Showing the Necessity of Conformity, Treatise · Reformed practices · Part 7
Touching the Common prayer Booke in general.
BVcer: In peruſing the Common prayer Booke of the Church of England▪ wherin he was ſet a worke by Biſhop Cranmer I gaue God thanks who had giuen you to reforme theſe ceremonies vntounto that purity: I hauehave not found any thing in the Ceremonies of that leturgie, which is not taken out of the word of God, or at leaſt is oppoſit therto, if it be fauourably taken or conſtrued on the better part. For (I confeſſe) there want not ſome few matters, which if they be not *candidè.fairely taken, may ſeeme not altogether to agree vntounto the word of God. Script. Angl. fol. 456. Praefac. ad cenſur.
Caluin: In the Engliſh Leturgie, or booke of Common prayer which you deſcribe I perceiue ſundry *tolerabiles ineptias. Looke the diſcourſe of the troubles at Frankford fol. 28. wherin is ſhewed, that Knox, Whitingham, and others, deſcribed the Engliſh Leturgie: to which deſcription this was the anſwer of Caluin, as appeareth there fol. 34, 35tolerable vnfitneſſes: In which two words I expreſſe thus much that there was not that purity therein contained, which were to be wiſhed; which blemiſhes at the firſt day of reformation could not be corrected. Wherein ſeeing there is conteined no manifeſt impiety, theſe things therfore ought to be borne with for a ſeaſon, Ep. 200. fol. 336. and a little after to the Engliſh exiles at Frankeford, which deſired reformation of the Engliſh Leturgie, hee giueth this aduiſe: Ʋos vltra modum rigidos eſſe nolim, Epist. 200. fol. 336. Of the which aduice of his he thus ſpeaketh, in Epist. 228. fol. 374. in Anglorum controuerſia moderationem tenui cuius me non poenitet. & in Epiſt. 206. fol. 342. hee perſwadeth one part to incline themſelues to all poſſible moderation, and is diſpleaſed with the other part, that nothing by them was yeelded or mitigated.
Martyr. loc. com. inter Epiſt. fol. 1127. amico in Angliam: For mine owne part, I wiſh that all things may bee done ſimpliciſſimè▪ moſt free from humane mixtures, in the worſhip of God. Yet when I thinke with my ſelfe, that if peace betweene the Saxon Churches and ours, might be obtained, there would follow no ſeparation for ſuch matters as theſe Ceremonies.
Alexander Aleſius, a worthy Scot, of great account and note, in Proaem. before his Tranſlation of the Common prayer Booke, in Script. Anglican. Buceri. fol. 373. commendeth the performance of it by our Countrey-men exceedingly, with their great diligence and care therein, and calleth it, Preclariſſimum & diuinum factum, in conſtituting and ordering the Church of Chriſt, according to that Booke, & further declareth that the vertue and pietie of Engliſh men in this matter, would reioyce many mindes, and bee an help to the endeuors of others in the like, and that it was euident that the enemies of the trueth, were very ſorry of the good ſucceſſe, and progreſſe herein. Alſo hee complaineth with Gregory of ſome, Vt cōmotis ſtudijs contentio ſemper irritet aliquorum indignationem, vt que nimio ardore interdum admodum peccetur, dum nemo minus videri altero, ac potius ſolus ſapere vult, fit vt non neceſſarijs quaestionibus, & diſputationibus neceſſariarum rerum cognitio negligatur: further he ſheweth this contention of brethren about this booke, to come of the diuell, who failing one way, ſeeketh another to miſchiefe the Church, hee complaineth of ſome, Aliquam diuiſionis occaſionem arripientibus, non iam nulli, & vocabula, & peniſſyllabas expendendo verbis tantùm litigant, reipſa ſi placidè exquiratur futuri concordes. Of the common prayer booke it ſelfe, he ſaith: Hic liber & per ſe vtilis futura lectio ipſius quàm plurimis & hoc tempore diuinitus oblatus eſſe videatur, ibid. fol. 375.
Cranmer Martyr: In his purgation of ſlanders againſt him: If the Queenes highneſſe will graunt thereunto, I with Maiſter Peter Martyr, and other foure or fiue which I ſhall chuſe, will by Gods grace take vponupon vsus to defend, not onelyonly the common prayers of the Church, the miniſtration of the Sacraments, and other rites and Ceremonies: but alſo all the doctrine and religion, ſet out by our ſaid Soueraigne Lord King Edward the ſixt, to be more pure and according to Gods word, then any other that hath beene in England theſe 1000. yeeres, ſo that Gods word may bee iudge, Acts & mon. fol. 1465.
Biſhop Ridley: When Biſhop Grindall from beyound Sea wrote to him (in priſon being condemned to bee burned) concerning Knox his peremptory and violent exceptions, againſt our booke of Common prayer (which was euen miſliked by Caluin himſelfe, Epiſt. fol.) anſwered by writing thus. Alas that brother Knox could not beare with our booke of Common prayer, in matter againſt which although I grant a man (as hee is) of wit and learning may finde apparant reaſons, yet I ſuppoſe hee cannot ſoundly by the word of God, to diſproue any thing in it, Act. & mon.
Doctor Taylor Martyr: There was after that ſet forth by the moſt innocent King Edward for whom God be praiſed euerlaſtingly) the whole Church ſeruice with great deliberation, and by the aduiſe of the beſt learned men of the Realme, and authoriſed by the whole Parliament, and receaued and publiſhed gladly by the whole Realme, which booke was neuer reformed but once; and yet by that reformation it was ſo fully perfected, according to the rules of our Chriſtian religion in eueryevery behalfe, that no Chriſtian conſcience could bee offended with any thing therein contained, I meane of that booke reformed, Act. & mon. fol. 1521.
Exiles at Franckeford: Among them was great diuiſion and diſſention, about the vſing of the Common prayer booke of England, one part refuſing it as Iohn Knox, William Whittingham, Christopher Goodman, Dauid Whitehead, Miles Couerdale, Iohn Fox, Anthonie Gilby, &c. The other part ſtanding for it, which alſo were reuerend perſons, as Thomas Leauer, Iohn Iewell, Iohn Mullins, Iohn Parckhust, Lawrence Humphry, Iames Pilkington, Alexander Nowell, Iames Haddon, Edwin Sands, Edmund Grindall and others: Looke the diſcourſe of the troubles at Franckeford, fol. 16. 23. 19. Which diſſentions cauſed them to ſeeke the iudgements of other churches, and their teachers, as of Caluin, Beza Bullinger. fol. 25. 199.
Alſo Robert Horne, Thomas Leauer, Io. Mullins Tho. Bentham, W. Cole, Io. Parckhuſt, Lawrence Humphry, &c. were all fully determined to vſe none other, then the order laſt taken in the Church of England, Diſcourſe fol. 16. 223. The ſame order of ſeruice concerning religion, which was in England laſt ſet forth by King Edward, fol. 10.
Alſo Iames Haddon, Edwin Sands, Edmund Grindall Chriſtopher Goodman, &c. not doubting or diſtruſting their good conformitie and ready deſires in reducing the Engliſh Church now begun there, to it former perfection it had in England, leaſt by much altering the ſame wee ſhould ſeeme to condemne the chiefe authours thereof: whereas they now ſuffer, ſo are they not ready to confirme that fact with the price of their bloud, &c. fol. 22. 23.
They alſo at Franckford (writing to them at Zurick exiled alſo, diſſenting from them about our Ceremonies:) Thought not that any godly men would ſtand to the death in defence of thoſe Ceremonies, which, as the booke ſpecified, vponupon iuſt occaſions may be altered, accounting it an argument that they are ſlenderly taught, which for a Ceremony will refuſe ſuch a ſingular benefit, as to ioyne with the Church. Maſter Fox was one of the ſeuenteene that ſubſcribed to this Letter.
Alſo after all thoſe ſtirres vponupon the point of their returne into England, after Queene Maries death, Iames Pilkington, Io. Mullins, Henry Carow, Alexander Nowell, &c. writing an anſwere to Io. Knox, Christopher Goodman, Miles Couerdale, Anthony Gilby, Willi. Whittingham, W. Williams, &c. We purpoſe not (as wee truſt theſe ſhall be no cauſe) to enter into contention with you. For Ceremonies to contend (where it ſhall lye neither in your hands or ours to appoint what they ſhall bee, but in ſuch mens wiſedomes as ſhall be appointed to the diuiſing of the ſame, and withall receiued by common conſent of the Parliament) it ſhall be to ſmall purpoſe but wee truſt that both true religion ſhall be reſtored, and that we ſhall not be burthened with vnprofitable Ceremonies, and therefore as we purpoſe to ſubmit our ſelues to ſuch orders as ſhalbe eſtabliſhed by authoritie, being not of themſelues wicked, ſo wee would wiſh you willingly to doe the ſame. For whereas all the reformed Churches differ among themſelues in diuers Ceremonies, and yet agree in the vnitie of doctrine, we ſee no inconuenience if wee vſe ſome Ceremonies diuers from them, for that wee agree in the chiefe points of your Religion, &c. Diſcourſe of troubles at Franck. fol. 189.
B B. Iewell: Wee are come as neere as poſſibly wee could to the Church of the Apoſtles, and of the olde Catholike Biſhops and Fathers, which Church wee know was ſound and perfect, and (as Tertullian termeth it) a pure Virgin, ſpotted with no Idolatry, nor with any fundamentall or euident errour. And beſides that, wee hauehave aymed not onelyonly our doctrine, but our Sacraments alſo, and forme of our publike Prayers after the patterne of their rites and ordinances, Apolog. fol. 170.
Maſter Deering againſt Harding: Our Seruice is good and godly, eueryevery title grounded on holy Scriptures; and with what face doe you call it darkeneſſe? ſure with the ſame that the Prophecies of the holy Ghoſt were ſometimes called dreames, the doctrine of the Apoſtles Hereſie, and our Sauiour Chriſt a Samaritane. As Elias ſaide to the Prieſts of Baal, Let vsus take either our Bullockes (namely their Maſſe booke, and our booke of Common Praier) and lay the pieces on our Altars, and on which God ſendeth fire, let that bee the light—a little before—O Maſter Harding turne to your writings, examine your authorities, conſider your counſells apply your examples, looke if any line bee blamable in your ſeruice Booke, and take hold of your aduantage; I thinke Maſter Iewell will accept it as an Article.
This was their iudgement of our Ceremonies in generall, which how oppoſite it is vntounto the doctrine, of ſuffering depriuation, for not conforming to them, I neede not ſay, no not to men of a contrary iudgement: wee will diſcend vntounto the iudgement of the particulars.