More Work for Priests, Title page – Preface
More vvorke for PRIESTS: OR AN ANSWERE TO GEORGE GIFFORDS pretended defence of Read Prayers and devised Leitourgies, comprised in the first part of his booke; Intituled A short Treatise against the Donatists of England: Wherein Is proved that the serving of God in such away and manner is a superstitious and vaine worship.
Written By JOHN GREENWOOD Christs faythfull Martyr: Here-unto Is added by another man, many other arguments against stinted service and booke prayer.
Luk. 16. 15.
That which is highly esteemed among men, is an abomination in the sight of God.
Printed in the yeere 1640.
The Preface
MY first writing being about that spiritual exercise of prayer and true invocation of Gods reverend name, whereby the distressed soule of man, loaden with the burden of sinne, compassed also about with so many deceitfull enimies, continual assaults of Satan, rebellion of the flesh, entisements of the world etc. seeketh daylie help of God the Father, giver of all good giftes, having thorough Iesus Christ free accesse by the direction of his holy spirit, for all occasions to unburden it self of whatsoever grief, or occasion of thankes it is moved with: I ought stil, and by Gods assistance shall keepe me in the meeknes of the spirit, not withstanding his unchristian railinges, slanders, & reproches against me & the truth. I then shewed that no other prayer could utter and ease the severall occasions & distresses of this conscience, and that no other mans writing could speake for this soule unto God, but the heart and mouth of him that prayeth for himself, or is chosen the mouth of many, uttering to God his or their mindes for their present wātes or occasion urgeth, and the spirit giveth utterance. And I further proved that onelie this prayer pleaseth God, and is grounded on faith; to this effect I brought many reasons out of Gods worde, admiring the ignorance of this age, wherin (having had the gospell of Christ thus many years in our owne language to search and try all things by) whole congregations doe make no other praier to God thē reading over a certeine number of wordes upon a booke from yeare to yeare, monethmonth to monethmonth, day to day &c. the same matter and words as they were stinted, even out of that Portuis, englished out of Antichrists masse booke; besides private reading of menswritings instead of praying. And seing this counterfeit shew of worship and pretended prayers was made common marchandize in every assemblie by this Antichristian preisthood, and that al men every where, were compelled to bowe downe hereunto, and to offer up such counterfeit sacrifices; I perceaved the first principle of Religion) which is to to invocate the name of the true God, through the meditation of Christ in spirit and truth, with heart and voyce, for our present wantes according to the will of God) was never yet sincerely taught by these time serving Priests: But as an agreable service to the humors of earthlie minded, men which have not the spirit of God, this ware was thrust upon al people. They wel knowing, that such a ministery and such a Church of wordlings could never have stood, without such a Samaritan worship & Egyptian calf; and like earthlie devises to counterfeit a Religion, al men inclyned to some. And long have I heard this pretended worship inveyed against by many (sometimes zealous) for the errours and confused order thereof: Yet could I not heare anie to sett downe or teach, which was the true prayer that only pleased God, manie contriving divers formes of wordes, as though they had knowen the heart of man, counselled thē to reade them, day unto day, yeare unto yeare, at evening, morning, dinner, supper &c. by portion, measure, and stint, as an offering to God what state soever the soule was in; not teaching the difference betweene reading upon a booke, and prayer unto God, all the tyme. So that true and only prayer hath not beene taught all this tyme, & those that knewe how to pray aright neglect it, this reading being most easie as they thinke, and they aprest therunto, compelled in the publique assemblies thus to mocke with God, after the manner of the papists mattins, true zeale no where founde, but in the persequuted remnant.
These my first writings, caryed abroode by such as desired true instructiō, and willing to make others partakers of such benefits as God imparted unto them, it fell into Mr GIFFORDS hand; Who (as it seemeth being a marchaunt of such ware fynding the gaine of the priesthood to depend here upon, or as he saith (the peace and uniformitie of the Church) made head unto it; and that not with purpose (as the fruite of his labour sheweth) to edifie others, but standing himself a minister to this Liturgie, having made shipwrack of that conscience he sometimes was thought to have; with all bitternes of spirit, and carnal wisdome, having no more savour of grace in his writings, then there is taste in the white of an egge, fleeth upō me with uncharitable raylings, slanders &c. And loadeth not only me, but all the faithfull that walke by the rule of Gods worde, with opprobrious titles, of Donatists, Brownists, Anabaptists, Heretiques, Schismatiques, seditious, foolish, frantick, &c. to bring not onelyonly us, but the truth of God into contempt with our Sovereigne Prince, and all that feare God: for he ceaseth not with laying al reproches he can devise upon our persons; as one of those Locusts, Rev. 9. whose similitudes are like unto horses prepared to battell, whose faces like men, but their teeth as the teeth of Lyons; But also perverteth, blaspheameth, & by all meanes defaceth the truth offered to him. Welseing the natural mā perceiverh not the things of the spirit of God (I wil speak not here of the giftes of the spirit but of the grace of God which sanctifieth the same, many having Charismata that have not Charin.) And seeing I am alreadie thus rent, Gods truth delivered by me, troden under his feete, I will followe the councell of Salomon who forewarneth me that he which reproveth a skorner receaveth to himself shame, and he that rebuketh the wicked himself a blot: And so tourne me from him, leaving him to the consideration of his owne words: where he sayeth in his Epistle to the reader, He that seemeth most zealous in Religion and refrayneth not his tongue, hath but bitternes in his heart in stead of heavenly Zeale. And though nothing els can be looked for at their bandes that are Apostate from that light they have sometymes themselves published, (of vvhichwhich sorte the worlde was never more full) yet for the good of Gods chosen scattered abroade, and for the defence of Gods trueth I cannot holde my tongue: And for the more playnenes, I will answeare as to him, though I minde not to have anie more to doe with him, till God give him repentance. Wishing grace by the direction of Gods holy spirit to him that readeth, to weigh both sides uprightly, and to follow the truth to his owne salvation.
JO. GRENWOOD.
More works for Priests.
GEORGE GIFFORD.
To condemne & overthrow read prayer, ye bring as the ground or foundation of al your matter, this Sentence, God is a Spirit & to be worshipped in Spirit, Iob. 4. This Scripture indeed is cleare & strong to cut downe al carnal worship, as disgreeing from the nature of GOD. And if any maintaine that the very bodily action of reading is the worship of God, it may fitly be alleadged against them, &c.