And that it should be necessarie to the edification of that Church that this viaticum as the Fathers call'd it should be denied every hungring and thirsting traveller at that time when it might yield him most comfort and our charity most inclines us to allow it him nay that the Church should be thought to suffer by that in any eminent manner if it were ill which is done privately onely to some particular and order taken that all publickly should be warned to receive the Communion frequently in the Church and so not want it on the bed or trouble the Minister then for it and consequently the Church perhaps never hear of it this is again a new kind of necessity to be fetcht from some under-ground Fundamentall Laws of I know not whose laying that the Christian Church never heard of till these times Sect. 45 15. As for the Service of the Commination fitted for the first day of Lent which by denuntiations against particular sinnes under the Law appointed to be read to and attested by the people with an Amen of acknowledgement that every such offender is by the Law cursed not of Prayer that he may be so dealt with in Gods justice is designed to bring men to humiliation contrition for sin the speciall duty of that day and the ensuing season and closeth with most affectionate prayers for such penitents it is matter of some panick sencelesse fears to some ignorant men which are very tender and passionate friends to their beloved sins and dare not subscribe to the condemnation of them but very usefull to awake even those and all others out of this security as a Feaver to cure the Lethargick to kindle a fire about mens ears that they may see their danger and make out to the use of all Christian means of repentance and devotion and laying hold on Christ to avert it and if such a bug-bear as that of being thought to curse our selves and freind in the saying Amen to the threatnings which will be true to all impenitents whether we say or no be sufficient to exercize such an exorcist to cast out of the Church such a powerfull means of bringing sinners to repentance or if bare prejudice of the Assemblers without either hearing or objecting against it be enough to make it necessary to be left out of our service the Devill will never be in danger from his enemies as long as he may have but the spell of the Directory to put them thus to flight for him Sect. 46 Lastly for the observation of Lent c. if they be consider'd in generall as Fasts there will sure be no necessity to renounce them the Jews had their Fasts as well as Feasts and those set publick not onely voluntary private Fasts and not onely that great day of Expiation appointed by God himself but occasionall ones appointed by men and yet when appointed as constantly observ'd as that other the Fast of the fourth moneth of the fifth of the seventh and of the tenth moneth Zach. 8. 19. and under Christianity though in the time of Christs presence with the Disciples they fasted not yet the fasting of Johns Disciples nay the twice a week of the Pharisees themselves is not though mentioned yet reprehended but implicitely approved by Christ and of his own saith he they should not have that immunity long The dayes should come when the Bridegroome should be taken away and that is ever since Christs Ascension and then shall they fast in those dayes 'T were easie to iustifie this through the writings and by the practice of the whole Church of God till these dayes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let loose till these dayes of animosities and Epicurisme have made the usage of Fasts by Papists a command to us not to use them and concluded the abating any thing of our gluttony to be an intrenchment on our Christian Liberty and both those deceits together quarrell'd all Christian times of fasting out of our practice first then out of our Kalendar This being said in generall of fasting the application of this to these fastâ— of the Church will be indisputably satisfactory to any that shall but consider the occasions of each of them of the Lenten-fast the known fourty dayes example of abstinence in Christ whereupon saith St. Jerome Vnam quadragesimam sec traditionem Apostolorum c. jeâ—unamus We fast the Lent according to the tradition of the Apostles And Epiphanius joyns with him to make the Lent fast an Apostolicall tradition others of the Ancients concurring for the practice of
fully then in the Epistle to the Book entituled John Baptist first charging the Presbyteriant who formerly exclaimed against Episcâ—pacy for stinking the spirit that they began to take upon them to establish a Dagon in his throne in stinking the whole worship of the God of Heaven c. and in plain words without miâ—cing or dissembling that they had rather the French King nay the great Turk should rule over them then these The onely use which I would now make of these experiments is this to admire that blessed excellent Christian grace of obedience and contentment with our present lot whatsoever it be that brings not any necessity of sinning on us I mean to commend to all in matters of indifference or where Scripture hath not given any immediate rule but left us to obey those who are set over us that happy choice of submitting rather then letting loose our appetites of obeying then prescribing A duty which besides the very great ease it brings withit hath much of vertue in it and will be abundant reward to it self here on Earth and yet have a mighty arrear remaining to be paid to it in Heaven hereafter which when it is heartily considered it will be a thing of some difficulty to invent or feign a heavier affliction to the meek quiet spirit a more ensuaring peice of treachery to the Christian Soul I am sure to his Estate and temporall prosperity then that of contrary irreconciliable commands which is now the case and must alwayes be when Ordinances undertake to supersede Laws when the inferior but over-swaying power adventures to check the Superiour Of which subject I have temptation to annex a full tyde of thoughts would it not prove too much a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and be most sure to be so esteemed by them to whom this addresse is now tendred The good Lord of Heaven and Earth encline our hearts to keep that Law of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 6. 2. which is a prime Commandment and that with a promise of secular Peace and abundance annext if not confined to it To conclude therefore and summe up all in a word we have discover'd by this brief survey the resonablenesse of this act of Gods providence in permitting our Liturgy to be thus defamed though in all reason the Liturgy it self deserve not that fate the no-inconveniences so much as pretended to arise from our Liturgy to which the Directory is not much more liable the no-objection from the Word of God against the whole or any part of it produced or offered by you the no-manner of the least or loosest kind of necessity to abolish it the perfect justifiablenesse and withall usefulnesse of set Forms above extemporary effusions the very many particulars of eminent benefit to the Church and of authority in it preserved in our Liturgy but in the Directory totally omitted and that in the despight of all Statutes both of K. Edward and Q. Elizabeth by which the Reformation of this Church is establisht among us and I trust shall still continue notwithstanding the opposition of those who pretended kindnesse but now run riot against this Reformation we have shew'd you also the true grounds of our ancestours rejoycing in our Liturgy instead of the partiall imperfect account given of that businesse by your Preface the wonderfull prosperity of this Church under it contrary to the pretended sad experience c. and withall we have made it clear that all the exceptions here proposed against the Liturgy are perfectly vain and causlesse as that it hath prov'd an offence c. the ordinary crime charg'd on those actions that are liable to no other and so that offence without a cause that this offence hath been by the length of the Service which will onely offend the prophane and withall is as observable in your Service by the many unprofitable burthensome Ceremonies which have been shewed neither to be many nor unprofitable nor burthensome by the disquieting of Consciences i. e. onely of the unquiet by depriving them of the Ordinance i. e. those who would rather loose the Sacrament then receive it kneeling or reverently that the offence was extended to the reformed Churches abroad also and yet for that no one proof offered nor Church named that was so offended and if there were yet still this supposed offensivenesse no just plea for any thing but Reformation So also that by means of the Liturgy many were debarred of the exercise of their Ministery the suggestion for the most part a meer calumny and that which was true in it ready to be retorted upon these Reformers that the Prelates have labour'd to raise the estimation of the Liturgy too high yet that no higher then you would the value of your Directory to have it the rule for the manner of publick worship or if they did this is the fault of those Prelates not of the Liturgy who yet were said but to have labour'd it neither not to have effected it and even that labour or desire of theirs to have amounted no higher then Calvin's letter to the Protectour would avow that this hath been to the justling out of Preaching which is rather a speciall help to it and prescribes it and allows it its proper place but hath oft the ill luck to be turn'd out by Preaching that it hath been made no better then an Idol which if it be a fault in the Liturgy is as farre more chargeable on the hearing of Sermons that the people please themselves in their presence and lip-labour in that service an uncharitable judging of mens hearts and a crime to which your Directory makes men as lyable as the Liturgy that our Liturgy is a compliance with Papists and so a means to confirm them in their Idolatry c. whereas it complies with them in nothing that is Idolatrous c. and by complying with them where they do with antiquity and truth it is more apt to convince them of their errors and by charity to invite then by defiance that it makes an idle Ministery which sure the Directory will not unmake being as fit for that turn either by forming and conning the Prayer there delineated or by depending on present conceptions as the Liturgie can be that it hinders the gift of Prayer which if it signifie the elocution or conception of words in Prayer is not peculiar to the Minister and for any thing else hindring it no more then the Directory doth that the continuance of it would be matter of endlesse strifes c. which sure 't is more reasonable to think of an introduction of a new way of Service then the retaining of the old that there be many other weighty considerations and many particulars in the book on which this condemnation is grounded and yet not one of these mention'd but kept to boil in their own breasts if there be any or which is more likely falsely here pretended to inflame the reckoning that they are not mov'd