Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 146
The word (you say) preached, is the true word: the sacraments true M: B.sacraments: the prayers we pray (whether, conceived, or set, and stinted) are such as may be warranted by the word: and agreable to the prescript form taught by our saviour Christ.
The word preached in popery, or in the most haereticall assemblyAnsw. in the world, is the true word, but the devises of men are not the true word, eyther with you or them. Yea the divels thēselues preached the true word, when they affirmed, and published that Iesus was “Luk 4▪ 41 & 8. 28that Christ, the sonne of God, the most High: did they therefore perform vntounto God true worship? Of the sacraments I have spokē formerly, & have shewed that in the administration of them, they cannot be reputed true. It is the †Eph: 5. 26.word of promise, that makes the sacraments, except then the parish assemblies, joyntly considered in their members, have right unto the spirituall promises of God, the sacraments administred in, and vntounto them in that their estate, cannot so be accounted true sacraments.
For your prayers, I observe sundry things out of your own words, which I may not passe over: as first, that you speak not properly, no nor truely in saying you pray stinted prayers: for you read them, and who will say reading is praying? you pray to God, but will you say you read to God? or if you so say, and do, is it agreable eyther to his ordinance, or to cōmon reason? Mistake me not, as though I speak of inward prayer, or of the lifting vp of the hart: for I graunt a man may pray inwardly, or lift vp the heart to God, when he reads, or preaches, or sings, or receives the sacraments: of such prayer we neyther speak, nor can discern, but in our selves: our speach then being of the outward act, & ordinance of prayer, I do affirm, (and so marvayl if all reasonable men concurre not with me) that the ordinance of reading cannot be the ordinance of praying.
3. In your division of prayer, wherin you make some conceived, and some set and stinted, you graunt, that the prayers which are set, and stinted, are not conceived: wherein you do as much as graunt, that they are not of God, nor according to his will. The Apostle Iude directeth vsus alwayes to *Iude, 20.pray in the holy Ghost: and Paul teacheth, that †Rom. …. 26we cannot pray as we ought, but as the spirit helpeth vsus, and begetteth in vsus sighs vnutterable: by the work of which spirit if our prayers be not conceived first in our hearts before they be brought forth in our lips, they are an vnnaturall, bastardly, and prophane byrth.
Lastly, if your stinted prayer be (as you say) agreable to the prescript forme of prayer taught by our saviour Christ, then must none other form of prayer be vsed but a stinted or set form: for none other form may be vsd but that which is agreable to the prescript form of Christ: since Christ hath sayd, “Math. 6. 9.after this manner, pray.
Where you further add, that nothing is imposed or done by you for the worship of God, but the word read, and preached, and the sacraments, and prayer, I demaund of your first, in worship, or honour of whō are your holy dayes, bearing the names of S. Michaels, S. Peters, S. Iohns day, and the rest, imposed, and kept? if in the honour of the Saynts & Angels, then are you not cleare (as you make your selves) from the worshipping of false Gods: neyther can you exempt your selves from the number of them, which *Collos. 2. 18▪ 23.in voluntary religion worship Angels: if on the other side those dayes be appoynted and so kept holy, in the worship and honour of God, then do you (and that by authority) worship God by, and put holines in, other things, then the word read, & preached, and the sacraments, and prayer; yea and other things, then ever came into the Lords heart to sanctify for his worship. And so the place Math. 15. 9. and other scriptures to that purpose are truely (though you say, falsely) alledged against you.
2. I do demaund of you, whether your Apocrypha books, namely that which is placed betwixt both testaments, causing the Iewes to think the new testament no better, then the fables which are ioyned to it, as a learned man of our nation hath observed, and the other bookMr Broughtō ▪ of Homilies, be enjoyned, and vsed as parts of Gods worship? It is evident they are so held. And therefore it is, that a great portion of the former is preferred in the most solemn assemblyes before the canonicall scriptures; and the reading of them, before the reading of the other, which they justle out of their place. And for the homilyes, they are enioyned (and so vsed) in stead of the preaching of the word which is the principall part of Gods worship: wherevpon it followeth that the Apocrypha wrytings of mē, being preferred before one part of Gods worship, which is the reading of the Canonicall scriptures, and vsed in stead of an other part of Gods worship, yea and that the principall part, as is preaching, are imposed (and so vsed) as partes of Gods worship. So that it is not without good cause, M Ber: that M Ainsworth bids you prove the Apocrypha scriptures, and books of Homilies the true word of God. Nothing, you tel vsus, is imposed and vsed amongst you for the worship of God, but the true word of God read, and preached, and the sacraments, and prayer: now these being imposed, and vsed for the worship of God, and being neyther the preaching of the word, nor the sacraments, nor prayer, must needs be the true word of God, & so you must prove thē, or els the truth of your assertiō is disproved.
Touching your discourse of the order of Gods worship before, in, and after the Apostles tyme, I observe (to let passe other particulars) your errour, in making the particular Synagogues of the Iewes, as the particular Churches are now. The Synagogues were not entyre Churches of themselves, but partes, or members of the nationall Ch: neyther could they hauehave vse of the most solemn parts of Gods worship, as were then the sacrifices: neyther could the cheif Ministers in the Church execute their office in them: but as they depended vponupon the temple in Ierusalem, so were the peopleDeut. 12. 1 Chro. 22. to cary their offerings thither, and there to enjoy these ministrations. But particular congregations now do stand in no such dependancy; they may enjoy within themselves the word, sacraments, and prayer, which are the most solemn services in the Ch: now, and so by consequence, all the rest. In deed it is with your parrish assemblyes, somewhat as it was with the Synagogues: they cannot enjoy the Ministers by, and from within themselves, nor have the vse of ecclesiasticall government, but must depend vponupon their Ierusalems, the Bishops Chappels, and Consistories, for these their most solemn, and peculiar administrations.