uncharitably and falsly asserted We have not blessed be God such a pitiful Church that there are no Ministers in it but are liable to the charge of serving God in Prayer with rudeness unpreparedness barreness superficiality defect deformity and that both in matter manner judgment and expression No Jesuit ever had the confidence so to asperse the Ministry of England nor could speak more sordidly to their dishonour Possibly there may be some and there have been far more than now are who may be too liable to this charge But where 's the fault Is it not in those to whom the trust is committed of taking a due cognisance of such as offer themselves to be ordained or admitted to the cure of souls Should not they take care to admit none but such as are both able to preach and to pray Do they not discharge their work conscientiously while they admit such as are not able to pray without such rudeness as is here complained of or make no more conscience of it than to do it unpreparedly superficially with so much barrenness defect and deformity such as neither have judgment to compose a Prayer as to matter nor elocution to pray as to manner so but that people shall have just cause to nauseate the Worship of God 4. If the Doctor means by his phrase of every Minister being subject c. only that 't is possible that the best Ministers may so be negligent c. as to run upon this Rock that is as true concerning reading Prayers none will deny but he that can read very well may read false and if he keeps not his mind intent no doubt but he will perform the Service as rudely and superficially by reading as by speaking Instances might be given of this and shall if need be And certainly the conceiving of a Prayer will command more attention of mind than reading can All therefore said under this Head is meer air III. But Secondly He tels us That a Lyturgy is a most excellent means to preserve the truth of Christian and Reformed Doctrine by the consonancy of publick Devotions Pag. 10. into which otherwise corrupt minds are apt to infuse the sour Leaven of their own corrupt Opinions Fine words again But what reason we have before shewed it to be 1. Questionable whether a lawful means or no. 2. If lawful by no means effectual except it reach to all Praying and Preaching too 3. Not the only means a good Summary of Christian Faith is far more proper and rational 4. A means bringing a mischief as bad as what it pretends to cure yea far worse fit for nothing but to breed rents and separations the mothers of all Heresies 5. An Apochryphal means by which men make themselves wiser than Christ and his Apostles or the Purer Church We shall only propound this Question upon this suggestion If this be true how comes it to pass that all the Arminians and Popishly affected Clergy-men of England are such Zealots for a lyturgy The thing is demonstrably true that it is so let the Doctor answer this Question by his next IV. But Thirdly A Lyturgy he saith is necessary for the holy Harmony and sweet communion of all Christians as well in National as Parochial Churches whilst thereby they are all kept in one mind and Spirit praying the same things and chearfully saying Amen to the same Praises and Petitions Here is the old Fallacy still of Verba elegancia pro sensu simplici That all Christians have the same common wants and ought to pray for the same things in the main is to be granted though as particular persons so particular Churches may have renewing wants not common to all for which a Lyturgy will not serve the turn But is there any so simple as not to understand that the same things may be prayed for in different words and phrases The Doctor here mistook his Mark he should have proved that it is the Will of God that Christians should maintain their Communion in the use of the same phrases letters and syllables And when he had done that a Popish Priest should have improved his Notion and concluded that because the one body of Christ should have but one tongue and since the confusion at Babel men in several nations have spoke several languages therefore to the perfection of the Communion of the Church there is not only a Liturgy necessary but a Liturgy every where in Latine that being a Language most universally known The Churches external Communion lyes in their keeping the same Sabbath performing the same Acts of worship of which prayer is one confession of Original and Actual sins praying for the same mercies generally c. not in their saying all the same words sure He tells us fourthly That a Liturgical form is not onely of great benefit and comfort to the more knowing judicious and well-bred sort of Christians but highly to their security and to the holy and humble composure of their spirit in the worship of God who otherwise are prone not onely amidst the publique devotions curiously to censure but scoffingly to despise By the way this is no Demonstration neither of their Christianity nor of their good breeding yea many times to laugh at and at best to pity or deplore the evident defects and incongruities which appear in many Ministers odd expressions and incongruous wayes of officiating c. To reduce these many words to a short sum of reason the usefulness of imposed Liturgies is here pleaded 1. For the benefit of the most knowing judicious and well-bred sort of Christians 2. To avoid the censures scoffs and jears of others The Dr. hath not yet told us what benefit accrues to the former from a Liturgy nor yet what solid grounds of comfort for them to feed upon the want of which it may be is the reason that if others guess rightly that take all the professors of Religion that can but give any understanding account of the Systeme of Divinity and live in any sobriety of life and conversation and number them taking their judgment as you go along and in will be found that ten for one are against any imposed Forms On the other side it is certain that some others make it all their Religion So it was of old That Holy and Learned Oeculampadius living in a Noble mans house who yet was a Protestant and would seem a forward man in the Reformation complains of the slender regard the greatest part of the Family gave to him and to his Ministry in a Letter to his Friend in these words Such a man saith he sent for me that I might publickly in the Church instruct his Family in the Christian Religion or rather feed them with the words of Christ who were initiated already I counted it my chief duty to make the Evangelical Law known familiar at hand to them that so afterwards they might of themselves proceed in the true and sincere study of Christianity Peace Meekness
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
Tradition no Universal Tradition no Example of the Purer Primitive Churches for more than 400. yea 700 years after Christ which can be pleaded for imposed Forms of Prayer by any that make any conscience of their words or will undertake to prove what they say CHAP. IV. An Enquiry into the state of those Churches which first commended or imposed Lyturgies at the time when they first made such Impositions I. THough it may seem absurd to enquire whether the gray hairs of Lyturgies be found in the way of Righteousness when we have evinced that they have no such pretended Antiquity and Age to glory in and that the Assertors of such Antiquity for them do but impose upon the world yet considering what we remember we have learned out of Aristotle That there is a youthfulness in respect of Age or in respect of Manners and Conditions It may be worthy of a further enquiry Whether yet there may not be such a necessity of them or such a comliness beauty and gravity in them as may not only justifie Magistrates in the imposing of them but oblige every soul that hath ought to do with reason to fall in with the use of them yea passionately to desire them even as much as Rachel did children which we shall the better determine by reviewing the first occasions of Lyturgies and the complexion of the Church in those ages when they were first made or most used II. I think we may say of Lyturgies as Christ said of the Bill of Divorce which Moses allowed Moses verily for the hardness of your hearts gave you a Bill of divorce but from the beginning it was not so He that had a residue of Spirit as the Prophet saith made one for one The Church played Moses his part in the business of Forms of Prayer Christ who had a residue of Spirit the Spirit given him without measure imposed no Forms of Prayer upon his Ministers or Church The Apostles who had the first and most plentiful powrings out of the Spirit of Grace imposed no such things Christ indeed gave a more general direction to his People in Prayer to ask things according to the Will of God and in his Name and more particular directions in that excellent Form called the Lords Prayer but that as Durantus idly saith either Christ or his Apostles used the Lords Prayer ordinarily as a Form of words in Prayer or that the Apostles used a Form of words to express their Faith â—r imposed the Creed commonly called but hardly to be proved their 's which the same Author asserteth must certainly be proved out of some such Canonical Writings as the Epistles of Christ to Abagarus or to Paul and Peter for there is no authentick Record of any such things but in process of time indeed the Church began to do some such things III. The highest mention we can find is that thin Synod of the Church of Laodicea made up of 32 Bishops and this whatever Bishop Hall saith according to Longus cannot be proved as we said before to have been before the year 364. as to which time Balsamon and Caranza agree it but truly it had been no great wonder if this Church which many years before was grown neither hot nor cold Rev. 3.17 but in such a temper that God was ready to spue it out of his mouth for which we have an authentick record in the Revelation should long before this time have made such a Salve and prudent Prouision for the Laziness of her Ministers He that shall read the Canons of that Synod against the Ministers hanting Taverns and using Inchantments as also the other Canons about exorcising and the several Officers and Offices of the Church will see reason enough to conclude the woful corruption of the Church in those parts if not to suspect that it was of a far lower date than is pretended IV. The Synod of 40 Bishops at Carthage which was the 3d. Synod of Carthage only enjoyned Ministers to communicate to their more able brethren their Prayers composed for their publick Congregations this was in the year 397. Yet that the face of the Church at this time had many spots and much impurity cleaving to it may appear by this Synod by their 6th Can. against giving the Lords Supper to or Baptizing such as were dead by their many Canons 17 25.27 against Clergymen hanting Taverns and keeping scandalous company with women their 30. Can. against jovial Meetings in Churches their 36 Can. about the Chrisma or the anointing Oyl which no Presbyters must make And that this Synod consisted not of the most infallibly wise Fathers appears by their Learned 29 Canon where they take pains to decree that every Minister should give the Sacrament of the Altar so it seems they had learned to call the Lords Supper fasting Yet this Synod in the business of Prayer did not think fit to restrain every Minister only having so loose and insufficient a Clergy they order the weaker sort having composed Prayers to confer their Notes before they used them cum fratribus instructioribus with their more able Brethren V. After this the Council of Mela Anno 416. grew more bold and ordain as to their Province for what authority had they further that the Ministers should use no Prayers but such as that Synod had approved They might justly expect that the Churches under their inspection would hardly swallow this new Pill if it were not lapped up in some good Reason and therefore they give their reason for it lest somthing should be vented against the true Doctrine of Faith either by some Ministers negligence or ignorance The cause of that Synods Meeting was the censuring of Pelagius that great enemy of Grace The Errors which Pelagius had broached were these 1. That Adams should have died though he had never sinned 2. That Infants were born without Original sin 3. That there is no need of he assisting Grace of God sin being once pardoned 4. That all the need we have of Grace is to illuminate us in the knowledge of Gods Commandments 5. That the Grace of God only helpeth us to do his will more easily and freely 6. That the words of St. John If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves were only figuratively true not literally 7. That the Saints praying Forgive us our Trespasses was appointed them in the behalf of others not themselves Or 8. If for themselves only as an expression of their humility not concluding them to have any sins to be forgiven Against these Errours that Reverend Synod made their 8 first Canons Pelagius having used diverse Arts the story is too long to insert to secure his Doctrine from a publick Censure had far diffused the poyson of this Doctrine This Reverend Synod observing his Errors to be in such things as are the daily matter of Ministers Confessions and Supplications thought fit for the prevention of the diffusing this Venom by Ministers in their publick prayers as also
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
Modesty Charity Piety Faith and Confidence in God All the time of Lent that I was there nothing hindred but that I might every day read a piece of the Gospel to them and expound it and exhort them out of it to the study of Godliness But after Easter it was less convenient for the Family was not at-leisure to spend much time at Church their business did so call upon them and there are some that are sick of the Church if they tarry there never so little while pierique ut forme ubique mos est c. Most people as the manner is amant quotidie audire imo videre Sacrum love to hear yea to see service every day yea to hear those things mumbled over that they understand not to see the Ceremonies to be present at the Blessing to commend themselves perfunctorily unto God and so think they have been religious enough of all conscience in that day wherein they have done this quod sane exigni fructus est credo plerisque interim conducibilius esset arare texere which truly saith he is little worth and I am perswaded it were better for many to have been plowing or weaving I. 1 Epist Oeculamp Zuinglii These words may be a Glass for these times or Riving of Logs or doing any other work And if they may be believed not is it incredible find more comfort in the Lyturgy than in all the Promises of the Gospel the reason is Missa non mordet For the Scoffes and Jears of such as are possessed with a Spirit of Prophanesse 't is hard to avoid them Nor are we further concerned than not to give just cause to them to prophane the Worship of God which may be done without a Lyturgy if the Governors of the Church take due care that none but persons fit in respect both of Parts and Piety be admitted to or continued in the exercise of the Office of the Ministry V. But it seems this Master of our Lyturgical Feast hath kept his best wine till the last for he tels us that a Lyturgy is necessary or conduceth at least mightily above all to the edification and salvation as well as the unanimity and peace of the meanest sort of People Salvation and Edification in order to it are great things so also are unanimity and peace and doubtless by all just and lawful means to be endeavoured But how shall a Lyturgy conduce to these Certainly the Captain of our Salvation hath directed the best and most proper means for the Salvation and Edification of souls and we need not devise other than what he hath appointed yet did he never institute a Lyturgy nor the Apostles after him He tels us That a daily variety of Expressions in Prayer or Sacraments is much at one to the Vulgar with Latin Service little understood Pag. 11. and less remembred by them they are still out and to seek when a new Minister officiates yea and when the same if he affects variety ef words where the duty is the same For the peoples remembring it were worth the while to examine the Vulgar people where a Liturgy is constantly used how much they remember of it If the Doctor would do this he might possibly be convinced that a Lyturgy is not such an effectual means to imprint Divinity notions in peoples memories As to the peoples understanding the reading of the Lyturgy signifies as little if the furious Zealots for Lyturgies amongst the Vulgar were examined of their sense of the several phrases they would make a wild Interpretation It is not the using of a Lyturgy will bring people to such an understanding the Body of Divinity as is necessary to him that would understand a good Prayer whether it be a stinted Form or no but their understanding of a good Catechisme to be wrought in them by a frequent exercise of Catechizing and when they once understand the Principles of Religion they will easily understand a Prayer though they do not alwaies hear the same words where the Minister doth not affect a vanity and singularity of phrase which if he doth the Governors of the Church ought to restrain him by admonition and other Censures This is the way to make people understand Prayers whether the Phrase be the same or diverse provided it be not phantastick and vain By this it appears that the Bishop hath said nothing to convince the world of any necessity of imposed Forms nor yet of any expediency in them We have before offered enough against them so that thus much may suffice to have spoken of Imposed Forms in the general CHAP. VII Supposing Forms of Prayer Lawful yet every Form is not What necessary or reasonable to be found in publick Forms Doctor Gaudens unhandsom and false Representations of Ministers refusing to use the Common Prayer I. FRom our former Discourse every intelligent Reader will easily conclude that we have neither asserted it unlawful to compose a Form of Prayer nor yet to use it either in private or publick no nor yet to impose it upon some All that we have questioned is the lawfulness of imposing Forms of Prayer upon all Ministers as well those whose gifts are eminently known and their diligence and conscience in that duty sufficiently experimented as those who either through Ignorance or Laziness are not fit to be trusted without such a guide in the publick service of God Nor do we think it impossible that a Minister of eminent gifts through some bodily or spiritual distemper may possibly be so out of course that he may lawfully enough help himself with a Form but because a Staffe may be useful for an old withered body and for a vegete and lively body that hath accidentally got some Vertigo in his head or wound in his foot it will nor therefore follow that it is reasonable that it be enacted that none should walk without it II. But certainly in reason those Forms which should be either publickly or privately used should be such rare Patterns of Prayer as might justly commend themselves to all ears as containing full confessions of sin Original and Actual full Petitions for spiritual and temporal Mercies for our selves and others as also proportionable Thanksgivings and all these expressed in Scripture phrases so ordered and couched that the hearers may be convinced that there is nothing contrary to the Will of God in them nor any momentous thing by Gods Will allowed us to ask which is omitted It is also reasonable that such Forms should be so worded so every way circumstantiated that no sober ear could be offended at them all conscientious Christians might say Amen to them and if any should be needful to plead their cause he might have more to say than that jejune commendation Nothing can be said against them but may be answered nor found in them but what is capable of a very good sense These are lamentable commendations for Forms of Prayer to be imposed upon a Church
pure humane composition and that in most corrupt times and only retained upon the reformation to quiet peoples spirits and which in their own confession have for 6. or 700 years before the reformation run through the filthy sink of the Romish Synagogue When God hath himself told them That the earth is his and the fulness thereof And therefore expresly charged us not to use a piece of meat once offered to idols when our brother tells us it hath been so polluted XII But it may be some of our Fathers or Brethren what ever a company of us Puritans do do not think the Church of Rome an idolatrous Church nor her worship idolatrous we have heard of diverse that have lately questioned it We confess for those Protestants that are of that mind our Argument upon this head signifies little to them but we are of another mind in the principle and therefore 't is no wonder we have different thoughts of the Consequents In the mean time those who believe the Church of Rome idolatrous have reason to think of this Argument Those who judge her yet an undefiled Virgin we suppose may have a desire to be married to her And we shall hardly be able to forbid the banes XIII VVhen the Bishop of Exeter can satisfie us That the worship of the Church of Rome in the whole Complex is not idolatrous Or that it is lawful for us to take forms of prayer of meer humane composition so used in an idolatrous service and yet continue them in the true worship of God Gods VVord saying to us as to meat so used Eat it not Or that it is lawful for us to tell our people when they come and tell us Sirs They say this is taken out of the Mass-book will you use it No brethren 't is not taken out there when we know it is I say when his Lordship can satisfie us in these things he may then conclude which as yet he doth very uncharitably That we might easily convince and satisfie our people as well by our Examples as Arguments Our people are a plain kind of Country people that are not to be satisfied with a flaunt tant of high words they have their Bibles and having so plain a Scripture by the end as that of 1 Cor. 10.28 Eat it not they choke us with such things as these Is not the Romish Church Idolatrous have not they used the same forms in their idolatrous devotion how can you then use them without sin So that we profess we cannot answer them We desire the Bishop of Exeter would do it plainly and solidly CHAP. X. The Ministers third Reason Because they have sworn to endeavour a Reformation in worship and to endeavour to Extirpate Superstition and what hindereth the power of Godliness I. BUt further yet to let the Bishop know that it is not out of a meer Anti-Liturgical humour that some of us taking the advantage of his Majesties Declaration and laying hold of his Grace and Favour in it do not yet meddle with the Book of Common-prayer VVe desire his Lordship to consider That we have taken the Covenant and are afraid to bring upon us that vengeance which we are sure first or last will follow perjury If his Lordships loosing St. Peters bands could have loosed our Consciences from that we had been a step nearer then we are but we observe no truth of Divinity in the Principles which his Lordship and others have laid down from which they would conclude that the bond of that Covenant is dissolved we also discern his Lordship and the others abundantly answered by Mr. Crofton and Timorcus and could wish that when any of them write again upon that Subject they would not onely assert positions but give their reasons which may evince the truth of them or else annex some Scriptures to prove them or at least tell us what Divines were ever of their mind II. We have in the Covenant sworn to endeavour a Reformation of the Church of God in England in worship according to the Word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches VVe think the worship of God in England is as to the Rule and Form of it expressed in the Common-prayer Book and the Forms of devotion there expressed and imposed We cannot find that either according to the Word of God or the example of the best Reformed Churches it is lawful for the Ministers of the Gospel to tye up themselves to forms of prayer nor that such practise is commended to us nor can we conceive how the use of the same forms of Worship should be a Reformation in Worship Nor possibly is it clear to every one that there is nothing in those forms of worship savouring of Superstition or that the use of them is consistent with the promoving of the power of Godliness at least that it is a due means to promove it all which we have solemnly sworn to indeavour and surely that indeavouring to which we are sworn will at least oblige us not to do any thing to the contrary III. Into which Covenant many Ministers of the Gospel having entred since they used the said forms of prayer something may be said on their behalf disobliging them from a return to their former practice though in these last 20 years time they have learn'd nothing from the many books published to the world examining the said forms in special of offering arguments against imposed forms in the general convincing them of a former in advisedness and error in practice If they then looked upon the use of those forms as indifferent surely the Oath they have taken puts it into another capacity If they now judge the use unlawful it is no great wonder considering how much light hath shone upon the world in that space of time that some of their judgements should be altered the Bishops charge of Schismatical petulancy restiveness morosity c. cleaves not to them IV. If the Bishop sayes they had before subscribed to use it According to his Lordships doctrine and some others of his mind forced ingagements signifie nothing It is true the Godly Ministers of England are of another mind they believe though they were under a force either they must subscribe or loose their livelyhoods yea loose the exercise of their Ministry yet they are obliged by their Act in case it doth not appear to them That it is sinful for them to do what they inadvisedly set their hands to but that is the Case Besides though they cannot think that any Earthly power can discharge them of an Oath made to God yet they believe that the Parliament of England can discharge them of an Engagement entred to an inferiour Magistrate and by Oath again bind them to do the contrary and that 's the case again V. If any say That the Ministers of England are bound by the Law of England to use the Common-prayer Book Besides that it is a great question how far the Laws of
means who first translated the Service-Book into English c. there are so many thousand Ministers to be found now in England who are able to speak unto God before people as well and orderly as if they did read those Forms Is it not so to the Schoolmaster who by dictating Forms of Theams and Epistles and Orations teacheth his Boyes to make as good and better than his were in 9 or 10 years time Surely it were rather a reproach to the Schoolmaster so to inure his Boyes to Forms that when they are Masters of Art they must still have Forms dictated to them without which they can do nothing XVI Nor would the alteration of this Lyturgy and not imposing any blemish the Judgment of our whole Church our Kings Princes Parliaments c. Their Judgment was excellent as to those times In King Edward his time the Clergy were generally Popish and had they been left to Liberty would certainly have used the Mass or else such persons as were of mean parts most of them Anglice docti such as the necessity of those times required because better could not be had In Qu. Elizabeths time the state of the Nation at least in the beginning of her Reign was little better witness the Record which Archbishop Parker left and is yet to be seen in the Library of Corpus Christi Colledge in Cambridge of all the Ministers in his Province and their several abilities where are 20 Anglice docti such as understood no Latine for one that hath a Character for any Learning see upon him this man was Archbishop in the Second year of Qu. Elizabeth Undoubtedly it was an Act of rare Judgment for the Parliament then to impose Forms of Prayer nor was it likely that suddenly the whole Nation would be reformed so well that with any security or prudence the Ministers could be left at liberty Since the time of Qu. Elizabeth no Parliament medled with it King James indeed reformed it in part and declared his Judgment for it King Charles of Glorious Memory in his Meditation upon the Lyturgy though indeed he judgeth an imposed Lyturgy lawful and this as to the main very good yet declareth his readiness to have consented to amend what upon free and publick advice might seem to sober men inconvenient as to matter or manner by which it appears that his Majesty judged incapable of amendment both as to Matter and Manner XVII But it is a great Riddle to us how the amending of the Lyturgy and not imposing any universally should damp and discourage the zeal of the greatest and chiefest part of the Nation who find much pleasure and profit in the use of it For if it be still left at liberty to them if they please to use the old Forms how is their Zeal damped or discouraged by the liberty which others take It is a fiery Zeal in men certainly that must needs have all others to be of their humour as to the use of Forms of words in Prayer If by zeal the Bishop means the Fury of people against those who durst not use those Forms the God of Heaven more damp and discourage that zeal which we are sure is not according to knowledge If the greatest and chiefest part of the Nation be so zealous in this case doubtless if they be left to liberty people will generally fill in with those Ministers that do use it and there will be an ingenuous conformity which is alwaies best for a little experience will convince the furious ones of this age that Religion is a thing that must instillari not intrudi as Beza somtimes said a thing to be gently instilled and commended not bluntly and forcibly intruded and compelled Our Bishops in this point may give counsel effectual to the filling of Goals undoing of many thousands and procuring their cries unto God against them but never effectual to accomplish their designs if indeed their designs be to bring all to an uniformity in this thing But they very well know that if it be left to liberty to Ministers to use or not use the Lyturgy that experience will quickly make it appear that the greater part of more knowing and zealous people are not so enamoured upon it as they proclaim them to the world to be XVIII In the next place he tels us The Reformed part of Religion cannot be well preserved in England without it to any flourishing and uniform estate Immediatly before he told us Religion could not any where be planted without a Lyturgy Both of them Propositions of equal truth If Religion could not be planted without a Common Prayer-Book it is a wonder that the Apostles and Pastors of the Primitive Churches missed this only means For what Lyturgy was ever heard of in the Church for 400 years after Christ the great planting time if the Reformation of Religion cannot be preserved without a Lyturgy imposed or this Lyturgy alas for the Churches of God in Scotland Holland France Genevah If they have a Lyturgy how unlike is it to this Nor is it imposed nor the use of it by penalties compelled yet blessed be God the Reformation in those Churches is not less perfect than ours not less firmly preserved Let their Confessions of Faith be read or their printed Books against the Papists be read and compared with ours and let all judge What singular thing then is there in the Constitution of men and women in England that Religion in its Reformed part cannot subsist without the authoritative imposing of a Lyturgy taken out of the Roman Missal as to the far greater part Surely none will say it is because the Reformed Party of England have a more reverend opinion of Pope Gregory and the present Church of Rome than the Reformed Party in other Nations hath This indeed were a shameful reproach to the Church of England Let her Enemies lay it to her charge but let her true Sons spend their time in covering such nakedness VVe must know the Bishop's Reasons before we can believe any truth in this especially when we know that those Ministers and people who are most zealous against Popery are most averse to this Lyturgy XIX The Bishop instanceth in the matter of the Sacrament telling us Popery can never come in while the Form of Consecration prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer which is most ancient and excellent is used We must ingenuously confess that some Forms of Prayer prescribed to be read at the administration of the Lords Supper are very good and pious but we are much of his mind who said Nihil ego puto a quovis praescriptum tam exacte quin addi aliquid possit aut perfectius reddi a quovis qui ministerio dignus Altare Damasc P. 6 13. ad docendum vel movendum affectus nam facile est addere inventis praescriptis licet forte nihil exactius dari posset tamen languet oratio ubi non est verborum varietas nec prorumpunt
not come into the Church in his time * As both Cajetan Greg. de valentia acknowledge which was about 1260 years after Christ which is also well observed by Cajetan upon Aqu. and by Navarrus in his Manual c. VI. For the Reformed Churches they have no Musick in the worship of God In some of their Churches as Zepperus notes they have Organs to delight people with at ordinary times when the worship of God is not performed The Bishop might have been more charitable both to the Apostolical Church and the purer Primitive Churches and all late reformed Churches than to have determined them guilty of rudeness and a design to fill all things with the Alarms of war and Cries of Confusion VII Having no Scripture no Apostolical or Ecclesiastical Tradition as they pretend for Bishops and Lyturgies to pretend for Church-Musick the Bishop is forced to make use of his Reason here the depth of which as also its Symphony with that of the ancient Fathers or latter Divines cometh next to be examined VIII We can find but five pieces of seeming Reason in the Bishops Discourse 1. The Angels began the Quire at Christs Nativity He is not in good earnest sure to suggest to the world that the Angels brought any Musical Instruments down with them from Heaven If not his Argument must be That it is as lawful for us to praise God in publick Acts of worship with Instruments of Musick as for the Angels to rejoyce But now shall that appear We believe no more that the Angels taught men by that jubilation the use of Church-Musick than the idle story Socrates tels us of Ignatius his learning the Method of Responds by a Vision of Angels answering one another like so many Quiristers which as Hospinian and others say was not surely such a momentous piece of Worship as that God should send Angels down to exemplifie it IX But the Bishop tels us we have as much cause to rejoyce as the Jews had True And God forbid but we should rejoyce with equal joy But must it be in the same carnal manner too Have we had any Command of God as they had for any such Service Why should we not have Trumpets and blow with them as they did too Yea and have Altars and Censers and Incense and Thank-Offerings as they had Who is so blind as not to see through these Paper-Arguments X. Thirdly The Bishop tels us Musick is a Gift of God The Gift of conceived Prayer is a gift of God Ergo c. and it is fit God in his Service and Church should have the use of so Orient a Pearl That Musick is the gift of God none can deny nor yet that God ought to be served with all his Gifts But is there no way to serve God with the use of this his Gift but to use it in his worship Are there not 100 other things that are the Gifts of God of which yet there is no use in the Worship of God The Bishop will say it may be if we may serve God with it why not use it in his Worship We answer because God hath not commanded it And it is to set up our posts by Gods posts and our Thresholds by his thresholds This is enough but much more might be said and shall be said by and by XI Ah! But he tels us Fourthly It is an exercise that fits the duty of Praise and fitteth mens Spirits in it We think it fitteth some far better than others and the carnal part of any better than their spiritual part But we think we shall never have done if we stand disputing after our Saviours perfect Rule given in the Gospel what is sitting for his House Our Saviour knew that Musick was a Gift of God and fit to exhilerate persons And surely when one is dead his or her relations had need of somthing to chear their spirits Yet we find our Saviour gives no great countenance to the Musitians nor doth any Miracle till they be gone nor do we find him in the least apointing or countenancing Musick in any act of Worship How well it fitteth mens Spirits we shall hear something by and by from the observation of others XII But he tels us that the use of Musick in Gods worship is as lawful as singing by Meeter Tunes as any Psalmody or Hymnology We shall believe this at leisure because we read of Christs singing an Hymn and of the Apostles directions and Command Eph. 5.19 by which we are obliged to sing Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs making Melody in our hearts to the Lord. But never of any Command or Direction for Musical Instruments We are mistaken if those words Psalms Hymns Songs do not imply words cast into a metrical order Tunes are necessary as circumstances without which nature it self would teach us that the performance is undecent and disorderly and apparently so to all that should hear XIII But it will not be amiss to take a view of the Judgment of Divines in all times concerning the use of Musick in Churches by which it will appear what devout holy and good men have judged of it or have by experience found true concerning the use of it XIV We shewed before that Justin Martyr and the Church in his time judged it a puerile Service and upon that account allowed it not in the Church nor can any reasonably expect that any of the Ancients should explicitly declare themselves against the use of Musick in Churches when it is apparent that for 900 years after Christ there was no such practice yet much may be found in them from which we may judge what had it then been come into Churches would have been their sense of it XV. Lactantius falls very foully upon the heathen for believing That their Gods did love what they affected Institut l. 2. cap. 7. and for coming to the worship of God to look upon the Gold of the Temple the fine Marble and Ivory the brave Stones and fine Habits and for believing that their Temples had so much the more Majesty by how much they were more gay and adorned So that saith he Religion is nothing else but Cupiditas humana mens lust men think that must needs please God which pleaseth them XVI It is true Singing was early in the Eastern Church as we learn by the account of the Christians behaviour which Pliny gives to Trajan But the Western Church received singing very late Ambrose is said first to have used it at Millan when with his Congregation he kept the Church against the Arrians that the night-watchings might be less tedious XVII Let us hear St. Augustine speaking from whence it will not be hard to judge vvhat that Reverend person's opinion was about the singing then used and its fittedness to the duty of Christians in praising God it is in his 10th book of Confessions cap. 33 vve will translate it for the Reader The pleasures of the ear had
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