question why should so many good Subjects be lost to a Nation why should they have temptations to estrange their hearts from the ancient and excellent government thereof But matters of policy we most humbly leave to the grave wisdom and deliberations of His Sacred Majesty and His Parliaments Onely we must add a word to one or two Suggestions more which the Bishop hath for the imposing of the Liturgy CHAP. XIV Bishop Gaudens two Arguments from the Authority of the Church the influence of Subjects Conformity in devotion to their Prince considered No necessity of using the Liturgy upon these accounts I. THe truth is in other parts of his Book the Bishop did but like the Lapwing fly far about from his main design and argument which p. 27. he toucheth and yet but very tenderly The Authority of the Church must not be baffled Here indeed is the bottom of all we must have Liturgies and Ceremonies imposed to maintain the Authority and pomp and grandieur of what they call the Church II. The name of the Church is a reverend name and her Authority is reverend and by no means to be baffled for Christ is in her But as the Name and Authority of a rightful King is reverend so both the name and authority of an Usurper is justly abominable And as no Magistrates command is to be obeyed where he hath no right to command so neither is any Church nor is denial of obedience in that case any contempt of the Authority either of the Magistrate or of the Church we must therefore enquire strictly what Church this is which is clothed with Authority and what power she hath in the things we dispute about III. The Church is either Triumphant or Militant The Militant Church is visible or invisible It must be the Militant visible Church this also is an homonimous term and either signifies the universality of the people or the messengers of the people The Universality of people baptized into the name of Christ over all the world make up the Catholike visible Church The whole Company of them in this of that Province Nation City Parish make such a National Provincial or Parochial Church But we do not think this is the Church clothed with Authority We understand by a Church in that sense The Officers of such a Church constituted according to Gods Word whether they be the Officers of a particular Church or the messengers of the particular Churches in a Lugentile Synod a National or Provincial Synod or if it were possible in an Oecumenical Synod To Churches in all these political senses vve ow great reverence and acknowledge that to their several capacities several degrees of authority to admonish suspend excommunicate deprive declare the doctrine of saith in doubtful cases appoint some things truly and properly relating to decency or order c. IV. But it is more then we know that any such Church as this ever established a Liturgie in England The Papists have devised a new notion of a Church to them the Pope and his Cardinals make the Church but that any such notion of Church is justifiable from Scriptures Protestants deny V. Our State hath been pleased in some Acts of Parliament to take Church in another notion and to call the Prelacy of England the Church of England That this application of the term Church is not to be justified from Scripture or Reason is plain nor is it needful they may if they please call the Prelacy of England the Parliament or by what other name they please what should hinder But they cannot give them that Authority which the word of God allows onely to a Church in another notion but may cloath them with vvhat civil power they please VI. Hence it appears that it is all one vvith us in England to baffle or despise the Church and State for that company of men whom vve call the Church of England by a new civil application of the term is nothing else Then a company of men by a Civil Power made Bishops and called to advise the State in things concerning Religion who have no more Authority then they derive from the King or Parliament for whence should they have it Not from Nature Surely no Ecclesiastical power is derived from thence Not from Scripture upon any pretence for if vvhen Christ gave the Keyes to Peter he intended his single person as the Papists vvould have it then St. Peter's successor only can pretend to them if he gave them to Peter as an Officer of the Church then there must be either a full Convention of such Officers or some persons chosen by them to use them If to Peter as a Christian then the Authority is in the Community VII It remains that according to the Constitution of English Synods the Churches Authority is but derivative from the Civil State and to disobey them is no sin further then it is a disobedience to the lawful Civil Magistrate to vvhom vve freely grant an authority so far as Gods vvord allows us and such an authority as none ought to resist or baffle as the Bishop sayes The Church of England which we so often hear of is a Civil Church not an authoritative Church in a Scriptural notion VIII We again say Far be it from us to oppose Civil Authority either exercised by Lay persons or Ecclesiastical persons We acknowledge it our duty to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars We further say vve are bound to obey the Civil Magistrate in all things in things lawful Actively in things unlawful in themselves or vvhich appear so to us by suffering their vvill and pleasure quietly and patiently That vvhich vve insist upon is onely a lawful means in order to our own preservation i. e. humbly desiring the Civil Magistrate to forbear imposing upon us in the tender things of God IX VVe freely allow to the Civil Magistrate a power to command us in all civil things and shall chearfully obey him 2. To command us to keep the Statutes and Commandments of God 3. To command us in the Circumstances relating to Divine Worship to do those things vvhich are generally commanded us in the vvord to appoint time and place and such circumstances vvithout vvhich the vvorship of God in the judgement of ordinary reason must be indecently and disorderly performed X. For his power in imposing Forms of prayer significant ceremonies c. vve do not dispute it but vve humbly crave leave to dissent in this and to have liberty to suffer his pleasure as becomes Christians rather then do those things vvhich our consciences vvould condemn us for And in this vve appeal to all sober Divines and all rational Christians vvhether vve speak not as becomes sober Christians XI VVe cannot vvithout some passion read vvhat the Bishop sayes p. 28. Doubtless Subjects cannot be so tite and firm or so zealous and firm or so chearful and constant in their Loyalty love and duty to their Soveraign if they
the time it self sheweth wherein they first began to be used in Sacred Offices For Bellarmine himself confesseth that they first began to be used in the time of Pope Vitalian but he brings no reason why none of them were used either in the Apostles or in Constantines time For if they began to be used after the year 660. or 820. we must believe that humane nature had a great wrong in that for so many years it did not apply this Faculty to the praise of God For we believe the Apostles loved Christ with all their hearts The former and more religious ages had weak ones too though no Organs were used to help them I know not whether they encrease or diminish tediousness For men seldom see those Musical Masters godly and those Instruments with their length are troublesom to such as sing with the voice Let the matter be as it will I affirm that Bellar with his distinction of Ceremonies could not answer P. Martyrs reason against these For as the offering of bloudy Sacrifices though common both to the Jews and Heathens was taken away by Christs Bloud on the Cross as unsuitable to the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedech so though the Heathens used these Instruments in the Solemnities of their Idols as Nebuchadnezzar in the Dedication of his Image yet these were convenient only for the Jewish Ceremonial worship c. XXVI But the truth is all that can be pretended for Church-Musick is the Authority of the Church to add what Ceremonies she pleaseth to the worship of God which we must speak somthing to in the next Chapter Though neither can Church-Musick come under that Notion for it is a perfect Service of it self not alwaies appendant to singing and is so used a perfect Post set up by Gods Posts an Ordinance of mans added to the Ordinances of God for his Worship which our souls shall desire to take heed of CHAP. XVI The Bishops Reasons for the English Ceremonies considered The Churches Power about Ceremonies examined No Principle to be maintained to death Archbishop Parkers Opinion of humane Ceremonies Reasons against them I. VVE are come to the last thing which we shall take notice of in the Bishops Book and that is his zealous Assertion of the Churches power in appointing Ceremonies and Circumstances of Divine Worship This is indeed the root of all the Pandora's Box the very Fountain head of all those Impositions which have bred so much trouble disturbance and persecutions in the Church of God Let us first see how the Bishop asserts it II. He tels us That the last shock of popular envy which the innocent and excellent Lyturgy of England was wont to bear was from the Ceremonies For which the summe of his Plea is this 1. That they are few 2. Retained as signal marks of Faith or Humility or Purity or Courage or Constancy 3. Not as Sacramental Signs conferring Grace but meerly as visible Tokens apt by a sensible sign to affect the understanding with somthing worthy of its thoughts as signified thereby 4. St. Augustine was no enemy to them 5. They are established by the Lawes of Church and State 6. They fall not under the Second but the Third Fourth and Fifth Command 7. They are like Cloaths fitted to our Bodies and Perwicks to our Head and Tunes to our Pslams 8. They do not burden any Conscience 9. It is most true and undeniably to be maintained even unto the death That this National Church as well others hath from the Word of God Liberty Power and Authority within its own Polity and Bounds to judge of what seemeth to it most orderly and decent as to any Ceremony or Circumstance in the Worship of God which the Lord hath left unconfined free and indifferent in its own nature and only to be confined or regulated by every such Ecclesiastical polity within it self c. III. We must in our examination of this Harangue of discourse crave leave to alter his Lordships method and to begin with the last thing first for if the Lord hath left to the Church or State no such power at large or if it be bounded by some general rules to be observed in the exercise which are not observed in some particular impositions all the former pleas that they are few signal marks c. not Sacramental sign c. come to just nothing Yet we cannot but observe how the Bishop hath provided a way to light upon his legs say what we will For it cannot be denied but the Church hath a full power from the Word of God within its own polity and bounds to judge of what seemeth to it most orderly and decent as to any circumstance in the worship of God which the Lord hath left unconfined free and indifferent in its own nature And only to be confined or regulated by every such Ecclesiastical Polity within it self i.e. The Lord hath left that to be regulated by the Church which he hath left to be regulated by the Church A most momentous and undoubted truth never denied by any But that is not the question This is the question Whether it be the will of God that the Church should regulate and determine all things which the Word of God hath left indifferent as to his worship or whether God by leaving them indifferent hath not declared his will that the Church should so leave them too IV. Yet were the first part determined affirmatively it would not reach the mark for it would then be queried Whether the particular Ceremonies appointed for us be such considering the letter of the Scripture or the circumstances of those Ceremonies with the reason and consequents of Scripture Text that they under those circumstances considered can be lookt upon as indifferent yea or no. V. The Bishop is yet confounding us with the complicated notion of the Authority of the Church and State In England there are no Ceremonies established by any other authority then that of the State which having called together some Ecclesiastical persons heard their advice and by a Law established some Rites and Ceremonies to which no soul is otherwise obliged then to a State-constitution VI. That the Word of God hath left many things not possible to be determined by it to the Authority of the Christian Magistrate cannot be denied whether any Ceremonies or no is a question diverse circumstances relating to the worship of God are undoubtedly so left These are such as relate to order and decency i. e. without which the worship of God cannot be orderly and decently performed and do chiefly relate to time and place the ordinary adjuncts of humane actions Thus we freely grant that the Civil power or the Church orderly assembled may determine at what hours on the Lords day the Congregation shall meet as also it shall determine particular times for fasting or thanksgiving as Gods providence shall administer occasions that places of publique worship shall be erected frequented kept decent and an
the time to make a new Lytugry the Common people would have thought it a new Religion they therefore translate the old Gregorian Missal leaving out the Prayers for the Pope and to Saints and for Saints departed and a few such things as could not be used without palpable Idolatry and translate the other Prayers in the Mass-Book out of Latine into English and these were some of them established by that Act 5 6. Ed. 6. Stat. 1. The truth of this any one that can understand Latine may convince himself of by comparing the Mass-Book with the Com. Pr. of Edw. 6. Where he will find betwixt 40. and 50. Collects translated verbatim and if he compares the other parts with the Roman Breviary the Roman Ritual and the Pontificale Romanum he will yet further see the truth of it XXIV Not indeed could it be imagined that those first Reformers should leave at that time all Ministers at liberty or to their own conceived Prayers when most of them were Papists in their hearts generally so sottishly ignorant and insufficient that they could not have done any thing Which very cause held in Qu. Eliz. time where 1 El. c. 2. the Common Prayer was with some further emendations specified in the Statute 5 Eliz c 28. again imposed In the 5th year of her Reign by Act of Parliament the Common Prayer was ordered to be translated into Welch and used in Wales And this is the true Story both of Lyturgies in the General and the English Lyturgy in special XXV By this time the Reader who hath not a mind to revive Pythagoras his School again and to sacrifice his Reason to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 believe every thing that is told him before he hath tried the truth of it may see reason to desire the present L. Bish of Exeter to tell him if he can where those same ancient models of Lyturgies not Roman Bish Hall Remonstr p. 13. but Christian and contrived by the holy Martyrs and Confessors of the blessed Reformation of Religion are to be found The Remonstrant was challenged to make it good out of ancient Models but thought fit to wave the business in his Reply It hath been the old Plea but let them prove it if they can saith Didoclavius Or if his present Lordship of Exeter doth not think fit to answer for another yet it is reason that he should justifie his own words He hath told us in p. 8. of his Considerations touching the Lyturgy That The Ancient Churches from the very first Century did use such-publick wholsom Forms of found words in their Sacramental celebrations especially and afterwards in other holy Administrations or publick duties as made up their solemn devout and publick Lyturgies which Patterns all Modern and Reformed Churches of any Renown have followed according to the many Scriptural Examples and Expressions in set Forms of Prayer Psalms Confessions and Benedictions commended to us by holy men in all ages and by Christ himself XXVI The world is grown too wary to believe any thing of this because any one saith so and the Doctor is too wise to undertake to prove this Let him prove That Christ prescribed the Lords Prayer for a Form or that the Apostles ever used it so 2. Let him prove that in any of the four first Centuries there was any Stated Forms of Prayer used in the Church 3. Let him prove that any Modern Reformed Churches imposed any Forms of Prayer so that those and no other might be used And 4 That they did this after the Pattern of the Ancient Churches from the first Century All these things are to be proved nor is it possible to prove them XXVII In the 18th p. of that Discourse he tels us That Dr. Gaudens Consider p. 19. It is a Jesuitical Artifice and back-blow used by some to aver though falsely That the English Lyturgy was nothing else but the Romish Missal or Mass-book turned into English 'T is true he saith some things very scriptural devout and excellent which the Roman Missal had taken and retained after the ancient Form of Lyturgies of the Church were severed and taken as Wheat from Chaffe and Jewels from Dross by our wise Reformers and preserved in the English Lyturgy conform to pious and unspotted Authority We challenge Dr. Gauden and all others of his mind to make this good if they can It is true there are some things in the English Lyturgy that are not in the Gregorian Missal But let any one take Missale Romanum both the old one and that established by the Council of Trent Breviarium Romanum Rituale Romanum and Pontificale Romanum and compare them all with the printed Com. Prayer-book of 5 6 E. 6. and then judge whether he can find a 6th part of the latter which is in none of the former If he finds that there is very little added let him the learn how to trust men talking after such a magisterial rate and annexing no proofs of their words XXVIII If the Reader finds it true that whatsoever Dr. Gauden saith there is in our English Lyturgy as it is commonly exposed to sale very little but what is to be found in the Mass-book in Latine let him then go to the Bishop of Exeter and desire him for his credit sake to shew him those ancient Forms of Lyturgy used in the Church out of which these Forms of Prayer were transcribed and taken which must be immediately after the first Century or tell him what that same pious and unspotted authority is If he tels him it is Pope Gregories which he must if he speaks truth let him tell him that he hath heard that he was a vile wretch accused for a Murtherer the Father of most of the superstitious usages now in the Church of Rome one who understood not the Greek Tongue as himself confesseth a man of no admirable Judgment witness his pretented Commentaries upon Job which might have as well been upon the Revelation a man very far from being either pious or unspotted or fit for his Seat one that defended Purgatory that fawned upon Phocas the Murderer in short one of no deserved Name or Authority in the Church of God XXIX By this Discourse it appears that there was no Lyturgy directing Forms of Prayers for the Church till Pope Gregories time Anno 600. nor any imposed till the time of Charles the Great Anno 800. when all manner of superstitious usages were brought into the Church nor was it then imposed without a Persecution attending it And this Reader is the pious and unspotted Authority the Bishop tels thee of From hence thou wilt also conclude the antiquity of the English Lyturgy the reason of its first being imposed and no further reformed either by K. Edw. or by Qu. Elizabeth In King James his time it received some additions what Reformation we cannot tell XXX By all this Discourse it appeareth that there is no divine Prescript no Apostolical
by the means used hath been or is like to be as great as that which they are designed to prevent or though not so great if there be other more proper and regular means not subject to the same ill consequences and more certain to obtain the end which may be used certainly all prudent men will conclude that these old ineffectual mischievous means should be no longer used but those far better applyed XII The mischiefs which the imposing forms of prayer have brought upon the Church have been 1. The nursing up of a notoriously ignorant and lazy Clergy not giving themselves to meditation and Prayer two of those things which Luther thought necessary to make a Divine 2. Separation from Church Assemblies 3. Dreadful Persecutions upon Godly Ministers and people who could not judg their conformity lawful The Admirers of these forms perswading Princes to establish them by their civill authority and then suggesting to them that the Ministers and peoples not complying with them was out of a principle of disloyalty to their Princes and disaffection to their authority and bringing non-conformists under the crime of Laesa Magistatis evils certainly not much lesse then what Imposed forms were pretended to prevent XIII Yet were the continued use of these means in order to such ends more tolerable if there were no other to be found most certainly justifiable far more regular and more effectual as to the end Would the Prelates of the Church prevent the rise and growth of errors heresies by the Ministers negligence ignorance or perverted Judgement Let them 1 Take care that none be admitted into the Ministeral Office or trusted with the charg of Souls but such as shal be throughly examin'd as to their knowledg in the body of Divinity of whose gift in prayer they shal have taken an Experiment and who shal not first by some open Act declare his Assent to the doctrine of Faith May they not withstanding this be lazy or afterwards perverted in judgement To what purpose serve Synods Presbyteryes c. But to take a constant account of the Ministers of several Parishes how they use their gifts discharge their Office to admonish the irregular suspend deprive them c. Certainly as this means is more proper and more regular more rational for the obtaining the aforesaid ends so the use of it would be far more effectual and all good people would be satisfied and rejoyce in it XIV From this discourse it appears that the pretended necessity of a Liturgy or imposed forms of prayer in any Church is no other then such as the author of Discoliminium told us merrily Von Dosme conceived there was when the fire burnt his Shins that the Chimny should be pulled down and set farther off when it had been more easy and every whit as effectual for him to have removed his Shins from the fire yea such as the same author tels us was the necessity which Simon the French Monk saw that the poor people of a Province of France were under wanting cloathes to flea themselves and send their Skins to be tanned that they might have cloathes for their backs when as they easily saw the remedy would be as bad as the disease In very deed there can be no pretence of the necessitie of imposed forms of prayer for the obtaining any of the Ends aforesaid of which assertion we have a demonstration both in the Church of Scotland and other reformed Churches where there is no such imposed Liturgies though possibly most of them have Lyturgies composed to be used at liberty XV. Nor would any sober persons oppose the composing of a Lyturgy for publick Assemblies which might by way of punishment be enjoyned to those to use whom the Governours of the Church should suspect perverted by Error or discern lazy and negligent as to the stirring up of the Gift of God bestowed upon them But that such Forms should be imposed upon all cannot certainly be either lawfully or prudently advised or wished lest Gods Gifts given to his Ministers should be smothered their desires to improve them according to Gods Command quenched good people scandalized and the most ignorant negligent and worst of men encouraged in the highest Services of God In fine lest the hearts of any Subjects by such unwelcome Impositions should be aliened from their Magistrates who except in the matters of their God desire no other Priviledges or Liberties from them as the reward of their daily Prayers and Allegiance than their own goodnes shall prompt them to give them CHAP. VI. A particular Examination of the five late Arguments used by the Bishop of Exeter to evince the Necessity or high Expedience of a Lyturgy I. VVE have hitherto considered whatsoever Antiquity could pretend for the usefulness of imposed Forms of Prayer in the Church and weighed them in the Ballance of Reason Consd p. 9. but the Reverend Bishop of Exeter improves the notion of their usefulness higher telling us they have very many great and good influence upon true Religion and upon every Church which he endeavoureth to make good in five Instances which we shall crave leave modestly to examine II. First He saith It conduceth much to the more solemn complete and august and reverent worship of the Divine Majesty in Christian Congregations where otherwise the most Sacred and venerable mysteries must be exposed to that rudeness and unpreparedness that barrenness and superficialness that defect and deformity both in matter manner judgment and expression to which every private Minister is daily subject as late experience hath taught us It will be very hard to find any thing in this more then words 1. It will be granted that the publick Service of God ought to be performed solemnly reverently and compleatly for that same august serving of God we do not well understand the Doctors meaning if he means outward Pomp and Splendor in the habits of those that serve at the Altar or lofty high flown phrases swelling words of vanity we never read that God either required it or delighted in it nor can we from any reason conclude the necessity of it or usefulness of it as being contrary to all the Copies of Prayers and Sermons set us by Christ or his Apostles and no way suted to the simplicity and plainness of the Gospel-Devotion God is unquestionably then served most reverently and solemnly when the worshippers of him approach him with most fear and worship him with most affection and fervency of spirit wrestling with God as Jacob did which the Prophet interprets by weeping and making Supplications 2. It is true that Minister sins who though ignorance or negligence expresseth any want of Reverence of God in his heart by impertinent and rude expressions not fitting to be used in civil converse with men or which may make the Service of God contemptible to others 3. But that every minister must needs be thus guilty with the Doctors leave experience hath not taught us and is very
idolatries Some of these are done as oft as their Mass-book is used so that their vvorship toties quoties as it is performed is idolatrous though not in every part yet in the complex III. We do observe how some Prelatists mince this point of the Idolatry of the Church of Rome they can grant vvith much ado vve believe that the worship of the Church of Rome is in some sense idolatrous what their sense is vve cannot tell nor care to inquire vve believe that except some few Pagans vvho might terminatively vvorship the Sun and Moon as thinking those noble Creatures vvere the very first movers and principles That never any heathens vvere guilty of more stupid sottish idolary then the Papists are For let vain persons talk vvhat they please it vvill never enter into our thoughts that either the Jews Jeroboam or Michal thought their Images the first principles of life and being such as reason teacheth to all that God must be nor yet that the Egyptians quibus nascebantur in hortis Numinae vvho vvorshipped any plants or any thing from vvhich they had good or hurt thought that those things vvere God They onely dreamt that God vvas Anima mundi the Soul of the World informing every living thing and vvorshipped an unknown God in the creature or by some created representation vvhich is yet gross and accursed idolatry and such is the Popish vvorship IV. VVe are not so filly as to think that the holy Scriptures dictated by the Spirit of God or any thing else of purely Divine Institution is capable of corruptions and therefore cannot but vvith some laughter read the argumentations of them vvho argue that if vve reject the Liturgy V. Dr. Causabon on the Lords prayer because the idolatrous Papists used it vve must also refuse the Scriptures and the Lords Prayer these are but toyes to blind common people vvho cannot see to the bottom of an Argument The holy Scriptures are incapable of pollution by any idolatrous service V. Their answer is as filly vvho tell us that then vve must use none of our Churches VVhen vve offer up Churches to God by any rational act vve vvill consider of this frivolous answer vvhich indeed may concern them that dream of a holiness in them by reason of dedication or the like it concerns not us vvho onely use them as convenient places in vvhich vve meet to serve God and believe them no more holy then any other places though the Law of Nature obligeth us to keep and use them decently VVe do so by our parlours vvhere we converse vvith our friends VI. Prayer is a piece of Gospel Sacrifice and by a rational act of our souls to be offered unto God now vvhether it be lawful for us vvhen the earth is the Lord and fulness thereof vvhereas God hath given us an ability to speak vvords in another form to take those very forms and to offer them up to God in true Gospel vvorship vvhich have been offered in an idolatrous service though the matter of those forms be not idolatrous is to us a great doubt nor can vve be satisfied in the lawfulness of it VII The ground of our scruple is in that known Text 1 Cor. 10. where the Apostle treateth concerning the lawfulness of eating meats that had been once offered to idols He determines as to a double case 1. That it is not lawful to eat such meats in an idols Temple 2. In case it be sold in the shambles and we know it not he determines that we may buy and eat it But in case our Brother saith unto us this hath been offered to an idol he saith Eat it not So that our Brethrens scandal upon such a foundation is to be avoided by us he gives the reason because there is other meat to eat The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof VIII For our part we are not able to fathom a reason why a form of words fitted up for use in prayer should not be liable to the same corruption and pollution that a dish of meat fitted for natural use is or why it should be unlawful for one to eat the latter if once offered in an idolatrous service our Brother minding us of it and it yet be lawful to use a form of words in prayer so formerly used when our Brother is so scandalized IX We are aware of what the Drs. of Aberdeen said of old to prove that the scandal of brethren weighs light when put in the scale with the command of Authority There may something be said for their Assertion where the scandal is meerly passive and hath no foundation in re only men are offended because they are offended but where the scandal is such as is so far allowed by Scripture that a Negative precept is given upon it eat it not we are not of so easie a faith as to believe what they say when Gods word saith do it not Man cannot oblige our conscience to do it he may oblige us to suffer but not to act and that this is the case is evident Our Brethren say to us These Forms have been offered up in an idolatrous service and we know this is truth X. The Bishop of Exeter is mistaken therefore in suggesting that we forbear the using of the Liturgy out of a little point of reputation amongst some people rather weak then wise and to be pitied more then imitated and he shews little charity or candor in saying we sacrifice our judgements not to say our consciences to our credits and out of a fear or lothness to offend some people whom we might easily convince and satisfie as well by our examples as by arguments c. This is not spoken like a tender and a good Christian We hope we can say we value our reputation at a low rate in comparison of our duty Nor do we think non-conformity the way to credit now but that our peoples souls of which we confess we are tender are more weak then wise we cannot say Wisdom lies in avoiding sin yea the least sin and all appearances of evil That here is an appearance of evil no reasonable person can deny it is not so clear that we may do that as to forms of prayer which the word expresly forbids us as to a piece of meat not is it so clear to us that we may obey man in any case where the Word of God saith as to the thing commanded Do it not XI In the mean time we think those are to be pitied who had rather that their brethren should be all persecuted imprisoned banished together with those thousands of godly people who cannot in conscience worship God with these forms differences in the Church perpetuated and that so many thousands of sober people should have such a temptation to entertain hard thoughts of their Magistrate c. In short who had rather confound heaven and earth and scandalize all Christians in the world then lay aside forms of prayer of
where they have a Minister of any abilities But where we have any persons that give up themselves to strict exercises of Religion that pray in their Families exercise themselves in the Scripture and have any great knowledge of them we find them generally impatient of it Now we cannot think it lawful for us to scandalize the far greater number of strict Christians that we may gratifie a few others in whose lives we find nothing but what is a far juster scandal to all good men than a godly Ministers forbearing the use of the Lyturgy can be to them VII Especially also considering that we see that that sort of people who are so zealous for the Lyturgy so dote upon it that it is clearly become their Idol they think there is no serving of God without it no need of any serving of God but with it With many people we see it demonstrably true that if a Minister should never preach the Word of God yet if he did but read the Common Prayer it would be enough The Preacher makes their heads to ake Now we cannot judge it lawful for us upon this view of the state of our people to nurse them up in these conceits which are hardly Christian VIII Yet it might go far with us if one of fourty of those people that are so fond of the Lyturgy could but give us a reasonable account why they desire we should pray by Forms rather than without why by these Forms rather than others VVe do not think it lawful for us to satisfie the irrational humours of people contrary to our light IX By all this the Bishop of Exeter may see that we have somthing to say for our selves why we do not use the Lyturgy Not to enter into a particular examination of the parts of it the woful Translations of Scripture in it the irrational cutting of verses from verses Chapters from Chapters with 1000 other things would we examine it in parts which hath been already done by many We profess our selves for these Reasons to forbear it and to judge our selves obliged in conscience to forbear it VVe acknowledge it in his Majesties and Parliaments power to punish us for that forbearance If they shall think sit to inflict any punishment in that case we acknowledge it our duty to suffer patiently comitting our souls unto God as to a faithful Creator In the mean time we are humbly thankful to his Majesty for declaring that none of us shall be punished for the not using of it at least not for a time VVe do not forbear because his Majesty gives us leave but we forbear out of Judgment and Conscience and bless God who hath put it into the heart of his Most Excellent Majesty to forbear punishing of us for Conscience sake as to his matter of our God It is therefore a spiteful odious representation which Bish Gauden hath made of us which hath no foundation of Truth nor mixture of Charity God grant him better Interpreters of his Actions and requite him not according to his dealing with his Brethren who desire to fear the same God which he professeth to worship and to walk by the same Rule which he professeth to own Happy is he that condemneth not himself in what he allows We shall shut up this Discourse with a summary Recapitulation of what Reason are scattered in the preceding Sheets justifying our Practise in the forbearance of the use of the Common Prayer CHAP. XII A Summary Recapitulation of the Ministers Reasons I. VVE cannot believe that it is lawful for all of us at all times by limiting our selves to a Form of Prayer to smother the Gift of Prayer given we hope to some of us or to cool the heat and fervency of our hearts in Prayer or the Affections of them that hear us II. Because we can find no Precept for it is Gods Word no Pattern of it there but one pretended Form that made by Christ himself although we doubt whether ever it were intended for a Form of Prayer or no and rather think it a direction for the matter of Prayer one Evangelist saying no more than after this manner Christ and his Apostles leaving no Record of their using of it my few of the entire phrases in it to be found in other Scriptures Dr. Causabon in his late Book is miserably put to it to parallel the phrases of it as any indifferent Reader will judge yet it being holy Scripture we doubt not but we may use it in the Form which is so short as we may easily get it by heart and not employ our souls at our eyes in reading while they should he wrestling with God And the divine authority of it is such as it hath another manner of influence on our Spirits in using as all the Scripture hath than can he pretended for any other Forms And by the length of it we easily understand that it was never intended to be used without any other Prayer to say nothing of many other Arguments might be used for that III. Because we cannot find that there was ever any Forms of Prayer used in the Church in any part of it till 400 years or very nigh after Christ nor any made for more than some single Province till 600 years and then by that superstitious wretch Pope Gregory and not imposed till 800 years after Christ when all manner of Corruption was brought in and we challenge all our Adversaries to prove what they say to the contrary of this in any Christian Church For what Dr. Causabon saith of Forms of Prayer used by the Heathens to their Idols and by the Jews in their most corrupted depraved estate it deserves no Answer IV. Because we cannot imagine any use at all of them or any good they ever did especially when imposed They were first invented to cure the negligent and ignorant Clergy to prevent Heresie and Schism we have shewed that in stead of this they have made an ignorant and negligent Clergy that they are neither a scriptural nor rational means to prevent Heresie that they have been the Mothers of Heresies causing separations and constantly brought forth dreadful Persecutions and will do so still in reason V. Because we canot think it lawful in the worship of God to use forms of Prayer which are compounds made by men which have once been offered in an Idolatrous Service such as is that of the Church of Rome Dr. Causabon saith nothing in telling us the Scriptures are in the Mass-Book they are no humane Compositions nor capable of defilement Though in these Forms there be no Idolatry yet they have been used in a Service grossely Idolatrous There the Question lies not whether we may use nothing which hath been offered to Idols or in an Idolatrous Service That 's a Foppery to dream but Whether it be lawful for Christians in the spiritual Worship of God by a rational act of theirs in devotion to offer up what is of pure humane
composition and so may be altered and which hath been before defiled by being offered in an Idolatrous Service abhorred of God Let our Brethren speak to this Question and leave speaking to other things as our using the same Scriptures and Temples For the latter they know so did the Primitive Churches which yet never used the Pagan Forms of words This is not to speak ad idem VI. Because we have sworn to endeavour a Reformation in Worship and the extirpation of Superstition and what is contrary to or may hinder the power of Godliness VII Because of the infinite scandal which we must give to some of our Brethren that durst not use it and to thousands of our most judicious holy strictly living Christians and we durst not offend those little ones though we dare leave our Ministry if Authority will command one or the other VIII Because we see the number of those who are judicious sober Christians who desire it is very small but the generality of those given up to all manner of looseness prophaness and debauchery are impatient for it and rest in it 't is as the Papists Beads to them and they care for no other worship of God and we conceive it far from our duty to harden any in what we know is their sin and wickedness IX Because we are assured in our Consciences that very many of those in our ordinary Congregations who are earnest for it press the use of it upon no other account than from a Principle of malice against godly Ministers and People and desire it for nothing else but that they may have a weapon to destroy all religious persons by this is evident by experience when some Ministers have used some part they are yet as zealous to turn them out finding fault they do not read all then he doth not wear the Surplice he doth not pray the Canon Prayer he doth not say later Service Nor can we get of them any reason why they desire we should use it only 't is established by Law which we cannot believe If it were we think in matters of Gods worship somthing else must be considered X. Because the Forms appear to us very short of a perfect Model of Prayer full of obsolete words dubious phrases antique responds and such a Method through the whole as is like to none in any Reformed Church in the world nor any where to be parallel'd but in the Roman Missal nor any way suited to the spirits of Christians nor to the gravity of the duty We do not say this is so but to us it appeareth so and therefore it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 XI Finally we do not conceive the Interest and concern of words in Prayer such that there is any need at all that Forms should be starcht up for all to use those being best which the best affected heart emitteth and venteth and which best affect the hearts of others If all Ministers be not able to pray decently enough as to expressions and sutably enough as to the Matter it is because the Governours of the Church take not that due cognisance of Ministers Abilities which they ought to do before they ordain and admit them Or do not so watch over their Churches as they ought to do Let then the Errour be mended by the greater Care and Vigilance of Church-Governours not by the restraining the Gifts of God bestowed on any for the sake of some XII This is the Summe of our Apology which we humbly submit to the Judgment of all that are concerned in the great Affairs of the Church alwaies reserving to our selves further Liberty of adding any further Arguments or Exceptions professing our selves most heartily willing to hear any Arguments of our Brethren either for Forms of Prayer to be universally imposed or for these Forms in particular to which we shall give a reasonable Answer or yield our Cause In the mean time we protest against Dr. Causabons uncharitable Judgment of us That we do it to oppose our Brethren We can we dare do nothing against the Truth but are ready to do all for it But we dare not resist the Light of our Consciences And if it be the Will of God that for our Conscience sake in this thing we be laid aside as useless Vessels we humbly submit to his pleasure who is able of stones to raise up Children to Abraham and we shall pray that our Brethren may have nothing on our behalf charged upon their souls in the day of Christ In the mean time what Dr. Gauden hath said we will further consider in a few words in the following Chapters CHAP. XIII The most of Bishop Gaudens Arguments for the use of the Lyturgy examined and shortly answered Some of them retorted proving Violentum's in Logick I. DR Gauden hath so perplexed his Discourse with words and been so careless of Method that we have found it no easie thing to pick out his Arguments we could have wished that like a Logician and Divine he had proposed his Arguments strictly and followed them closely that we might have judged that his Design was with a strength of Argument in the Spirit of Meekness to convince us over whom he so provocatively insults not meerly to confound his Reader with a non-significant Rhodomantado of Phrase II. So far as we can gather he one while argues for a Lyturgy by and by for this Lyturgy and no other for which he one while argues from the Obligation of the Law another while from the Obligation of the Example of the Primitive Churches or of some Persons now living By and by he urgeth the use of it from Gratitude to his Majesty and from the contrary Evidence of Ingratitude Morosity Peevishness c. in case of Refusal One while he pretends an incomparable excellency in it another while the unblameableness of it Anon he runs a descant upon the Confusions of our Church since it was neglected After this he tels us of the Necessity of it the necessity of a Lyturgy for the planting of any Church this Lyturgy for the defending of our Church against Popery One while he urgeth it that we might be conformable to our Prince another while that we may be Loyal He tels us of the Authority of the Church as to Lyturgy Ceremonies what not He justifies not only the Forms of Prayer but also the Method the Responds yea the Musick the Ceremonies the Catechism in the Common Prayer-Book One while he tels us that men have served God day and night in the use of the Lyturgy yea that he is perswaded St. Paul himself had he been alive would have used it another while he tels us how some Ministers and people have bewailed the neglect of it O quo te teneam mutantem Protea vultu The Dr. had made our work shorter and more methodical if he had told us which of these he accounts arguments in the case and which he looked upon as strains of Rhetorick onely as to which
either think themselves commanded to serve God in a vvay vvorse then their Princes use or that their Soveraign and Prince serve God worse and less acceptably then they do certainly the greatest honour love and safety of Kings is from the sameness of true Religion vvith their Subjects as to the main XII VVhat an excellent Doctrine this is if it were true to engage the King of France against all his Protestant Subjects from whom he differs as to Religion in the main yet are they as loyal to him as any other doth the Protestant Religion teach disloyalty towards Princes differing from their Subjects in the main of Religion We defie such Doctrine and all the Assertors of it XIII Doth it infer a difference in the main of Religion because our Soveraign thinks fit to use Forms of Prayer and we use none Is this a Language worthy of a Divine Is the Mode of Worship and the Main of Religion the same thing XIV How shall they think themselves commanded to use a better or worse Religion upon whom nothing is imposed at all which is all we beg and against which the Doctor argues XV. How doth the Prince and his Subjects in this case the first using Forms of Prayer in publick Devotion the latter none more differ in the main of Religion than the Christians of two Families in a Parish do where the housholders so far differ each from other Or how shall they differ more upon this liberty than Dr. Gauden himself allowes who would not have all persons in their Family-duties tyed up to these Forms which yet are the Kings daily Service in his Houshold XVI To be short these Discourses are but ad populum phalera Pretensions in which all the judicious world sees there is nothing of Reason or Argument Qui vult decipi decipiatur If God hath so far given up men that they cannot see it But notwithstanding all that is or can be said the Servants of God who differ from their Brethren in this thing must be brought into a suffering estate The Lord grant them Wisdom and Faith and Patience and provide for his people more able and faithful guides than we have approved our selves while we had a liberty to work in his Vineyard and if it be a sin in any for this reason to forbid us to speak to poor perishing souls that they might be saved we shall be so charitable as to beg of God that it may not be laid to their charge But we hope and pray for better things for the poor souls over whom God hath set us CHAP. XV. Bishop Gaudens Arguments for Church-Musick examined The Novelty of Musick in Churches evinced Not in the Primitive Church Not in any Reformed Church Condemned by Aquinas Erasmus and by the Generality of Protestant Writers The Jews no Pattern for Christians in it I. THe Bishop having spent himself much in devising reproachful terms for such as are not satisfied in their Consciences as to the use of the Lyturgy and arguing for the use of the Forms of Prayer that he might leave no part of his work undone comes to vindicate the Quiristers Singing men and boies and the use of Musick also in the worship of God It is only fit he saies for those mens rudeness to abandon Church-Musick who intended to fill all things with the Alarms of war and Cries of Confusion How charitably this is spoken with reference either to the Purer Primitive Church or the lately Reformed Churches or many of his Brethren the sequent Discourse will evince We durst not tender reviling for reviling but commit our case to him that judges righteously and offer our thoughts in this thing to all sober Readers who understand ought of Ecclesiastical Story or right Reason II. But by what Topicks will this great person prove the Lawfulness of Church-Musick Just. Martyr Qu. Resp. Resp 107. Did this also come from the first Century Surely no. For Justin Martyr who lived in the Second Century lets us know that the Church then judged it a childish Serving of God and that it was not received in the Church in his time His words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In his time there was only plain simple singing used in the Church and more than that viz. with instruments of Musick they looked upon as a puerile carnal Service III. Indeed the Bishop fetcheth it high enough for he agrees with Durantus in making David the Author of Organs nor pretendeth he any authority but that of the Jewish Church That there was even by Gods Institution musical Instruments used in the Jewish Church is not to be denied whether in the Synagogues or only in the Temple is doubted the latter believed But what kind of Musick Pol. Virgil l. 1. de invâ—rer c. 15. Hospin de Ong. Templ is not certain Both Polydore Virgil Hospinian and many others agree our Organs were not then known in the world When they first were found out Polydore saies is uncertain and in his 3 Book reckons them amongst those things whose first Inventers are not known Sure we are Davids Instruments were stringed Organs i.e. Instruments not such as we call Organs IV. But may we then agree that what David used in the worship of God we may Else the Bishops Argument from Davids use of Instruments proves nothing Let us then have Altars and Frankincense Calvin Psal 37. which saith Mr. Calvin are every whit as lawful as Musical Instruments in Gods worship But surely nothing which was figurative and typical in the Jewish Service ought to be continued by us which their Instruments of Musick were they prefigured our spiritual melody to be made in our hearts to the Lord the sweet Musick also of a Conscience justified by Faith and at peace with God saith Dr. Willet and so Zepperus and others agree But who knows not Willets Synops p. 593. Quaere 2 Sam. im ch 6. v. 9. that the Jews had carnal Ordinances as the Apostle cals them which we must not imitate them in who John 4.24 are obliged to worship God in Spirit and Truth V. It is as uncertain when Organs were first brought into Churches as when they were first devised Marianus Scotus tel sus that they were first sent of a Token to King Pepin in France in which Aventinus agrees but adds that they came not into any Church in France till the year 828 when by the industry of a Venetian Priest Ludovicus then King and willing to be at the charge they were there set up Balaeus tels us Vitellianus brought them in Anno 660. Bellarmine saith it was very late What Balaeus and Platina say 22ae Aq. fum q. 91. art 2. resp ad 3. 4. arg that Vitellianus brought them in cannot be true No nor what Almonius saith who saith that Ludovicus Pius brought them in for it is plain by Aquinas his determination against the use of any Musick in Churches as Judaical and carnal that they were
hundred things of that nature which even reason and nature it self teacheth all sober persons to be such as that without some order to be observed in them the worship of God either would not be performed or would be undecently performed VII But that either any Church or Civil Authority shall be absolute judges of order and decency and that whatsoever of this nature shall be commanded by them shall therefore be judged decent and orderly because they say so and their commands shall oblige mens consciences in things of this nature where the word of God is silent will want some proof before it be credited VIII Or that they have power to command and impose such things under the notion of order and decency which have been grosly abused to idolatry and superstition or at which pious people have for a long time declared themselves scandalized or which have any remarkable appearance of evil in them is so grosly false that it needs no confutation for they themselves are commanded To abstain from all appearance of evil to give no offence either to Jew or Gentile IX Nor is it true that they have any authority to appoint significative Ceremonies where are sensible signs to affect the understanding This is to give them authority to institute Sacraments God hath appointed us Ordinances where by sensible signs spiritual mysteries are represented to us These are his Sacraments we know no authority men have to add to them though they avoid the Popish rock of their conferring grace which we say no true Sacrament doth ex opere operato X. Now for any such Ceremonies as these we crave leave to dissent from the Bishop let them be never so few imposed under what specious pretence they will let who will be for them and let them be established how they will we believe them reducible to no command but certainly and justly burthensom to any tender conscience No vvayes like clothes fitted to our bodies because not any way necessary not like tunes for Pslams because the worship of God might be decently enough performed without them They may for ought we know be as good as perukes or periwigs to make a specious shew of devotion for them the baldness of whose hearts stands in need of such things to dissemble them to the world XI If the Bishop thinks that the Churches power to establish such Ceremonies be a principle to death to be asserted We dare say he is the first Confessor that Doctrine ever had and which God forbid should he ever seal such a cause with his blood we should think he deserved no better Epitaph then Hic jacet Protomartyr Gregorianus cui parem Ecclesia Christiana nunquam prius habuit nec posthac unquam habeat Was there ever heard of any yet that died in the defence of a Churches right to institute in the Church what it pleased so as it was such as Gods Word did not forbid Tell it not in Gath O publish it not in the tent of Askelon XII Let us hear Arch-Bishop Parkers opinion in this case he lived in darker times then ours are but yet is seems had more Gospel-light or a more Gospel Spirit he was consecrated 1559. Having told us of Augustine the Monk's eagerness even beyond his Mr. Pope Grogories directions to bring in the Romish Liturgy and Ceremonies in England which yet he could not do Antiq. Ecclas Britan. cap. 17. without the blood of 1200 Monks that opposed him He thus bewailes that first Prelates fury And truly saith he that contention then stirred up by Augustine about bringing in the Popish Ceremonies or Rites which could not then be appeased without the blood and slaughter of many innocent Brittains hath reached unto our times with the like destruction and slaughter of Christians For when men by those pompous Ceremonies departed from the pure simplicity of the primitive Church they took no great care for holiness of life for the preaching of the Gospel for the comforts and efficacy of the holy Spirit but they raised new contentions every day about new Ceremonies added by several Popes who thought none worthy of any great place who did not bring in some new Ceremonious that I may not say monstrous unheard of and unusual thing and so they filled both Schools and Pulpits with tales and brablings The primitive Church was more simple and white with the intire and inward worship of God prescribed in his word she was not splendid with garments nor adorned with magnificent buildings nor shining with gold silver and precious stones But the Romish Church even in that great St. Augustines time was so overgrown with Ceremonies that he complained that the condition of Christians in respect of the multitude of Rites and Ceremonies was vvorse then that of the Jews who though they acknowledged not their time of liberty yet vvere subjected only to Rites appointed by Gods Law not to humane presumptions for they used fewer Ceremonies then the Christians in Gods worship But had he perceived vvhat heapes vvere after added by several Popes I believe that he vvho then saw the evil of them in the Church vvould have set some Christian bound to them For vve see that the Church is nor yet free from that contention about Ceremonies but men otherwise learned and pious contend and quarrel about Vestments and such trifles in a more brawling and military then Philosophical or Christian manner This vvorthy person vvould hardly have died in defence of a power to appoint Ceremonies XIII But suppose it vvere not per se unlawful for the State or Church to appoint some mystical and significant Ceremonies yet may all such things be done without any regard at all to circumstances St. Paul saith All things are lawful for me but all things are not expedient all things are lawful but all things edifie not And we have heard such a maxime as Quicquid non expedit in quantum non expedit non licet Every thing that is not expedient so far as 't is inexpedient is unlawful St. Paul determined the eating of flesh and many other things inexpedient by reason of the offence and the scandal those things would have given supposing any Ceremonies to have been used by idolaters and that the former use of them hath proved a continual scandal to many good Christians and bred a continual division in the Church and if restored that the scandal will be ten times greater then ever and the sufferings of innocent souls for non-conformity to them an hundred times more than ever Quaeritis quomodo vincuntur Paganiâ— descrite eorum ritus c. are they yet lawful or desirable or is it worth the dying to maintain the Churches power as to the establishing such Ceremonies The Father of old we know thought the best way to convert the heathens was to have nothing to do with their Rites c. And is not this the likeliest way to convince the Romish idolaters at least to keep our souls clear of
their guilt XIV 'T is true The number of Ceremonies retained in our Church pretending to any legal authority is but small The Surplis the Cross and kneeling at Sacrament are we think all See more of this point about Ceremonies in Altare Damascenum A dispute about the English Popish Ceremonies Dr. Ames his fresh suit against Ceremonies in all which this point about Ceremonies is execellently handled but we know how grosly all these are abused by the Papists that none of them have any footing in Scripture that kneeling as Sacrament was never heard of in the Church till 1226. in Pope Honorius his time admirably fitted to their idolatry of Transubstantiation That they grosly make the Cross an Idol That the Surplis is made significant of many things for which we can see no ground at all that all these have been strenuously opposed by as holy and learned men as any our Church hath bred That the patern of all Synods Acts 15. thought fit to impose only some few necessary things for the state of the Church at that time That the urging of these Ceremonies hath been the cause of sad separations the loss of diverse learned and holy mens ministry The offence of the generality of pious people That the imployment of the Ecclesiastical Courts was almost wholly taken up about Ministers and people not conforming to these instead of admonishing suspending excommunicating scandalous and debaucht Ministers and people c. XV. We know further that though there be no more Ceremonies established by Law as yet yet there are many probationers such as bowing at the Name of Jesus bowing to the Altar saying second Service much like the Popish in Secreto's which the people must not hear and what not almost And we can see no reason but the Churches power if allowed to appoint any save only such without which the Service of God would apparently to all rational men be performed indecently disorderly may appoint hundreds XVI Nor is it prudence could such a power he allowed to State or Church for either of them in such cases to do all that they may in strictness be proved to have a power to do Many men think that the State hath power in any civil things by Laws to oblige the consciences of Subjects to do any things not forbidden in Gods Word and doubtless the States power in such kind of Laws is far less disputable then in the case of Ceremonies relating to the worship of God Yet the wisdom of all States restrains them from enjoyning people by their Laws to do such kind of things for the doing of which rational persons may not see a just reason of the Law as either urging some Law of God or tending to a manifest publique or private good No State yet ever busied themselves or tied their Subjects by making Laws to command all their Subjects to wear Turbants or a thousand such things which would apparently signifie nothing of profit or advantage to the State nor yet to particular persons it where the way to bring their authority into contempt XVII We would fain know of what use or profit any of these Ceremonies are we look upon them as things that perish with the using and upon that account by no means reasonable if otherwise lawful for the grave Authority of a Church or State to interpose in And we hope God will thus far convince the Authority under which we are that they will not for these husks of Ceremonies destroy those many thousand Souls in England who cannot conform to them for whom yet Christ died And we are most humbly thankful to His most-Excellent Majesty for the indulgence as to them which he hath granted to us through which we can yet speak to our people that they may be saved how long we shall enjoy this breathing time the only all-knowing God can tell We are sensible enough how much others envy it we shall onely say as Calvin once of Luther We wish they would use their heat against the known enemies of God such as are drunkards blasphemers unclean persons cursers swearers c. rather then against the servants of the living God who shall one day judge betwixt them and us and who as it is very probable would more approve that zeal then this fury A Postscript Containing a Threefold Supplement to the former Discourses The first relating to the Chapter about the Antiquity of Liturgies The Second to the Argument about Idolatrous Usages The Third to the Argument concerning scandalizing of Brethren I. THere is nothing in which those we have to deal with in these Points of Liturgies Ceremonies Musick in Churches Suppl 1. c. will pretend more advantage against us than in the business of Antiquity nothing so much in their mouths as all Antiquity all the Fathers the Church of God in all ages hath been of their minds Our Brethren know or may know that the Writings of the Ancients for 8 or 900 years viz. from Pope Gregories time till the Reformation were in hands by no means to be trusted and that the Papists who for the most part of the time had them in their keeping as they had opportunity so they neglected not their time to correct the Fathers to put in and leave out what they pleased to suppress what of their Writings they pleased and to publish Canons of Councils and Commentaries Witness the Indices expurgatorii and other Writings under specious Names without any shadow of Truth or any reasonable Modesty So that it hath been a great piece of the work of our Reformed Divines to look over the books with which the Popish writers in that time had filled the world and prepared in M.S. for it which M. Scripts they have since published in part and what part yet remains who knows He is but meanly versed in Divinity that knows not that Bellarmine Sixtus Senensis Possevinus and Erasmus four Popish writers have took some pains of this nature and how many hundred pieces of pretended Antiquity not only Protestant writers but even the Papists themselves have been forced to disclaim and reject And how many more our learned Cocus Rivet Perkins and others have shewed them as much reason to reject Yet we cannot but observe how some late writers as if nothing had been said to disprove those spurious writings have with confidence enough urged those writings so rejected as pure and unspotted Authority witness Dr. Hamonds writings and Dr. Sparrow in his Rationale and indeed all those who have traded in the business of Liturgies and Ceremonies and for the Extravagancies of Episcopal Government c. we must confess we have upon this account no great value for any Arguments they bring us meerly from Antiquity as to matters that concern the worship of God because we think the word of God is a perfect and sufficient rule in the case and we want Vouchers to prove those pretended pieces of Antiquity which they produce to have been theirs