Book of Martyrs that when Bishop Latymer and Ridley were brought to the stake to be burnt for our Religion Mr. Latymer spoke these words to Bishop Ridley Be of good Comfort Mr. Ridley and play the man we shall this day by Gods grace Light such a Candle in England as I trust shall never be put out again This Candle by Gods mercy hath burnt hitherto and by his blessing if our sins do not hinder may continue and never be put out again Mr. Bagshaw who made a strong Speech in the beginning of our late Long-Parliament against our Bishops to bring them all into a Premunire for their late Canons then made and exceeding and going beyond their Commission according to Law giveth this honourable testimony of the Martyrs who first stood for our Religion in the Commendation of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge that William Sawtree was Martyrum Primus Ridley Martyrum Doctissimus and Bradsord Martyrum Piissimus yet all these stout Champions for the truth who were the very Pillars to bear up our Religion must be cryed up by these young men for Papists and this Book of Common-prayer their Work for Popery This cannot but shew a great deal of Pride and Ignorance Had these men been well bred at the Schools of the Prophets brought up at the University their full time and tarried at Jericho till their Beards were grown they would have had more Humility Modesty Wisdom and Discretion 2. For the several particulars of this Book which are either by the Ignorant Curious and prying wits of our Age or by the prejudiced Affections of men excepted against it were endless to examine all some being meer Punctilio's and Trifles not worth an answer The substance of all besides Te Deum Benedicte Gloria Patri The three Creeds the Apostles Creed the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed and the prayers there set are all Canonical Scripture which cannot be excepted against neither can any alledge and prove any thing in it to be Repugnant and contrary to the word of God only they stand upon these or such like scruples The chief exceptions which are made against this our Book of Common prayer are these 1. Against many Words Phrases of Speech wrong Translations and hard expressions in it 2. Against the set and Select Chapters called Lessons and the Epistles and Gospels appointed 3. Against the Responds and Answers of the Clerk 4. Against the Shotness and Multitude of our Prayers 5. Against the several Gestures prescribed the standing up at the Creed the bowing at the Name of our Lord Jesus kneeling at the Lords Supper 6 Against the Idolizing of this Book and clogging it with Popish Ceremonies which are against our Christian Liberty In all these we shall endeavour to give satisfaction to reasonable and moderate men by shewing the true Grounds and Reasons of them all in order Obj. There be many unfitting Words Phrases of Speech Corrupt Versions wrong Translations and hard Expressions in this Book of Common-prayer Answ We do acknowledge many passages in it have been excepted against yet of small Concernment if they had been favourably and charitably construed Exception hath been taken at the first Sentence At what time soever a sinner doth repent c. as there is no health in us in the Confession of sins at Te Deum Benedicte the praying part of the Letany by the Clerk and people at words in the Communion with Angels and Arch-angels after the Communion in the prayers which for our unworthiness we dare not and for our blindness cannot ask vouchsafe to give us for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord at the words in Baptism that Infants may receive Remission of sins by spiritual Regeneration at words in the Rubrick after Confirmation before the Catechism that Children baptized are undoubtedly saved though they had not Confirmation at the curses in the Commination then at many passages in the reading Psalms which are according to the old Translation Psa 28. 9. Psa 37. 38. Psa 38. 8. Psa 68. 6. Psa 105. 28. Psa 107. 40. Psa 125. 3. Then at the Epistles and Gospels being after the old Translation at some words in John 2. being the Gospel for the second Sunday after the Epiphany at words in Gal. 4. The Epistle on the fourth Sunday in Lent in Phil. 2. the Epistle on Palm Sunday and in Eph. 3. the Epistle on the 16th Sunday after Trinity But the greatest exception of all was at the words of Burial We commit his body to the ground Earth to Earth Ashes to Ashes Dust to Dust in sure and certain hope of Resurrection to eternal life These words indeed at the first sight or sound of them To be spoken of all indifferently without any distinction though their Lives had been never so bad and loose might seem somewhat strange and harsh to many an honest and well-meaning man who did not understand them aright or know the Grounds or Reasons of them 1. If you mark the words well it is not said in sure and certain hope of his or her Resurrection to eternal Life as in particular Reverence to the party deceased but the words are spoken in general In sure and certain hope of Resurrection to eternal life that is of a Resurrection to eternal life or as it is now Corrected and set down in the Book in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal Life To shew that we Christians do believe that there is a Resurrection to eternal life and that we bury our dead in a strong hope and faith that we and all true believers shall rise again to eternal life In doubtful Speeches charity should take the best construction and fairest interpretation and not pervert the meaning of the words 2. If they will not be perswaded but that it was meant by the Church as they take it and will apply it in reference to the party deceased yet this at most is but the charity of our Church and you know what the Apostle Saint Paul speaketh of charity 1 Cor. 13. 5. Charity thinketh no evil believeth all things hopeth all things covereth a multitude of faults we have no warrant in Scripture as far as I find to judge censure or condemn any man especially for his final end though he lived never so loosely he might have grace for ought we know to repent before his death but rather command to the contrary Luke 6. 37. Judge not and you shall not be judged condemn not and ye shall not be condemned Again Rom. 14. 4. Who art thou that condemnest another mans Servant He standeth or falleth saith the Apostle to his own Master And this charity is grounded upon more Reason then every one understandeth if we consider the constitution of the Government of our Church the strictness of Discipline that was set up and executed and the temper and condition of the people of those times you will find both Reason and Equity in it The Government set up was
and slugging thereby to quicken their attention raise their Devotion and by degrees to bring them to the understanding of that which was said that they might not offer a blind sacrifice to God but might do all with Knowledge and Devotion These things they thought fit and necessary and we conceive no understanding man can count them unlawful or can justly except against them Obj. But it may be said these things might be good and necessary at that time but now we have more light to discover Errours and many take offence at the Book Therefore to give satisfaction it were good that it were put down Answ To this it may be answered We cannot discover Errours where there be none though some may and many times do judge some things to be Errours wherein they erre themselves they being none But 1. Whereas many people stand much upon this saying That we have more Light then our fore-Fathers had we desire to know what Light it is either it must be a natural Light or a spiritual Light and that either Inspired or Revealed either it must be meant of the Light of knowledge or of the Light of grace or it must be meant of a general Light which is common to all men or of a particular Light which is imparted in a more special way to some peculiar persons either by Inspiration or Revelation we know of no other kind of Light Now we confess if we look upon the generality of our people of these times though some be blind and ignorant enough we have generally more Light of knowledge then our fore-Fathers had because we have more plenty of the means of knowledge we have the Scriptures open in our own Tongue to be read by every one that either can or will read which before were kept from the common people we have Divine Service read also in our English Tongue which before was all in Latine Then we have constant Preaching Teaching Catechising to bring the people to knowledge so that we have more Brain-knowledge for Discourse then our fore-Fathers had But then look again upon the generality of our people in their Carriage Conversation Lives and Actions we cannot but see that we have less Saving knowledge less Light of grace in our hearts then our fore-Fathers had Then again though the general sort of men of our dayes have more Light of knowledge then our fore-Fathers had as having more means of Instruction to gain it though less Light of grace in their hearts Yet look upon particular men not to mention the times of the Primitive Church when they had those extraordinary gifts of the Spirit what particular men can we name either of these our times or of late times who had more Light of knowledge that is more Learning or more Light of grace that is more Holiness and Graciousness in their Lives then either those ancient Fathers who were since those Miraculous Gifts ceased Ambrose Hierome Augustine and others or then those who were the Reformerâ— of this our Protestant Religion and Martyrs the Compilers the Composers and Defenders and maintainers of this Book Search the Acts and Monuments of our Church take a full view of their Examinations Disputations and especially their Godly and Divine Letters you cannot but see how full they were of Light of Light of the spirit of knowledge of zeal of grace of holiness and all spiritual Gifts You shall there find how roundly and resolutely Mr. Philpot replyed upon Doctor Morgan Thou art not able to answer the Spirit of God which speaketh in me for the defence of his true Religion I am able by the might thereof to drive thee round about this Gallery before me We have little cause if we compare with them to brag of our Light as if we had more Light of knowledge or more Light of grace then they had but may remember the old Proverb Young Folks and Children think their Fathers to be Fools but their Fathers know them to be Fools As for those who are Enthusiasts pretending to immediate Revelations and depending wholly upon the Light and Guidance of the Spirit neglecting and despising the means which God hath appointed us we cannot but account them either meer Fancies or the Delusions of the Devil 2. Whereas it is pretended that many take offence at this Book We know there is Scandalum Datum and Scandalum Acceptum an Offence given and an Offence taken Many take an offence where no just cause where no just occasion of offence is given The Jews Scribes and Pharisees often took offence at our Saviour Christ as we find in the Gospel at his Words at his Works at his Doctrine at his Miracles yea at his Life and Conversation that he was a Glutton a Wine-bibber a friend to Publicans and Sinners yet no just cause of offence was given by him Some are so nice and curious so fantastick and self-conceited in these days that they take offence at every thing yea at nothing things of no Concernment as the Bull is offended with a Red colour the fault is not in the things but in themselves But for those things which were excepted against as offensive in the Book of Common-prayer being most of them Words Phrases of Speeches wrong Translations or somewhat hard expressions They are all or most of them especially such as gave any seeming ground of just exception are Altered Corrected or Expung'd in this our new Book of Common-prayer to give satisfaction But to put down this Book and set up a new Form they did not think fit and considerable Reasons may be given for it 1. If they should put down this Book when as no man can alledge that there is any thing in it Repugnant or contrary to the Word of God nor any necessity requiring it it must needs be accounted a great disparagement to the Wisdom and Judgment of our first prudent Reformers of this our Protestant Religion who were counted Learned Godly and Wise-men took a great deal of pains and care to compose it and setled it as they thought with a great deal of Wisdom and Discretion yea gave their Lives to the Fire to maintain it We have great cause not only to Honour them but to preserve their Credit and Esteem because a part of the Credit of our Protestant Religion dependeth upon their Credit ye know what odious and Reproachful terms some brand our Religion with and therein blast the Credit of our Reformers also The Lords and Commons who did put down this Book of Common prayer yet were so tender of the Honour of our first Reformers that in their Preface to the Directory which is to be seen by all they profess to the World that they did it not from any love to Novelty or intention to discourage our first Reformers whom we acknowledge say they as excellent instruments raised by God to be in the purging and building of his House and desire to be had of his and our Posterity in everlasting remembrance with
to Hadley to be burnt and took his leave of his Wife and Son he gave to his Wife this Book of Church Service then so called set out by King Edward this Book of Common-prayer which he alwayes used in his Imprisonment as the last token and best token of his love unto her Here you see the judgment of this glorious Martyr who was the true Servant of God stood for our Religion to the Death in those fiery times of Queen Mary Sealing it with his blood how much he prized this and highly esteemed it To this I might adde the Authority and Judgment of Arch-bishop Cranmer Latymer and Ridley with many more who were the makers of this Book and content to give their Lives to the Fire to defend it and our Religion They could not see neither judge any thing in it to be Popish Superstitious Idolatrous or Anti-christian we should not therefore accuse it wrongfully or defame it wilfully without cause Are we wiser then all they or more Conscientious then they If we had but modesty and the grace of humility in us we could not but suspect our own Judgment and think we are deceived unless we would be of the mind of Abelardus singular and cross to all and say as he did and was wont to say Omnes alii sic ego non sic All men are of this mind and judgment but I am of another howsoever we should not reproach it or speak thus Contemptuously of it Si accusasse sufficiaâ— as the saying was of old if it be enough to Accuse Traduce and Defame without Proof Ground or Reason Innocence it self cannot go free Some passages in it perhaps may seem strange to such as are ignorant or have a prejudice against it by reason of some Rash High aad Self-conceited Spirits who had more Zeal then Knowledge who were among us in these late distracted times inveighing openly against this Book and against all Antiquity never understanding the Grounds of things nor dreaming of such a miraculous change as hath come upon us untill they come to know the true Reasons of them 1. The Book it self in general it cannot but make a man of Understanding to admire the boldness of some Raw Young Self-conceited Zealots who should cry up this Book of Common-prayer for Popery and condemn it so confidently as Popish when as 1. The Papists themselves will not own it nor acknowledge it nay they detest it abhor it and condemn it aâ— Heretical and account and call us Hereticks for maintaining it and for using it Though Queen Mary was helped to the Crown especially by the aid and assistance of the Suffolk men who were alwayes forward for the promoting of the Gospel and for our Protestant Religion and promised them faithfully that She would not alter the Religion then Established being this our Protestant Religion yet as soon as She got possession of the Crown She not only neglected her promise made but punished one Mr. Dobbe living about Windham side strangely for putting her in mind of her promise setting him three times in the Pillory to be a gazing stock to all men for the Terrour of others and made it her chief work care and study with her Adherents to put down with all possible speed that might be this our Book of Common-prayer and set up their old Latine Service She came to the Crown but in July and in the next Moneth August 27. The Service began in Latine in Pauls Church at London There was a rumor spread abroad of Arch-bishop Cranmer that he had Recanted and Revolted from his Religion caused the Mass to be said at Canterbury and had himself said Mass before the Queen c. To purge himself and to shew to the world that all was untrue and meer scandal and that there was no such matter but that he was constant in the truth he sent out a Declaration in Print dated Sep. 5. the next Moneth wherein he cleared himself from all such false Aspersions and added withall that if it would please the Queen he with Peter Martyr who was then come from Oxford to London and five or six more whom he would choose would in open disputation maintain the Book of Common-prayer with the Ceremonies and Rites there prescribed and the Doctrine of our Church set forth in the time of Edward 6 by the Scriptures and Fathers against all persons whomsoever But while he was in expectation to have this Disputation obtained he with other Bishops were laid fast in the Tower and Peter Martyr suffered to depart the Realm who went to Argentine And in the next Moneth Octob. 5. begun a Parliament wherein this our Book of Common-prayer was put down and the old Latine Service set up throughout the Land Now with what face can any man say that this Book of Common-prayer is Popery when as the Papists themselves will not own it nay detest and abhor it yea proclaim for Heresie this Book of Common-prayer bent all their strength and endeavours with all possible speed to suppress it yea condemn us count us and call us all Hereticks for using defending and maintaining it 2. Again if they had so much Learning and Understanding as to understand the Monuments of our Church they might be informed that this Book of Common-prayer was at first Composed and made by Mr. Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury Ridley Bishop of London Latymer Bishop of Worster and divers others Wise Learned and Godly men in the time of Edward the Sixth upon the first Reformation of our Religion Bishop Ridley was the first that read this Book of Common-prayer in Pauls Church at London preached in the Forenoon in the Quire and in the Afternoon at Pauls Cross to commend this Book unto the people and to perswade them to accept it and embrace it These men the makers of this Book were at that time the only Opposers of Popery which had long been fostered and continued in this Land and was then in the height These were the men who were the greatest and chiefest Opposers of Popery stood for our Protestant Religion against the Pope and all his Adherents against all the Papists and Popish Bishops yea stood strongly to the Death Sealing it with their bloud being burnt immediately after in Queen Marys days for the profession of it which if they had not done in all probability our Protestant Religion had been much weakned if not wholly suppressed and utterly extinguished But God was pleased to shew his strength in their weakness and to give them that constancy whereby many were Confirmed in the truth and Converted to the truth The beheading of Martyrs as Justine Martyr speaketh â—is like the cutting of Vines the more they be cut the more they prosper and fructifie so it was with the burning of Martyrs Sanguis Martyrum Semen Ecclesiae was the old saying The bloud of the Martyrs the Church is not destroyed but watered and refreshed It is a very Memorable thing which Mr. Fox reporteth in the
2 10. That at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven things in earth and things under the earth Nor that it can be by any strong and undeniable Argument drawn from them because they conceive that the Apostle doth not mean or intend those words of the outward knees of the Body seeing Angels and Devils have no bodily knees But his meaning is that all Creature in Heaven and Earth and under the Earth shall acknowledge him to be their Lord shall honour worship him obey him and give him the Glory that is due unto him yet we cannot think that any reasonable understanding man can judge it altogether unlawful either to uncover the head or bow the body at the naming of the Lord Jesus to shew the reverence that is due unto him so that the inward intention of the Mind and Devotion of the Heart be joyned and go along with the outward Gesture of the Body but the fear is that God may complain in this of many as he did of the Jews Es 29. 13. They come near me with their lips and honour me with their mouths but their hearts are far from me So many honour the Name of the Lord Jesus formally in a complemental outward way of Cap and Knee who regard him not in their hearts nor make any Conscience to live up unto him in their lives yet again we must consider that this is our fault the fault of men and their corruption not the fault of the Ceremony And we may also conceive that it was the Wisdom of the Church when it saw how dead dull and lumpish nay stupid common people are in Divine Service to appoint this Ceremony to stir up people shake off their sluggishness raise up their Devotion and quicken their attention to the hearing of the Word of God Read or Preached least they should be overcome of drowsinesse and so if rightly used it might be a good means to help us to amend that fault and to quicken our attention But you will say why should we give more honour to the Son then to the Father to the Name of the Lord Jesus then to the God who is the Father To this we may answer he that honoureth the Son honoureth the Father we do not thereby deny any honour that is due unto the Father or rob God the Father of his honour but we do honour God the Father in his Son acknowledging the great love and wonderful mercies of God the Father unto Mankind sealed up in the Lord Jesus his Son for the Redemption of the world according to that of our Saviour John 5. 23. all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son the same honoureth not the Father which hath sent him so that thereby we do not deprive God the Father of the honour due unto him but rather add to his honour including in the Lord Jesus all the mercies and graces of God the Father which are conveyed unto us by his Son and sealed up unto us in the Lord Jesus his Son But you will say We desire to know some Reason for it why we should give more honour to the Name of the Lord Jesus then to the Name of God the Father These Grounds and Reasons may not unfitly be given 1. There is no Nation in the world but doth acknowledge God Nulla Natio tam barbara Nulla Gens tam Efferata cui non infideat haec Opinio Deum esse could Tully an heathen man say that there is no Nation in the world so barbarous but doth acknowledge God and worship God or somewhat instead of God But we know there be a great many Nations in the world Jews Turks Pagans and all Infidels that do not acknowledge the Lord Jesus to be the Son of God and the Saviour of the world Therefore to convince and convert them and to make out our profession to the world we Christians may give somewhat the more reverence to the Name of the Lord Jesus 2 The work of our Redemption which was wrought by the Lord Jesus may in some respect be accounted a greater work of power and mercy then the work of Creation In the creating of other creatures God spake the word and it was done but when he came to make man the most noble creature we find that he entred into a consultation Gen. 1. 26. Let us make man after our own Image yet we do not read that God bestowed much pains or labour about his making it is said Gen 2. 7. The Lord God also made the man of the dust of the ground and breathed in his face the breath of life and the man was a living soul But for the great worâ— of our Redemption wrought by the Lord Jesus that was a work of greater difficulty we may say of that as the Poet speaks Multatulit fecitque Jesus sudavit alsit â—he did not only abase himself for us men and for our salvation in coming down from heaven but being God became man suffered all the miseries belonging to mankind Poverty Ignomy Stripes and Buffetings yea bore all our sins sweat drops of bloud besides that cruel cursed and shameful death of the Cross which he did suffer and undergo for our Redemption in so much that an ancient Father saith â—ajus erat opus reficere quam facere it was a greater work to Redeem us then at first to create us For in our Creation God made man but in our Redemption God himself became man was made man In this regard then you see we have cause to give then somewhat the more reverence to the Name of the Lord Jesus 3. The work of our Redemption is a more beneficial work to us then the work of our Creation It is true that at the first God made man a glorious creature after his own image in righteousness and true holiness indued him with many excellencies and gave him power over all creatures but yet made him mutable and so mortal subject to death if he broke the Covenant And man by his disobedience did break the Covenant with God so plunged himself and his Posterity into all kind of eternal miseries had not the Lord Jesus come to save us and redeem us Then in this regard also seeing the Lord Jesus did indure those bitter torments to redeem us and to save us from the curse and wrath of God and all those miseries wherein by the fall of Adam we were plunged and were brought into such an estate of misery as without the mercy and merites of the Lord Jesus in working our Redemption it had been happy for us never to have been born never to have been made we have cause for ever to reverence the Name of our Lord Jesus 4. The word Jesus signifieth a Saviour it is Christs proper name the name of his nature a name above every name a name given him by the Angel before he was born Nominatus priusquam natus he had
Growing were formerly Planted generally in our Church-yards neer to the Church though therein they might have some Politick and civil consideration thereby to defend the Building of the Church from the violence of Wind and Weather yet I cannot conceive but they had a Mystical and Moral Signification in it That they had an intent to teach us somewhat by it because this Yew Tree as I imagine may be accounted a fit Emblem of a Christian a fit Picture Patern and Resemblance for a Christian to Observe when he looketh upon it You see it hath little outside Rinde or Barke onely a small Filme To teach us not to make a fair outside and Formality of our Religion to the world but to be without Hypocrisie Formality or Dissimulation Then it is a very Firme Fast Sound and Hearty Tymber by far harder then Oake to shew the Soundness and Sincerity of a Christian It hath many and spreading Branches large and fair growing out to remember us to be plentiful in good Works It is always green and prospering to declare unto us That a Christian should always thrive and grow in Grace Yea Green in Winter and in the Hardest weather To shew that a Christian is best in Affliction Adversity and Persecution Yea then it hath Berries on it to teach us as then we are the best Christians so then and always to bring forth the Fruits of Righteousness It is a long living and lasting Tree To be a Type unto us of Immortality and Eternal Life Thus you see a Man may Read a Lecture of Divinity and Christianity to you by the Observations which may be gathered from this Tree Now then let wise men judge whether those Ancients who did all upon such good Grounds and Reasons or these Young selfe-conceited Men who censure and condemne all Antiquity and the Ancient Orders of the Church of Superstition because they do not understand the Reasons of them be most Guilty of Superstition and whether these men do not Super Stare Stand too much upon their own Opinion and Judgement making disturbance in the Church about such things and in this regard may not thus be called and accounted Superstitious themselves 2. In his Will and Affections Thus likewise a man may Super Stare stand too much upon his own Will Humour and Affections Though his Judgement be convinced yet he may count it a disparagement to yeeld and to submit and therefore meerly out of wilfulness will stand against those Orders which are Required Imposed and Commanded It was an old saying of Seneca that Divine Heathen Regis animum intra se quisque habet Every man hath the mind of a King within him He would Command over others but cannot indure to be Commanded by others The Observation was of old Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata It is natural to all to desire that which is Forbidden and to Kick against that which is Imposed and Commanded and some I fear are of such a Humour so cross and perverse a disposition that they will not submit but stand up against that which is Commanded sometimes though they can give no other Reason for it but onely because it is imposed and Commanded They will not be under Authority Yet I make no question but some are right honest men and truely pretend Conscience That they cannot submit to such Orders and to such and such Rites There is great and good Reason that every man should satisfie his own Conscience and not sin against his Conscience but yet we must not purposely make and frame our selves a Conscience A good Conscience is and ought to be grounded on Judgement and that Judgement should be Regulated and Setled by right Reason therefore he that desireth to satisfie his Conscience in any thing must lay aside his Affections and all Self-conceits and prejudicate passions and must desire and indeavour to be informed in the Truth of things especially such things as are doubtful to him to Hear and Examine the Judgement of others and their Reasons and to weigh them in an equal Ballance without Prejudice Passion or Self-conceit otherwise we frame a Conscience to our selves and make it Erroneous and an Erroneous Conscience can do us no good but deceive us I fear that many of these honest-minded Men are mistaken meerly through Ignorance because they do not search into the Grounds and Reasons of things nor rightly understand them How these Ceremonies Rites and Orders first came up in the Church how they are Imposed and Used whether they be accounted things indifferent in themselves or whether they put Holiness in them or lay any necessity upon them for Salvation or are onely Commanded and used for Order Decency and Edification Surely it these men being men of moderate Spirits were rightly informed and would lay aside all prejudice passion and self-conceit they would be fully satisfied in their Consciences and submit unto them Yet wee cannot but be afraid again that some are so high in their Spirits that they are ashamed to Submit They have opened their Mouths so much heretofore and been so high in their Speeches and Invectives against this Government these Rites and Orders being ignorant of the Grounds of their first Institution and not dreaming of a Change that now though their Judgement be Convinced and Satisfied yet they are ashamed to own them to come in and Submit unto them for fear they shall be Derided of all and Reproached of all and therefore stand out pretending Conscience whereas they do purposely frame themselves a Conscience and it is nothing but Humour Will Peevishness and wilful Affections which make them to stand out and so do maintain a Fire and Faction in the Church These surely do Super Stare As the other stood too much upon their Opinion and Judgement being wise in their own eyes and so counted Superstitious in the same manner These stand upon their own Will Wilfulness and corrupt Affections resolving to be cross to all for fear they should come into Contempt and so in this respect may be likewise accounted Superstitious These things being rightly considered How can this Ceremony of Kneeling at the Receiving of the Lords Supper be accounted Artolatrie Idolatry or Superstition We worship not the Bread but the true God and in a right Manner we disclaim all Superstition we do not abuse this Ceremony of Kneeling to put any holiness in it or lay any necessity upon it but account it as a thing indifferent in it self The Church doth Command and Require it onely for Decency Uniformity and Order Judgeing it to be the fittest Gesture to shew our Humility to God and our Reverence to the Ordinance of God Object This Book of Common-Prayer is too much Idolized by many and Clogged with Popish Ceremonies The Cross and Surplice which are Contrary to our Christian Liberty Answ It is confessed that Ceremonies and Traditions ordained by the Authority of man if they be Repugnant to the Word of God are not to