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B10013 Advice to readers of the common prayer, and 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, administered according to the order established by law amongst us / by a well-meaning (though unlearned) layick of the Church of England. T.S. T. S. (Thomas Seymour) 1691 (1691) Wing S2829; ESTC R183777 88,165 210

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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