Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 4 · Section 7
#Sect. 7. The Ceremonies hinder the preaching of the Sabboth, both in part and in whole.
SEcondly, as the ceremonies controuerſed tranſforme the peaching of the Sabboth into reading after this manner aforeſaid, ſo alſo they hinder it both in part and in whole▪ In parte, they ſtreighten it by a long Leiturgie touching which (leaſt I be miſtaken) we premiſe theſe two prouiſoes and premunitions for our ſelues; Firſt, we are no Browniſtes, we condemne not a Leiturgie, but like well enough of thataConcil. Laodien. Can. 59. Councill that forbadd foreign in the ſeruice of God, and thoſe formes of ſeruice which are not antea bConcil Carthag. 3. can. 23.probata in Concilio, vel cum prudentioribus collata, cConcil. Milenitan. cā 12. African. can 17. Microlog. de Eccleſiaſt. cap. 5.ne forte aliquid contra fidem vel per ignorantiā vel per minus ſtudium ſit compoſitum. Charles the greatdAnſegif. in legib. Franc. conſtituit vt omnia miſſalia viderentur, & quae ab Eccleſia probata non eſſent, reijcerentur, eWalafrid. Strab. de reb. Eccleſiaſti. c. 22.Gelaſius andfIdem & Microlog. c. 24.31. Gregorie are ſaid politius limaſſe & in ordinem redigiſſe. the Leiturgies that were before them. Auguſtine approued this induſtrie who liued in the time of the aforeſaidgPhilip. Mornae. de Euchariſt. lib. 1. cap. 6. pag. 44. Councill of Malta. Did nothIo. Calui. in Epiſt. Mr Caluin aduertize the Biſhops of King Edward that they were to limare politius the communiō book? What hauehave bene our ſeeking from time to time, arazing of the communion booke? no, but a purging and a filing of it, after the patterne of that care which the former examples ſet vsus. Secondly, we condemne them who out of a profane minde, & out of a lothing of holy things diſtaſte the length of a Leiturgie, which ſauoureth not only of that ſhort ſeruice, for which Roger lAct. and mon. in vit Henric. 1.B. of Sarum was once preferred (to witt) becauſe he whipt vp the whole Maſſe before the King, and the reſt of the hearers hath thought he would hauehave bene halfe way ouer: but alſo of that blaſphemous Atheiſme of Iohn the 23. Pope, who lothing the length of morning ſeruice was wont to ſay to the Deacon that helpeth him,mAndre. Hiper. de ſtud. ſacr. pag. 155. deligamus in libre horario, precationes matutinas breuiores, de memoria alicuius diui in nomine centum diabolorum. What then? the length of a Leiturgie wee miſlike, when thorough an vnneceſſarie tediouſnes it wearieth the people before the Sermon beginneth, in which if our aduerſaries croſſe vsus they are more oppoſite then ſome papiſtes: who miſlike the men thatnDurant. rationali. lib. 4. c. 15. Petr. Alliac. de reforma. Eccleſi. c. 3. extra modum & ordinem orationes multiplicant: vnde auditores ſibi ingratos efficiunt & populum Dei potius, faſlidio avertunt quam alliciunt: & euen ſo to the contrarie, vt non tam oneroſa prolixitas quam deuota breuitas ſeruetur. Wee miſlike alſo the length of a Leiturgie which cloyeth the Miniſter prolixitate & multitudine precationum quotidie recitandarum and which muſt not be omitted for ſtudie to preach, or be ſhortened to hauehave time for preaching. The former ioyneth againſt our owne Lawe, which permitteth to a ſtudent of Diuinitie which doeth preach the omiſſion of the weeke-dayes prayer. which that axiom of the papiſtesoDurant. de rit. lib. 3 c. 23. ſect. 6 melius eſt exſe orare quam ſtudere & legere. and maledictum ſtudium propter quod pretermittitur diuinum officium: to which the patrones of the ceremonies leane to much. The ſecond is againſt the oldpBucer. in Cenſur. pag 455. rubric of King Edward communion booke: propter concionem ad populum. &c. For a Sermon or for ſome other iuſt cauſe the Miniſter ſhall as he will himſelfe, omit the Letanie; the creed. &c. and it ioyneth with an other poſition of papiſtes:qDuran. de rit. lib 3. ca 5. ſect. 5 Diutnum officium clerici recitare debent perfectè, and nullus Miniſter rConcil. Toletan. 7. cap. 2. 1 Cor. 1.17. Act 6.4.vel ſacerdos cum coeperit, imperfecta officia praſumat omnino relinquere. Now we finde that euen Baptiſme it ſelfe muſt be omitted rather then preaching ſhould be hindred, that the attendance of the poore themſelues muſt bee left, that a Preacher may the better giuegive himſelfe to the worde. So that we need not to ſpeake ofsConcil. Roman. ſub Grego. 1. can. 1. decret diſtinct, 92. cap. 2 Gregorie, who commaundeth to giuegive ouer ſinging for the ſtudie of preaching, or oftPhilip. Mornae. de Euchariſt. lib. 1. ca. 4 Hierom that firſt cutt ſhort the leſſons (when whole bookes were read in order before) that ſo there might be time for preaching. or of the Councill thatuConcil. Colonieſ. pag 2. c. 12 commaundeth the Church-muſicke be omitted rather thē preaching ſhould be ſtrai… ned, which ourwAnd. Wil. let. contro. …3. queſt. 7 Harmon. confeſ. obſerua ſec 15 obſeruat. 2 Diuines approoue. Knowe we not the length and multitude of Collects was firſt brought in, to fil vp thexLambert. Marty. vid. Whitak. cont. Dureum. li. 8. pa. 726. roome of preaching? euen as the 7. Canonical houres brought in by Pelagius, or by Sabinian, thruſt out the reading of theyCypr. de Valera. in vita. Sabin. Bible? ſo that a Breuiarie is to be found in all the Cells of the papacie, which now is termed the Catholiques booke, where a Bible is not to be found, which they terme the booke of hereticques?