a time to turn themselves to seek the Pleasures that are always Savory and Lasting of which we can never surfeit But now these Lusts of the World that is Covetousness of Worldly Riches as they are more insatiable than those of the Flesh so they have scarce any recesses they follow us into our Closets and to Church accompany us when Sickness shuts us into our Chambers and even on our very Death beds and nothing but the utter destruction of our Faculties can eradicate this Love of Money These Lusts give us no time or composure for the Hearty and Zealous Service of God but tho' our Bodies be present our Minds being agitated with Thoughts about the World cannot intend what is done to the Honour of God and their Souls Health as they ought Therefore Men of this Temper can't be good Readers till they be converted and their Conversion is very difficult as our Saviour hath taught Matth. 19.24 There remains therefore but this Way to make them Read well That it be for their Worldly Advantage so to do and that none will employ them except they can approve themselves to Read very well and this will make them Study it and it may be Do it as well to the Peoples Edification though not to their own Acceptance with God as the most Pious Men. And it is my humble Request to those who Imploy Readers That they will be sure they do so before they Admit them to the Place and will not suffer themselves by any Importunity Interest Relation or any other thing to be drawn to Accept an ill Reader to the dishonour of this Service whereby we Glorifie God and in which we enjoy the Highest and most Heavenly Delights in our own Minds and Spirits if a good one may be got But because there may be defect of such and that they may be forced to accept such as need the Instruction Incouragement and good Examples of the Ministers to whom they belong my Request is farther That neither their reserving themselves for long and earnest Preaching which I fear God will not bless when set up to the contempt of the Prayers nor Greatness nor Studies nor Business nor any thing else may hinder them from Reading sometimes themselves according to that good Order of our Church which they are many ways obliged to observe and the more obliged for that they receive a large share of the Dignities and Benefits thereof I beseech them therefore that once a Month at the least they will most Devoutly and Solemnly Read the Service of the Church in their own Persons that thereby the Readers may see they have a great love for the same and be excited to do their Part the better in imitation of their Masters For certainly nothing will be so prevalent as the Example of those on whom they depend to make Readers more studious and industrious to do their Duty And to this I also beseech them to add one thing more as that which will be of great avail to beget a reverence and good esteem for our Prayers in the Minds of the People and draw them to attend more Constantly and Devoutly upon them and that is That the Ministers of the Parishes will never omit but when constrained thereunto to be themselves present at the Prayers when ever they are read in their own Churches And also that here in this City where Churches are very near in some of which Prayers are read twice a day that all the Neighbour Ministers will come as often as they can possible to such Prayers It hath been a great Grief and Offence to some good Men as I have heard them complain that they see so few Ministers at the daily Prayers at St. Christophers a Church that stands most advantageously to give Example and Influence to the City and Kingdom where Prayers are read twice every day and the Example of a devout Attendance and good Performance of Eminent Ministers of our Church in that Place would for ought I know Influence the whole Nation unto a greater Reverence for the Publick Worship according to this Order Others I have heard complain of the Ministers retiring into the Vestry all the time of Divine Service as if they came to Church to Study and not to Worship and were not as much concerned in the Common Prayers of the Church as the People I know not what their Plea may be in this Case but I have not been able by my own wit to excuse them to those that have blamed them for it But the worst Complaint of all hath been That of many Ministers who at the time of some eminent Lectures will sit in a Coffee-House till Prayers be almost done and rather let their Company be wanting to the Solemnity of God's Holy Worship than leave a Pipe of Tobacco before it be smoak'd out or not take their usual Dose of Tea or Coffee I confess I have been much troubled to hear of it and am more so to mention it especially thus publickly if the thing were not notorious and in no way that I know of I can assist the Reformation of iâ— so well as in this which I hope will plead my excuse with all good Men. I know Ministers may be many ways hindred sometimes from attendance at daily Prayers and I am against those that are so censorious in imputing their omission to ill causes no man desires to preserve a greater Reverence and Respect for the Clergy of our Church than my self but yet I cannot excuse them wholly in this matter and therefore I humbly beg that it may not be reckoned any sign of dis-respect that in my Zeal for the Service of God I have proceeded thus far since I believe the good or ill State of this Church depends much on the Esteem or Contempt that is had of its Publick Service of God and the Good Order appointed for the same and upon the Love and Reverence or Neglect and Contempt of it by its Ministers which will very much influence the Minds of the People in this matter I have but one thing more to beg of them which I must crave leave to press with some earnestness which is this That in their Sermons they frequently inculcate the Duty of being constant and devout in attending the Common Prayer and that they prove to their People That it is not only possible but much more easie to be devout in the use of Forms of Prayer than in the Ex tempore Way Methinks when Papists out of a Malicious Design to divide us that they may destroy us and Separatists out of Mistakes of some Scripture Expressions and an Opinion of Experience cry up the way of Ex tempore Prayer in opposition to the Publick Liturgy to the distracting Mens minds and dividing the Church I say surely since it is so the Ministers of our Church should not think themselves unconcerned about the Esteem their People have of the Common Prayer and their Devotion in the use of
The house of Prayer It is written My house shall be called of all Nations the house of prayer Mark 11 17. ADVICE TO THE READERS OF The Common Prayer And to the PEOPLE Attending the Same With a PREFACE concerning DIVINE WORSHIP Humbly offered to Consideration for promoting the greater Decency and Solemnity in performing the Offices of GOD's Publick Worship Administred according to the Order Established by Law amongst Us. By a well-meaning though unlearned Layick of the Church of ENGLAND T. S. The Third Edition Corrected London Printed for Sam. Crouch at the Corner of Popes Head-Alley next Cornhil 1691. To that Worthy Citizen my Honoured Friend Mr. Deputy Haws Treasurer of Christ's Hospital SIR I Dedicate this Impression to you because your Bounty occasioned it and I am glad it did so because I think such a Book may be always useful in the Church in which 't is to be feared some both of the Clergy and Laity will always want such Advice as is therein offered I did most affectionately design this Book to Excite the most Serious Consideration of the Excellency of the Solemn Offices of our Common Prayers and to give assistance as well as I could towards such performance as the thing deserved I could scarce hope tho' I much desir'd that the Book should have had so good Success But it pleased God who best knew the sincerity of my Affections to move first our Right Reverend Diocesan and afterwards another Bishop to recommend it to their Clergies whereby the Efficacy thereof to the end I designed was much assisted And I do also impute this your Pious Vndertaking in giving a Book to every Lad that is put out Apprentice unto the same Divine Motion And I verily believe that if these young Men would argue from your giving it them as they ought it would mightily help to effect in them what I desire For which reason I crave your pardon for exposing an imperfect Character of you while I endeavour to instruct them so to do This Book may they say was given us by our Worthy Treasurer who was so much esteemed in the City for his Wisdom Piety and Readiness to all good Works as to be unanimously chosen to that Office And that in the discharge of it hath out-done the Expectations of his Electors and the Example of his Predecessors and hath rendred himself a worthy Pattern to all that come after him The wholsomness of our Food our warm and whole Cloathing our sweet cleanly and well repaired Lodgings our well accomplished School-masters our diligent and careful Nurses and Attendants of all sorts shews his great care of us and all Men see the same in the healthiness of our Countenances which is observed to be beyond what was formerly And how can we but conclude that he who was so kind to our Bodies gave us this Book in kindness to our Souls which he knew and we ought to consider are infinitely better And even for our Souls also we have found his Care exceeding great for he hath caused us to be instructed in the Reasons of Worshipping God and in the Right Way of doing it both in Private and in Publick and we hear others applaud our good Order and decent Performance in both respects while we daily Morning and Evening Worship God in this great Family and every Lord's day most solemnly Praise him in the greater Congregation imitating the heavenly Host whose Voice was like that of many Waters or mighty Thunders in saying their Hallelujahs Rev. 19. And this assures us he believed this Book would teach us something very beneficial in that respect And wiâ— not God and Man and our own Consciences condemn us of Folly and Ingratitude if we do not read and consider it I hope dear Sir these Youths will learn thus to argue themselves into a serious attention to what I have written I hope also that your thus approving the Book will perswade more of my Fellow-Citizens to read it and that thereby they may be drawn from the Impertinence of Coffee-house Conversation unto those holy Exercises of God's Worship wherein they may find much better Diversion a Diversion which is as Rational and Sublime as that is Mean and Foolish This little I have hinted to further the design of my Book not that I thought to add to the Fame of your Vertues but rather to express that true Respect towards you which they have begotten in me Who am SIR Your affectionate Friend and Servant THO. SEYMOR TO THE READER THERE is no Christian that prays in the words which his Lord hath taught him but doth implicitely profess his desire that these Papers may be read and considered For the first thing be there prays for is the hallowing God's Name which is That God will give his Grace to us and all People that we may worship him as we ought to do as our Catechism hath taught us Now the design of this Book being only to give assistance to the worshipping God as we ought he that desires the doing of that must also the considering of this For how meanly soever the thing be done it cannot but occasion some thoughts in Mens minds and some discourse in Company upon this Subject whereby it is very probable many things which in the ordinary performance have been amiss may be observed and amended which would not have otherwise been thought on and Men may be excited to consider what is fit to be done that this Service may be most decently and solemnly performed And if it do but this I have my end I do not impose my Dictates on any but offer things to Consideration with all humility acknowledging that both my want of Learning Time Health and due Composure make me unfit to write for publick View but my fervent desire to see things ordered in the best manner in this Service which I have found so comfortable to my self and desire may be more esteemed and frequented by others hath perswaded this Essay which I hope will offend none If any should blame my boldness in medling with those of the Ministry my excuse must be in the Observation of an Ingenious Gentleman That even the Lamps of the Sanctuary may need Snuffers to make them burn the clearer I know he saith they ought to be of Gold and I wish mine were better Metal But I hope the purity of my Intention will make amends for the meanness of of my Style and Expression and procure a kind Acceptance with that Sacred Tribe Vpon occasion of this Second Edition I must add this to the Reader That I was forced in the first to cut off much of what I designed that so I might accomn odate the Book to what the Bookseller would venture to print but he now grown more bold by the good success of his first undertaking gives me liberty to prosecute my first Intentions wherefore I here make some Inlargements and I have done it with good intentions for the exciting a serious Devotion
of God and his Church God looks we should be Just and Faithful to our Promises in small things as well as great and if it were lawful for them to Promise it is necessary they should be careful to Perform It is not haste of Business or every kind of avocation that can excuse the curtailing of the Service nothing but what a Man may justly think the Church would have allowed for an excuse if she had fore-seen it and dispense with her Laws for can discharge the Conscience from the Obligation of this Promise at any time Therefore if any one to please his own private fancy or to gratifie others leaves out or puts in or alters any thing of the Service I cannot think but he sins against God and I am sure he gives offence to many that have a Reverence for the Orders of the Church and scandal to those that have not and incourages others to reject and disobey them in greater matters But that which is worst of all is that it divides the Ministry and the Church Some are counted Moderate Men and Friends to Nonconformists and Dissenters whil'st others that believe such to be Schismaticks and that the Church hath given them no cause of displeasure who strictly observe the Orders of the Church and seek not so much to please as to bring Dissenters to Repentance and a return to their Duty these are branded as Popishly Affected Persecutors and High Church Men and are many ways rendred contemptible to the Vulgar It seems to me a thing much to be desired that Ministers would agree to be Uniform in their Practice in these Matters and that they would all throughly study the Rubrick and agree together in what cases they may be excused from the strict observances of such things which many constantly omit and others very often and let the People know it that we may not think it proceeds from condemning themselves of doing amiss in their promises to observe all and every thing from differences of Judgment about the Lawfulness of such Things or the Contempt of Publick Order and in what cases we may expect it and in what not And I think if the Ministers of this City did begin this Agreement it might give great Satisfaction and good Example to the Country I have heard some Country Ministers that are for strict Obedience complain of the Defects of some Eminent Persons in this City in this matter of following the Directions of the Rubrick and that they have found by Discourse with them that it hath been caused through ignorance in that they never throughly Read it Certainly this is a great Reproach and should be considered and since the chief strength of this Church consists in the respect which is given by its Ministers especially those that should be Examples to the rest to the Rules and Orders thereof and their Unity and good Agreement in observing the same I hope this Advice will not be despised And I am sure this will make much for the Agreement of the People who are much distracted and divided by the different Practices as well as Judgments of the Conforming Clergy and they would be more disposed to seek Satisfaction about Conforming to the Orders of the Church who scruple it if their Scruples were not too much Justified by these Mens Irregularities and they would be a thousand times more like to be Reformed and brought into good Order by the Methods prescribed by the Laws of Church and State if they had not this to say for themselves That those who Prosecute them for breaking the Laws make but little Conscience of keeping them themselves or of suffering others that believe all things good and lawful that are ordered to walk disorderly not observing the Law but through breaking it to dishonour the Wisdom of Church and State themselves whereas they disobey not out of contempt but because they fear to dishonour God and offend against the Dictates of their own Consciences and would swear as I have heard many say that it is not to serve any Interest but out of pure Conscience they Conform not although I fear they have not used due ways of satisfaction Now it is mighty hard to give a Reason why some should be indulged in a slothful or contemptuous Disobedience and they punished that disobey out of Conscience I confess could we say that these Men prosecute the End of the Law which is the Edification of the Church and the Peace and Prosperity of the State Unity and Charity in each Man's Parish in which Cases some things at some times may be dispensed with and a Man may be sure the Law-makers meant they should or could we say it were like to win the Scrupulous Dissenters that these Men pass over many things that the Church injoyns and do some which she allows not we might say somewhat to purpose to silence this Complaint but it is hard to prove either when so many Worthy Persons of this Church have written so much to the contrary and Twenty Years Experience disproves it therefore the best way to bring Nonconformists to Reverence and Obey the Publick Order to promote Peace Amity and Edification is For these that are called Conformable Ministers to take care to observe the Publick Order strictly themselves and to have frequent Conferences Personal and by Letters for the effecting a general Agreement therein And I most humbly beseech the most Reverend the Arch-Bishops and Right Reverend Bishops of this Church to take the Matter into their Serious Thoughts and consider what Concern they have herein since the different usages of Ministers in Cathedrals in Presence of the Bishop himself gives great offence to some that hold the fore-mentioned Obligation to a Uniformity in all things and gives greatest strength to the Argument of the Dissenters against their being prosecuted for not observing the Laws There is one Thing which the Rubrick most plainly orders but is generally omitted viz. The Administring the Sacrament every Sunday at the least in Cathedral Churches and I mention it because I believe the due performance thereof and the preparations requisite to the same would be a great means to reform the Manners of those that officiate in Choirs of the Officers belonging thereunto and of the Servants of the Bishops and the Chief of the Clergy these ought frequently to attend the same as well as the Priests and Deacons and may be easily brought to it by the Authority of their Masters and no doubt many Devout Persons in the City would come also and this Solemnity performed as it ought I verily believe would be a means to restore much of Primitive Devotion which the Errors and Disputes of the late Times had almost utterly extinguished and I believe also that the Zeal and Devotion of the Bishops and chief Ministers of this Church in thus promoting Piety and Devotion and indeavouring such a Reformation in the Place of their Residence and among the Officers that depend most on them
the highest dignity at the right hand of God I say he that considers this I hope will think as I do I know prejudice hinders Men from observing what is excellent in any thing but especially in such things they are not used to but as I suppose none will deny that God is thus to be worshipped so where Men are not prejudiced I verily believe they will think that in no Way they can do it better There is something also to be inferred as to this matter of God's Worship from the plentiful effusion of the Spirit in Gospel-times and our Fellowship and Communion in that Spirit There are some Phrases in the New Testament which I think have been perverted to a wrong sence such as Praying in the Holy Ghost Worshipping God in the Spirit and in Spirit and Truth which I think may better be referred to the worshipping God as revealed by the Gospel which is called the Ministration of the Spirit in the respect forementioned or else to our worshipping God in Faith and Fervency in Vnity and Vnanimity without distinction of Jew and Gentile in spirituality without legal Types and Figures and carnal Ordinances in the vertue of Christ's Merits which was the truth of all the bloudy Sacrifices of Atonement for acceptanceâ— with God in the legal Worship and this according to the Revelations whereof the Spirit of Christ is Author and by whose Gifts and Powers they were confirmed I say better refered to these things than to praying without study or a prepared Form onely by help of the Spirit It seems to me that if those Expressions had any relation to praying by any extraordinary and supernatural assistance of God's Spirit as was their praying in Languages they had never learnt or in Expressions that were above any attainments they could be supposed to have by ordinary means it must be appliable only unto that time For however an Opinion hath been insinuated of late of a miraculous and supernatural assistanceâ— for the performance of that Duty which hath given considence to many who are naturally unable for the same to venture on it and that even in publick Administration to the great dishonour of Religion and just offence of all wise Men yet I think none will dare to affirm that any Christian or Minister hath any promise from God of such assistance of the Spirit as may make it to be truly said that be prays in the Spirit in the sence above-mentioned But now praying in the Spirit as I first interpreted it of praying as the Revelations of the Spirit of Christ in the Gospel requires is appliable to all Times and Persons and this I think to be done as in the forementioned respect of worshipping the Trinity in Vnity and our Lord and Saviour as God-man so also when our Prayers are ordered for the greatest advantage of Faith and Fervency and of the Unity and Fellowship of the Spirit and so I think ours are ordered For in the first place our Faith is helped by the assurance that we ask such things as are pleasing to God and secondly by the frequent mention of the merits of Christ When we pray in the words which our Lord and Saviour himself hath taught us and use such Forms as have been composed by Men famous in the Church and approved by multitudes of Christians and that for many Ages when our Prayers are ordered with great advice of those that are most learned among our selves being also such as are orderly called to direct the publick Ministrations in Sacred Things and when they are approved by all the Christians united into one National Church under one Civil Government which approbation is declared by the Representatives of both Clergy and Laity with whose advice they are by Law established and when we ourselves may consider and weigh the same before we use them having them in our Books to read at any time certainly we may on all these accounts he more assured that we pray for such things as we ought than when we joyn in a Prayer we never heard before and such as is the sudden conception of a private Minister as the use is with those that are against our Way And finally the frequent mention of the Merits of our Saviour at the conclusion of our brief Collects is more helpful to our Belief that we shall find acceptance for Christ's sake than when it is only once at the end of a long continued Prayer if my own experience and that of wiser Men do not deceive me And secondly for Fervency we have great help also having nothing to do but to apply our minds to earnestness in praising God and praying to him no need of attending to hear what is spoken that we may judge whether it be fit for us to joyn in it or not and when we know the Prayers before-hand we can joyâ— with the Minister and Congregation though wâ— hear not every word that is read And the briefness of the Prayers being composed of such weighty and comprehensive Expressions helps more to true Fervency than long Prayers though the Novelty and Variety may more work on Mens fancies Then thirdly the Vnity and Fellowship oâ— the Spirit is hereby assisted I mean that Vnity and Fellowship which that Spirit of Goâ— hath constituted by whom we are all baptized into one Body and made to drink in to one Spirit and so are obliged to all possible Concord and Agreement both external and internal For first We agree with the Saint of all Ages in this That the publick Worship of God is to be administred by a prepared Form and not by the present Conceptions of the Administrator For I cannot understand that either the Jewish Church or the Christian did ever administer their publick Worship in any other way except what those Persons did who were divinely inspired as many were among the Jews and in the first Ages of the Church who therefore were said to Prophecy when they uttered such excellent Psalms or Prayers Extempore of which this is a sufficient demonstration to me That in the Jewish Synagogues all things at this day are administred by Forms and in all the Christian Churches that have not been accounted Enthusiastical the same Way was ever observed or at least none can deny that it now is so in all the Christian World except those Congregations united in some odd Opinions that do separate from the Body of Christians the only considerable Body of these that ever admitted the other Way of Administration being the Scots formerly and the English in the late Distractions but on many accounts that Admission cannot be esteemed an orderly Settlement or excuse them from Schism though it were by the prevailing Party Now since it hath scarce ever been known in Matters sacred and of long custom that great Alterations have been made but with great Oppositions and Commotions I conclude that if in the beginning of the Jewish Worship in their Synagogues or of the Christian Worship in
the publick Assemblies Prayers had been ordinarily used to be made in the Extempore Way except by inspired Persons as before that that Way could not have been altered so universally as it was to the use of Forms and yet we have no notice of the same either in History or by Tradition But secondly not only in that we use a Form but in that we use such Forms wherein we have the most Communion with other Christians that is possible in the very words we speak we use the Psalms of David which as they have ever been a part of the Publick Worship of Jews so also of Christians we use also that excellent Form the Te Deum which hath been used very anciently and received of abundance of Churches into their publick Liturgy so the three Creeds and the Collects before the Epistles and Gospels and the Gloria Patri and most parts of our Service are made up of the most approved and generally received Forms of Prayer that could be found with accommodation to the present time 3dly In the use of the Common-Prayer we have Communion most fully with the Christians to whom we are united under one Government which we call the Church of England and with all of that Congregation we presently joyn with in publick Worship whereas in the other Way we have no certain Communion but only with the Minister because we are not sure that any one in the Congregation approves of all he says nor it may be can we neither and it is possible the Minister himself may speak that for want of premeditation which he on second thoughts may not approve himself So that there cannot be so full Communion of the Spirit in that Way as in ours These things I have thought fit to hint to beget a good Opinion in the minds of Men of our established Order for the publick Worship of God But I would not be thought to despise any that have a true love to God and desire to honour and glorifie him in such a Way of Worship as they think most acceptable to him what Mistakes soever Misinformation and Prejudices of Education and Converses may subject them unto And I hope those that differ from me will not reproach my fervent desire to promote Piety in the Way I best approve and that which I am many ways obliged to chuse before any other And if what I have written would perswade them to make a honest trial not by standing at gaze to see what we do or sitting by as unconcerned in the Worship we offer to God by the Common-Prayer while they only wait for the Preacher they desire to hear but by joyning heartily with us according to the Advices of this Paper I do not doubt but they would soon leave wondering at my fervency in this Way But if some should through misguided Zeal or for the Interests of their Party fall foul on me for commending what they seek by all means to deprave I am content to suffer as my Saviour did while the Reproaches of those that reproach God in condemning what by the Laws of Nature and Examples in Scripture he approves fall upon me And if those that approve this Way of Worship be made hereby the more fervent and devout in attending thereupon I shall rejoyce in my Labours and Sufferings for their sakes And I hope they will be so when they consider that in this Way Devotion is not subject to be abused by the subtilty of ill Men as it hath been by such on both sides that differ from us that here is no Discouragement given to the Weak and Bashful by exemplifying a Way of Devotion that is above their reach nor any Temptation to the Bold and Self-conceited to aspire to things too high for them to their own shame and to the disturbance of the Church That therein nothing but Principles of Truth that tend to Piety Charity Obedience to Superiours Meekness Moderation and Peaceableness among our selves are possible to be insinuated into our minds That hereby we shall be greatly assisted in Holy Meditations while our minds will he stored with abundance of excellent matter for the same and in educating our Children religiously in keeping our Families in Vnity and Order and performing the Worship belonging to the same and the many other great benefits that we shall experience in a devout attendance on the daily Service of God in publick appointed by this Church by which considerations they will also be more confirmed in their love hereunto and excited to become examples to others who will be more effectually drawn to their Duty by observing the devout and frequent practice of this Way of Piety than by Disputations about it And it seems to me that nothing is more like to preserve this Church against the designs of its Enemies on both hands than such exemplary frequency of Attendance and fervency of true Devotion in those that profess themselves the Children thereof The effecting of which is the Design of the ensuing Advice both to Readers and People WHile this Sheet was Printing I was told by a Friend that he heard the Learned Dr. Beveridge in a Sermon on Titus 2.12 March 26. declare That the import of the word Worship was expressing Honour and Respect by bowing the Head and Shoulders and that this Action as it had anciently been used in sacred Offices to signifie our Adoration of Almighty God so it is most fit and decent in the Exercises of Religion now I was much pleased that the Judgment of so excellent a Person publickly declared just at the coming out of this Book wich I am sure he had not the least knowledge or intimation of gave countenance to my Undertaking in this Preface Since that I hearing the said Doctor read Prayers at one of the Lent-Sermons at his Church it seemed to me such a perfect Exemplification of what I advise in the Book that I might seem to have learnt all from his practice though I never heard him before And I have great hope that the Example of one so eminently Pious and Learned of so excellent a Temper and such unwearied Labours in the Ministry may do more toward introducing Seriousness and Reverence in Divine Worship than these Papers can do themselves wherefore I have ventured without his knowledge to propose his Example in conjunction with my Endeavours humbly begging his pardon if he be offended to have his Name mentioned by so unworthy a Pen. SOME CONSIDERATIONS Offered to Readers and People DIRECTIONS for READERS HE that will perform this Service as he ought must first be prepared with true Devotion in his Mind and Spirit Two things are needful for the Explication of this First That the Expression of Devotion is a necessary Part of Worship Secondly That it will be difficult for the Reader to make such Expression if he have not real Devotion in himself For the first I shall only observe That it is the very Nature of Publick Worship to be an
Sacrifice was then appropriate for which reason Solomon calls it Sacrifice by way of Eminency which I dare say they do not believe if ever it were called so at all 4. But if that were meant by Sacrifices we must be sure that it was the matter of action and not the ill manners of performance that in Solomon's sence did denominate it the Sacrifice of Fools For we know there were such things as are in the most primitive and proper sence Sacrifices and that of God's own appointment which yet by ill circumstances might be made the Sacrifices of Fools If any of these be a mistake as I believe they all are no proof of any ill in this Custom can result from this Scripture But it is not more certain that an iâ—â— humour in the Eye gives its own tincturâ— to all Objects presented to it than it is that salse Opinions being once fixed in thâ— Mind make Men think Scriptures to sounâ— the praise of their own Way and the reproach of others But if I might give my Opinion of the Instruction which thiâ— Scripture affords it should be this Thaâ— as the Jews of old were not to think iâ— enough that they went to the Temple and did their Sacrifices as was required as to the matter of them but ought diligently to attend to a due preparation and the right manner of performance without which they would be accounted in the sight of God but the Sacrifice of Fools wherein God hath no pleasure So Christians now ought to takâ— the same care lest their slight and irreverent approach to the House of God or any indecencies or disorders in whaâ— they do there may render their Evangelical Sacrifices unpleasant unto God These Sacrifices are those of ourselves anâ— especially of our Bodies for by words and actions we do the same thing that waâ— done by the legal Sacrifices I mean in thiâ— respect that they were Ordinances of Divine Worship That Worship was by Types and Figures for the time then present as was the place where they were offered ordained by a positive Law This the Natural and Eternal Worship founded in the unchangeable rules of Reason and therefore called our Reasonable Service this Service we perform when our Bodies are imployed in the forementioned acts of Adoration in speaking in Prayer and Praise and in hearing the Word of God read or preached But it is not these bodily Exercises and external Appearances being alone that can profit ourselves however they may in some respects honour God and edifie others Because the good they do to others is by accident and not of design and therefore can no more profit us as to our acceptance with God or to the increase of Piety in ourselves than what was there called the Sacrifices of Fools did profit them And they may be called foolish Sacrifices both because not done from a right Principle nor to a right End in which things true Wisdom much more consists than in the best outward performance if it be but in Masquerade and for ill or mean purposes But then they are much more foolish if unduely done i. e. in a slight and irreverent manner in which they will be very subject to do them that are not so dispos'd as before is advised Therefore we ought diligently to attend to the preparing ourselves both by the sobriety of our general Conversation and by our pious Resolutions before-hand 〈◊〉 and also by putting on such holy affectionâ— at the present time as may animate ouâ— Devotions and direct them to a right end and then continuing our care all the time of Divine Service that we be not diverted nor discomposed either by our own vain thoughts or by outward Objects but that the performance may be according to our preparations And this is the thing to which I admonish as our moral preparation for this Service And I must adâ— one thing omitted before viz. That it is very helpful to such composure for this Service That all persons do endeavour to be at Church before the Prayers begin that they may more sedately approach the Divine Presence and perform the Reverence due to the most high God and without any disturbance to themselves or the Congregation take their place in the Church and compose themselves by Prayer and Meditation for these holy Duties as before Certainly it is a great advantage to a right performance that we do this for when we come suddenly and hastily from our worldly Businesses to sacred Offices it is hard â—o compose ourselves as we ought and so as to do them well but being at Church before hand where we are retired from the World and are helped by the Magnificence and Beauty of the place and by our custom of worshipping God there to think of his glorious Presence and fix our minds on him by serious Meditations of his Attributes Words and Word c. I say this â—s a mighty help to a right performance Then we may with more freedom make our private Prayer to God for his gracious acceptance and assistance and those who are offended when we do it in midst of the Service can find no fault with us for doing â—t before it begin And we shall also prevent as much as may be the disturbing the Congregation by clattering of Pews and by disordering others to get to our places and calling the Sexton from serving God to wait on us to open our Pew And indeed I have thought that sort of Men very unhappy in this that they can have little time and composure to attend this Holy Office upon that very account which every one should prevent as far as they â—an considering they have souls to save as well as we But yet let not this nor any thing else so prevent those who are necessarily hindred from coming early that they come not at all it is better to come but to the Blessing than wholly to forbear God accepts the will for the deed when we can do no more and so he doth a part for the whole and by declaring our willingness to do what we can we keep up a reverence for the Prayers and gain our selves a share with the rest of the Congregation in all the Blessings sought therein There is one thing that I would advise as a help to this our coming early which is that a certain time be fixed by the Minister for the beginning of Prayers for then every one can the better order his business and watch the time that he may be ready and where it is so I know that Men of great business may find a time to attend the daily Prayers I have some Examples near me that I can scarce forbear to name but without leave I dare not And I wish withal my heart that while Prayers are read daily in some places in this City the Parishes where they are would take care for a Bell of a clear sound and advantageously hung and would also cause it to be rung some considerable
the Clergy ought not to think it any abasement of themselves but their great honour to read Common-Prayer 'T is not as some would perswade us the easiness of the Thing that can make it contemptible There was no great difficulty in that which God requir'd of the Priests in the Services of the Temple yet was their Office esteemed no small Honour the reason whereof was because they approached nigh to God in the Offices of his Solemn Worship for as the Greatness of God's Majesty requires that not every one that can do the Thing be admitted to perform it as an act of his Solemn Worship but that it be done by Persons solemnly set apart thereunto so the Consecration which Men receive unto this Office gives them the chiefest Dignity and Honour that is to be found among Mankind and all Nations ever had their Priests in highest Esteem however they are scorned in this prophane Age. But then if their approach to God in the Offices of his Worship which puts this great Honour upon them becomes contemptible in their eyes and they think scorn of all but Preaching I think they do greatly err And when through bodily Infirmity or the Attendance on other parts of their Ministry they are obliged to imploy Readers I think for the same reason that they ought to take care that they get such as at least do not scandalize that Service either by their wicked Lives or undecent Performance To perform the Publick Service of God in the Assemblies of his Servants is too great an honour to be put on Fools or vile Persons Certainly something very considerable must be pleaded in excuse of those who professing a great Zeal for Holiness in their preaching are careless whether the Prayers be read well or ill and that do imploy such to read them that are a dishonour to this Service It cannot be sufficient to say that these Readers are poor Men and that they have no other way to live and that they imploy them out of meer Charity For that Charity to Men which is against the Love of God and a Regard to the Solemnity of his Worship is an ill sort of Charity And so is that Charity to particular Persons which is against the Edification of the Church Nay I am of Opinion it is no Charity to those to whom it is shewed for their ill Reading proceeding for the most part from their vicious lives which hath destroyed in them that sense of God and Religion which is the only due preparation to a well performance of this Service as I observed before so long as they see that slubbering over the Service without that Seriousness and Devotion which their corrupt Affections cannot admit and which for the reason fore-mentioned they find it difficult to counterfeit I say whilst this will serve to get their living they will not be so easily brought to Repentance as if being rejected of all on this account and brought to extream poverty they were taught by the Rod to reflect on their folly and to see the necessity of Amendment Affliction is God's way of teaching men to Repent and I think men should not think to find any better Therefore I wish that if Scholars will be prophane they may know they must be poor and none that have power would put them into imployment in the Church or own them but as they have nothing to do to take God's Name into their mouths while they hate to be Reformed and cast God's Word behind their backs so the Church will not suffer them to do it especially when it is apparent they desire it for a Secular Advantage and to maintain them in a Vicious Life and not out of any desire to Serve God and his Church And I earnestly pray that a stop may be put to the admission of such into the Ministry if it might be although I know 't is extream difficult as things stand For as our Church directs so we have great need to pray at this time That God will so guide and govern the minds of the Bishops and Pastors of this Church that they may lay hands suddenly on no man c. which Prayer I hope will offend none Some there are also that do it thus slightly out of Erroneous Principles and some out of Carnal Wisdom the first sort think the Common Prayer a grievous Imposition and that they ought to be left to their liberty to Pray as they please but because the Rulers will have it so they submit to it only to get their livings or else for the sake of Preaching which being of so great necessity to men's Salvation they think it must not be forsaken though they are forc'd to accompany it with a defective disorderly Form as they think ours is and they hope their good intentions towards men's Salvation will excuse their using it when they can do no better But men thus minded will make what hast they can to rid themselves of what is burdensome and so ramble over the Service without that Devotion it requires and plainly shew by their careless manner of Reading that they do not love the Common Prayer though they are forc'd to use it My Opinion is that men of this temper as well as of the former ought not to be incouraged neither by the Church nor the Ministers thereof and that they do need both Repentance and Reformation to set them right in the Judgment of God and all good Men God will be Sanctified in all that come nigh him and that especially by the most solemn decent and reverend Performance of the Offices of his Publick Worship and this he can never be by men that are not fully perswaded in their own minds of the goodness and fitness of the mode in which that Worship is performed For 't is certain that doubts in this will hinder such manner of speaking and such deportment as becomes their approach to God who is Glorious in Holiness and Dreadful in Praises and in that respect also I think it may well be required by the Laws of this Church that every one that is admitted to the Ministry do declare publickly their Assent and Consent to all and every thing c. God himself doth require a full perswasion of mind concerning the goodness of what we do especially in weighty matters and tells us that whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin and he that doubts is damned if he does that he doubts of and therefore the Church cannot be blamed in this Order for such Readers were better out of the Church than in it for they scandalize the Excellent Service thereof by their slight performance far more than the prophane do for that they seeming very devout in their Pulpit-Prayers and so indedevout in the Common Prayer people are apt to think the Common Prayer not to be the Worship of God but something to be read on condition to have liberty to Preach and that it is no matter how it be done if done and
and Intention in the Matters of Religion And should we give them cause so to do It seems to me in very deed there is too great cause of the same Complaint in Christian States where Men are Christians by their Birth-right as was in that of the Jews under the Law That there is none that understandeth and seeketh after God and much more then was in the Apostles times where Men chose Christianity though accompanied with Reproaches and Persecutions when yet it is said That all minded their own things and not the things of Jesus Christ The Worship and Honour of God and our Saviour is not so dear to Men as their Secular Advantages Men do not believe or consider that it is of necessity to their Salvation to love God above all to do all that ever they do with a greater relation to his Honour than to their own Carnal Advantages and that the careless neglect of these Holy Offices when they might order it so as to have time to attend them gives great suspicion they live to themselves and not to God and are yet but Carnally Minded and in a state of Spiritual Death Methinks therefore those who have Care of Mens Souls should be Jealous over them lest that all their Labour should be in vain whil'st they continue such under their Ministry and be in Travel as Women with Child for their Regeneration 'T is certainly a woful sign when Ministers have no greater Concern than to get Money and to make the best of his Livings and little regard whether his People be pious or profane God complains heavily of this in many places of Scripture and it were easie here to declaim against it in many words if it were not sufficiently done by others and also so evident in it self that no Minister that will but think on 't can be ignorant of the great sinfulness of such a Temper and that the Wrath of GOD and Curses of the Damned for this their neglect awaits them in the World to come and that they are the grief of good Men and the scorn of bad ones in this World on that very account They cannot but know that it is they that make Men Separatists while no Man that hath any Concern for his Soul can indure to live under a Minister that regards the Souls of his People not half so much as he doth the Life of his Beasts And I wonder they can blame any Man for endeavouring their suspension since they can be no true Christians who had rather see so many Souls damned as may be in danger of it by such Mens neglect then that they should be displaced by a Just Suspension that a better may take their Place For my part I wish all Parishioners were convinced of their Duty in this kind and would endeavour all that is possible in just ways to remove such Ministers And those that are most offended at this should do their duty in this before they think of separating from the Church and those that have not thought of this which was the right way to ease their grief but run into the wrong way of Separation let them now return at the earnest Invitation of this Church by her best Ministers and when they have resolved to do their Duty to God and to the Church according as the Law requires let them in God's Name see that their Ministers do theirs too especially in taking care of the Souls of their People and in performing what the Law of God and the Church requires of them in order thereunto and and if by humble Intreaties and a pious Example and by due Attendance for their Reformation they cannot prevail with them they ought to complain to the Bishop of the Diocess to endeavour their Suspension and that more Faithful ones may be Intrusted by them with the Cure of their Souls And it seems a great Argument to perswade all Nonconformists that are truly Pious to return to the Communion of our Church and to indeavour to approve themselves Devout and Pious in the Offices of God's Worship administred therein for that by so doing they may be greatly helpful to the Reformation of things amiss to the Incouraging the good and Removing unworthy Ministers to the Honour of our Religion and Salvation of Mens Souls And I believe there be many Pious Bishops in this Church that would be glad to have such just proof of the Misdemeanors and Neglects of their Clergy as might inable them to suspend such as deserve it and put into Imployment those that are able and willing to do better and there are many such to my knowledge who can have no Imployment in the Church while these naughty Persons by the favour of careless and prosane Patrons get into good Livings And I look on it as none of the least mischiefs of Separation that thereby those that should be Instruments of Reforming the Parochial Churches by Example Admonition and assisting the Exercise of Discipline therein which cannot take place there through the prevalency of Prophaness and majority of evil Men forsake them and leave Ministers and People to perish together at least for any thing they will do to help to save them 'T is not enough for such to rail against ill Ministers and corrupt Communions for if it be found that through their unjust forsaking the Church to join in Separate Societies it comes to pass that Parishes cannot be reformed nor evil Men Clergy or Laity be expell'd as they ought their professed detestation of such will not excuse them but aggravates their guilt But this Subject hath been sufficiently Handled by others I onely thought fit to mention it that none may think a legal liberty to separate will excuse them from Sin or Schism But as I have thus expressed my Dislike of those Ministers that are negligent in a Charge of such Infinite and Eternal Concernment so I cannot but declare my great Respect for such as are Diligent and Faithful and many such there are God be thanked in this City and Kingdom however some Nonconformists have reported them so few that they were next to none And I do heartily congratulate the happy success of such Ministers such who in Conscience of their Assent and Consent to the Orders of this Church have taken upon them the constant daily Reading of the Common Prayer in their Parish-Churches and that do frequently Administer the Lord's Supper therein that do not make the backwardness of their People to come to Prayers and the Sacrament a pretence for their own neglect when they never tried how forward they would be if they had Opportunity and good Instruction but set themselves to do their own part in waiting on the Ministries to which they are called and to perswade the People to do theirs in a constant and devout Attendance thereon and to beg God's Blessing on their Endeavours for their Peoples Edification and Salvation In this way they have found success beyond their expectation the numbers of those
that have attended the Prayers and Sacrament being much greater than what slothful Ministers suggested to be likely and the comfort and satisfaction of performing their Duty and their delight in the good success of it as far beyond that of the negligent in their carnal ease and pleasure And I have great hopes that if others would follow their good Example especially at this time it would be a means to restore the Unity Peace and Glory of this Famous Church to prevent the Confusions and Troubles we are afraid of and to establish us on such sure Foundations that the Gates of Hell the Subtilty of the Jesuits and Bandings of all sorts of Fanaticks shall not be able to destroy us or alter our well setled Constitution And I beseech those Ministers that by their Pious and Unblamable Lives and Excellent Preaching have obtained a great Reputation among the People and a potent Interest in their Affections that they will now shew themselves hearty Friends to this Church and be very Devout and Serious in Performing the Offices of God's Publick Worship according to the Prescription thereof and Zealous in perswading the People to attend the same that now when the inforcement of the Laws brings many Dissenters to Church who formerly never came there we may shew them the Practice of our Publick Devotion in its own Beauty and Excellency and this would be more effectual to their Conversion to the Union and Communion of our Church than any Disputes can be And I also beseech those Ministers that are most strict Observers of the External Part of the Rubrick and most Zealous Assertors of the Lawfulness and Excellency of all things in our Church Order that they will also shew themselves as Zealous Practisers of the Internal Part viz. Of that Devotion that is agreeable thereunto and lead a Life in other things that may adorn the Order of this Church and allure Dissenters into the Communion thereof And I believe this would do much more good than reproaching them with their former Miscarriages and putting a harsh interpretation on their present Compliances than exulting in the Execution of the Laws and using bitter Invectives in Sermons or Discourses against them I would not be thought to discourage any in what is truly their Duty as it may be of our Governours to inforce the Laws of the Land And I believe they design onely the bringing the Nonconformists to a sober and serious Consideration of their Duty and a faithful and impartial Enquiry after satisfaction in such things as they scruple that we may all Unite in the Solemn Worship of that God who is pleased when his House is filled and bids that Men be constrained to come in that we may Live in Christian Charity and keep the Bond of Peace now much loosened by our different Orders and distinct Communions that we may Join together to Oppose the Popish Designs which are much furthered by our Divisions Finally that we may provoke one another to Love Honour and Obey our Superiours and to Incourage their Government by most ready and free Assistance and may lay aside all unjust Suspicions and froward Oppositions whereby they may be provoked that so at last there may be no other strife but whether the Prudence and Sweetness of their Government or the Humility and Reverence of our Obedience shall be greater And although the Penalties which the Laws inflict on Dissenters seem severe yet since the Execution thereof is committed to a most Merciful Prince furnished with the Advice and Counsel of most Pious Prudent and Moderate Bishops and by his Prerogative Royal he may make such Relaxations and Moderations therein as the Circumstances of Persons and Things require I cannot think it my Duty or any Man 's else to discourage any especially the Ministers as now obliged in presenting such as do not Communicate in our Publick Worship and the Blessed Sacrament And I cannot but observe this in our Excellent Constitution That as the Severity of the Laws against those that Factiously Dissent from the Publick Order and affront the Wisdom of Law-makers by setting up their Self chosen Ways against that they prescribe I say as this doth secure the Peace of the Kingdom as well as it can be so their allowing to the King his Prerogative Royal and Supream Headship in Ecclesiastical Affairs provides better for what Toleration and Connivance is needful towards Peaceable Conscientious Dissenters than any of the Models in which some Men have taken so great pains to direct the Parliament what Laws to make But all this on the by I know some will think me over Zealous and that it were better to encourage Ministers in their Compliance with Nonconformists Connivance at their Meetings and breach of Order and their not coming to the Sacrament and in their pleasing them by omitting many things in our Service c. But although I honour Piety in all and would please my Neighbour for his good to Edification yet I do not think we are bound to remit any thing of our Duty to God and our Governours for that Reason neither do I think that Edification lies in being humored in that kind I am sure the Peace of the Church doth not Hear what Mr. Baxter writes on this Subject and I doubt not it will be better taken from him than from me Cure pag. 392. The Pastors who will preserve the Churches must not be so tender of preserving their Interest in the Religious Persons of their Charge such as are their Parishioners as to depart from Sober Principles and Ways such as those in the Church of England are in our Judgments to please them c. And a little farther This pleasing Men is not the Way of Peace it may prove a Palliate Cure for the present but prepareth for after Troubles and Confusions for the weakness which crieth up one Error to day may cry up more to morrow and 't is so in crying down too and if you will please them you must follow them on except you repent and then you might at much cheaper rates have forsook them just where they forsook the Way of Truth and Peace Such is the observance of the Order of our Church For though Mens Humours their Corrupt Affections and Erroneous Conceits may be gratified hereby yet their Reason and Conscience is not When Men consider seriously that the Minister doth against the Laws and Orders made with greatest Advice of Church and State against the Publick and Solemn Declaration of his Assent thereunto and Consent to Practise accordingly against his Solemn Promise at his Ordination and also by Subscriptions and against the Unity and Peace of the Church I say when they consider this they cannot in their Reason and Conscience approve the Omissions Alterations or Additions which some take liberty to make in the Matters of God's Worship prescribed by the Rubrick For the violation of such Obligations in Sacred Things though seemingly small carries in it the appearance of Contempt
would mightily convince the Dissenters of their Sincerity in Religion and silence their scandalous Reports of them and induce a greater Reverence and Respect towards them among all the People And I am apt to think the woful Contempt that is cast on the Clergy by the generality of the People is permitted by Almighty God as a punishment for the so great neglect of this most Solemn Christian Office in that Place which should be an Example to all others and would have a great Influence upon them I Conclude this Discourse with my hearty Prayer to Almighty God that he will indue his Ministers with Righteousness and make his Chosen People Joyful I Shall now add to the People as I did to the Ministers an earnest Exhortation That they will seriously consider this Matter and attend the performance of their Duty that I may not lose my Labour in directing their Behaviour If Men will not dispose themselves to Serious Consideration we were as good talk to Men asleep or to the dead neither God hath made any Promise or Men can have any hope that such shall ever be inlightned with the knowledge of the Truth The most Glorious Light of Spiritual and Eternal Life our Blessed Saviour even he gives Light to none but those that will awaken themselves and arise from the dead and what can be hoped a Candle should do after the Sun Men had formerly learnt to talk of Spiritual Drowsiness and Death as if it were bound upon us by such a fatal necessity as must suppose all Exhortations to be vain but I hope Men have since been better taught for neither the Sin of our first Parents nor our own Faults can so far constitute us Bruits but that we may if we will shew our selves Men and in nothing doth it more concern us so to do than in Things most immediately relating to the Honour of God and our Highest Felicity for on this very Account he hath given us more Understanding than the Beasts of the Field and made us capable of doing him more Honour and being more happy There are few Exercises of our Reason about Sensual Pleasures but have their likeness in the Natural Sagacity and Instincts in Brutes and in things of that Nature such may serve as well as Reason but to consider of God and Invisible Things and perform Religious Worship in a fit and decent manner nothing but Reason will serve and 't is the Priviledge of Mankind alone and therein doth our Honour and Felicity chiefly consist But alas how do Men close their Eyes and harden their Hearts wilfully until they provoke God to do it judicially and because they would not have the Light of Truth shine into their Minds nor the Power thereof impress their Souls God resolves they shall not Oh woful Condition When Men say to God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy Ways and God saith to Men depart from me I know you not you Workers of Iniquity And yet as woful as it is it seems to me that there be but few that dread this What other sense can be put on the Language of most Mens Lives and Conversations but that they speak them Contemners of God's gracious Presence in the Place where he puts his Name which he calls his House placing his Residence there and owning it for his Dwelling whence he confers his Blessings and Favours upon us where we behold the Beauty of his Pleased Face when he lifts up the Light of his Countenance upon us in the Comfortable Promises of his Holy Gospel where we offer up our selves in Sacrifice unto him and sing his Praises and powre out our Souls before him in Holy Desires Humble Complaints and Hearty Thanksgivings for his Mercy in the performance of these Holy Offices for thus is God present in the place of Holy Assemblies for his Worship In this Presence of God good Christians find a Fulness of Joy and therefore value it above the highest Injoyments of the World But how few do approve themselves good Christians by this Character Do not the most among us shew a great dis-regard to our Publick Prayers and seem not to care whether ever there were any or not It may be since Law and Custom even forceth them to recede from Worldly Imployments and go to Church on the Lord's Day they will desire that then they may have a good Preacher there that can entertain them with good Language and quaint Notions to please their Ears while they little regard the Matter of his Sermon and much less the Solemn Service of our Common Prayers But though we have an Order established by Law that in every parish-Parish-Church the Morning and Evening Prayers shall be said daily and a Bell rung a convenient time before they begin that the People may come hear God's Word and to Pray with him yet who either Ministers or People regard this It grieves me to think that Ministers should here need Excitation whose chiefest Joy should be to Honour God and to be Examples to their Flocks Examples I say of Heavenly-mindedness and Delight in God's Service who therefore because the Law admits an excuse which yet proves daily Reading ordinarily should not pervert it to a total omission And for the People whom I am here writing to it is not enough for them to go to Church on Sundays but if not hindred by Works of Necessity or Mercy they should attend daily And a plentiful Estate is desirable chiefly upon this account yet the Richest and most Leasurely Persons never take care that this Order be observed by Ministers in their Parish-Churches and when it is will scarce ever come there but make that which should give them the greatest Advantage and Obligation to come to be a Hindrance thereunto I mean make use of their Riches to run themselves into such vast Trades and troublesome Projects as not to have leasure for God's Service or else if they incline more to pleasure than profit they take no care to order their Divertisements that they be no hindrance to the Service of God but may make them more joyful and zealous therein tho' this they may and ought to do they suffer these either to ingross their time that they never come to Church at all at least on Week-days or to exhaust their Vigour that they are more ready to sleep than pray when they come and can take no delight in these Spiritual Exercises Nay many altogether idle a thing tedious to Nature and yet will not divert themselves with going to Church these are chiefly of the Female Sex who being not so subject to be incumbred with Business and often wanting Company or Pastimes having nothing else to do and yet tho' they live near Churches where Prayers are daily read they seldom or never come there Now what doth this signifie but that such care not for God nor his Presence let him be gone if he will and remove the Throne of his Grace and send the
Ordinances of his Worship to them that have time and will to attend them they have other things to do or had rather be idle than to be at Divine Service seeking his Blessing owning his Providence and adoring his Holiness they hope to do well enough without God and practically say to him as Herbert expresseth it We know where we can better be than to serve thee or rather as in the Prophet We are Lords we will not come to thee What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit shall we have if we call upon him We desire not the knowledge of his Ways We will not trouble our heads with Considering how we may best Honour and Please him give us the Riches Honours and Pleasures of this World and take those of the next who will To such as these I would first speak if it were possible to make them hear I would but ask them if they were in the place of Almighty God Whether they would indure to be so slighted I know their pride will help here to shew them their own folly in thinking to escape God's Vengeance whil'st they contemn his Worship Will he that is God from Everlasting he that gave Being to all Things and brings them to nothing at his own Pleasure be disappointed of the Honour for which he hath Made and still Governs this World and that by such a worm as man and not Vindicate the same Will he not take that Glory by his just Punishments which they would not give in the Offices of Divine Worship Can the Proudest think to resist Omnipotency or fly from Omniscience Nay if God should do no more but withdraw his Divine Influences we and all we so love and honour above him perish together And can we hope God will attend us with his gracious Influences who will not attend him with our Prayers and Praises Or shall we say that we believe Almighty God takes not this for any affront but rather esteems the Zeal I here commend to be a work of Super-errogation Certainly we shall be of another mind when Sickness or Sorrow make us Sober and especially when we approach to Death or Judgment I never knew any that talked at this rate but that at one time or other have confessed that such words came not from their Reason or Conscience but from their Pride and Passion and that they were forc'd sometimes to have a secret Reverence for Devout Men and to Condemn themselves for their Neglect of God's Service There is no Man that consults his own Reason or God's Word but must think God highly values his Honour and that we do him Honour most immediately in this way and if Men be not careful to honour him in this they mean it in nothing else That the love of God's Worship hath ever been esteemed the first Principle of what we truly call Religion That those who are recorded for the most Holy Men and Women in Scripture have been the greatest lovers of God's House and that upon this very account that it was the Place where his Honour dwelt and because they were inamoured of the Beauty of his Infinite Goodness shining there in his Premises desired to be instructed by his Wisdom there appearing in his Laws to be assisted and comforted by his Grace exhibited in his Sacraments and prepared for Heavenly Glory by these Holy Exercises of his Worship this made them love the Place where they might see and injoy him to these great purposes Again 't is most evident to considering Men That it was the Happiness of the State of Innocency that Man had nothing else to do but to Worship and Praise his Maker at least nothing that might divert him from it And that it shall be our chief Happiness in the State of Glory to be freed from all Cumbersome Labours and Cares and all Distracting Prosecutions and Carnal Pleasures and that we shall then continually attend Divine Offices as that which is our only perfect Bliss and Felicity and therefore should esteem ourselves the more Happy for having a Recess from Worldly Business now that we may more freely and frequently attend Divine Offices Again 't is evident that God who first made all things for himself created again his Church and People that they might be to the praise of the Glory of his Grace Eph. 1. And all Christian Assemblies are so constituted and Holy Offices appointed therein that they may be so therefore for Men to call themselves Christians and Members of such Assemblies and yet despise Publick Worship is a great Affront to God and to the Church which hath well appointed these Daily Offices of Divine Worship as being agreeable to Reason to the Divine Prescriptions and to the Customs of the wisest of Mankind and requires our attendance upon them when ever we can redeem time from the Business that is necessary to our Maintainance and the Recreations that are necessary for our Health both which are allow'd in most cases for our excuse and those that will think of more I believe will find themselves mistaken at the Day of Judgment These Things and much more that might be said of like nature being so evident I must believe these kind of Men that think our Daily Attendance at Prayers is being Righteous over much are not moved hereunto by any thing of Reason or Sober Consideration but are wholly influenced by Pride or Covetousness or other Carnal Affections which hinder the Exercise of their Rational Faculties and make them live more of the Animal than the Divine Life i. e. more like Beasts than Men and so long as they are such we must expect no other Language from them for the Carnal Mind a Man that discourseth as a meer Animal perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned and therefore it will be in vain for me to say any more to them then earnestly to desire them To pluck out the Beam that is in their own Eye and then shall they see clearly to pluck out the Mote that is in their Brothers For an Extream in this matter if any man be supposed to be guilty thereof is no more in comparison of their total Neglect and Contempt of God and his Publick Worship than a Mote to a Beam as they will find at the last The Second Sort to whom I shall apply my self and for whose sake I chiefly undertook this Work is such as have a love for these Holy Offices and daily frequent them to whom my earnest Request is That they will persist in the good way they have begun attend to the best manner of performance and make all the rest of their Lives answer to their Devotion herein I doubt not but such who do understand the Grounds and Reasons upon which our Publick Service was first ordered and have taken up this practice in a sense of their Duty to God and Man will easily and effectually
comply with my Desire and save me the Labour of Arguments I shall only say the Inward Peace and Satisfaction they will find in governing themselves in this Matter by Reason and not by Fancy and in following the Custom and Usage of all good Christians for many Ages and of most even in this and not that of Hereticks and Schismaticks by obeying the Orders of our own Church made with the greatest Advice and by the most unbias'd Persons of any in the World and not Herding with Quakers Fifth-Monarchy men Anabaptists and other turbulent Sects that oppose the same and seek its Ruin the Satisfaction they will have in finding all that was Good and Profitable all that was Decent and Solemn all that was truly Primitive or any way Praise-worthy in the Service of the Church of Rome a Church which was once very Famous for Learning Piety and Stedfastness in the Faith still retained in ours and all that which Ignorance Error or the Corruption of Time had introduced into that purged out in this I say the Satisfaction they will find in considering the Excellency of our Form of Divine Service in this and such like respects Will prevent all Inclinations to turn into other Ways And should they have any Scruples suggested unto them by cunning Seducers I dare say if they will but do what may be justly expected from Men so educated and obliged that is Consult the Ministers of our Church they will find the fullest satisfaction that they can desire Again As these Considerations so the good Effects of a Devout Attending this Service will perswade them to continue the same The Exaltation of our Minds thereby above the mean Concerns of this World so that they shall not be influenced by the Revolutions and infinite Changes to which it is subject the Confirmation of our Faith and Hope in God's Promises and the inward Joy and Peace that results therefrom the Excitation of our Love to God and the Exercising thereof in Holy Adorations and Cheerful Praises the Increase of our Love to one another by Holy Communion in such Sacred Offices these and such like which will be the Effects of attending this Service will inforce our delight therein and our endeavours so to order it that we be not kept from the same To which I may add some outward good Effects such as 1. The Preventing many Idle and sometimes very Chargeable Clubs and Visits from which this will both excuse and oblige us 2. The inducing Harmony and Good Order into our Families For our contriving that as many as possible may attend God's Service will make much for Order in other things and also for Love and Peace and Good Success of our Affairs I cannot attend the Demonstration but I am sure he that will try shall find it true by Experience 3. The Chearfulness induced into our Minds by our Communion in the Psalmody and Responses and the use of our Voice in other parts of the Service tends much to the health of our Bodies and the mending our Temper For as silence feeds the Melancholy Humour the worst that Mans Body is affected with and of most pernicious influence on the Mind so Speaking and especially in such Heavenly Converse doth much to dissolve and disperse the same and preserves the Body healthful and lively and the Mind in a sweet and pleasant Temper I shall mention no more I hope it may suffice to have touched these things in so short a Discourse to perswade a Constant Attendance on the Publick Prayers 2dly I shall say somewhat also to perswade an indeavour of a right performance which even those are in danger not to do who daily frequent these Holy Offices Education Custom and various Interests may have great force to effect a constant attendance at Prayers when yet want of consideration may betray Men to Formality and undue Performance There is a Fear of God so his Worship of old was called which is taught by the Precepts of Men Matth. 15.8 and this is when Men go to Church meerly because the Magistrate Commands or their Parents bred them to it or because it is the Custom of their Neighbours so to do These shew themselves of a good dactile and sociable Temper and are more to be esteemed than such who in despite of the Laws good Education and a pious Cohabitation contemn and scorn a daily attendance on God's Worship Or than those that strain their Wits to find Faults in our Liturgy and that do all they can to create Scruples in themselves and infuse them into others But they must not rest here but while they constantly go to Prayers they must indeavour to exercise that Fervent Love to God and to our Blessed Saviour and that Divine Joy in the Hope of Glory to come and to Fore-taste the Blessedness we shall partake of in the Communion of Saints above in these Exercises wherein as Saints we have communion here below and will to that purpose attend more diligently to the Preparations wherewith they should come to Worship and to those Expressions whereby they Honour God while they do so Therefore I beseech these to whom I write to consider that God will be Sanctified in all those that come nigh to Worship him and this he only is by those who Worship him with a Holy Worship both Internally and Externally Which we do not except our Minds be so disposed and our Words and Actions so ordered as is aforesaid and as becomes the Glory of God's Essence the Immensity of his Divine Perfections the Sense of our own Concernments and of our Relation to those we are to pray with and to pray for and so as is suitable to the several Parts of Worship which we are to perform Now these Dispositions cannot be attained but by serious and frequent Meditation For there is a Connexion in the Duties of Religion which make it impossible to perform some as we ought except we make Conscience of others that are preparatory thereunto in this Connexion I suppose Meditation to be the first and he that makes no Conscience of that or knows not how to Perform it will be hardly brought to a Good Performance in any other Duties especially this of Prayer Men may by a natural fluency of Speech assisted with a quickness of Wit and ready Invention easily pray to good acceptance with Men but as to our acceptance with God and the effects of Prayer to our own Benefit and Consolation it depends on the preparation of such Affections and such Expressions thereof as can never be without frequent Meditation Meditation in the most common sense of the word is taken for more than bare thinking it is a thinking of things that we may have such knowledge of them and esteem and affection toward them as we ought to have And so great an Influence hath the proposed End into the Efficacy of any Action that I cannot expect that any Man should excite his Devotion by thinking of things though