Commissioners Petitioning for Review of Book of Common Prayer, Overview – Commentary 2
To the most Reverend Archbishop & Bishops, And the Reverend their ASSISTANTS, Commissioned by his Majesty to treat about the Alteration of the Book of COMMON-PRAYER.
Most Reverend Fathers, and Reverend Brethren,
WHen we received your Papers, and were told that they contained not onelyonly an Answer to our Exceptions against the present Liturgie; but also several Concessions, wherein you seem willing to joyn with us in the Alteration and Reformation of it: Our Expectations were so far raised, as that we promised our selves to find your Concessions so considerable, as would have greatly conduced to the …ealing of our much-to-be-lamented Divisions, the setling of the Nation in Peace, and the satisfaction of tender Consciences, according to his Majesties most gracious Declaration, and his Royal Commission in pursuance thereof: But having taken a survey of them, we finde our selves exceedingly disappointed, and that they will fall far short of attaining those happy Ends, for which this Meeting was first designed; as may appear both by the pa… city of the Concessions, and the inconsiderableness of them, they being for the most part Verbal and Literal, rather then Real and Substantial; for in them you allow not the laying aside of the reading of the Apocrypha for Lessons, though it shut out some hundreds of Chapters of Holy Scripture; and sometimes the Scripture it self is made to give way to the Apocryphal Chapters. You plead against the addition of the Doxologie unto the Lords Prayer. You give no liberty to omit the too frequent repetition of Gloria Patri, nor of the Lords Prayer in the same publick Service: nor do you yeild that the Psalms be read in the new Translation, nor the word [Priest] to be changed for [Minister or Presbyter,] though both have been yeilded unto in the Scotish Liturgie. You grant not the omission of the Responsals, no not in the Letany it self, though the Petitions be so framed, as the People make the Prayer, and not the Minister; nor to read the Communion-Service in the Desk, when there is no Communion; but in the late Form instead thereof, it is enjoyned to be done at the Table, though there be no Rubrick in the Common-Prayer-Book requiring it. You plead for the Holiness of Lent, contrary to the Statute. You indulge not the omission of any one Ceremony. You will force men to kneel at the Sacrament, and yet not put in that excellent Rubrick in the v. and vi. of Edw. 6. which would much conduce to the satisfaction of many that scruple it. And whereas divers Reverend Bishops and Doctors, in a Paper in print before these unhappy Wars began, yeilded to the laying aside of the Cross, and the making many material alterations; you, after twenty years sad calamities and Divisions, seem unwilling to grant what they of their own accord then offered. You seem not to grant that the clause of the fourth Commandment in the Common-Prayer-Book, (The Lord blessed the seventh day) should be altered according to the Hebr. Exod. 20. The Lord blessed the Sabbath day. You will not change the word Sunday into the Lords Day, nor adde any thing to make a difference between Holy-days that are of Humane Institution, and the Lords Day, that is questionless of Apostolical practice. You will not alter Deadly Sin in the Letany into Heynous Sin, though it hints to us that some sins are in their own nature Venial; nor that Answer in the Catech. of Two Sacraments onelyonly generally necessary to salvation, although it intimates that there are other New Testaments Sacraments, though Two onelyonly necessary to Salvation. You speak of singing Davids Psalms, allowed by Authority, by way of contempt, calling them Hopkins Psalms: And though singing of Psalms be an Ordinance of God, yet you call it one of our principal parts of Worship, as if it were disclaimed by you. And are so far from countenancing the use of conceived Prayer in the publick Worship of God, (though we never intended thereby the excluding of set Forms) as that you seem to dislike the use of it even in the Pulpit, and heartily desire a total restraint of it in the Church. You will not allow the omission of the Benedicite, nor a Psalm to be read instead of it; nor so much as abate the reading of the Chapters out of the Old Testament and the Acts, for the Epistles: But rather then you will gratifie us therein, you have found out a new Device, that the Minister shall say (for the Epistle) you will not so much as leave out in the Collect for Christmas-day these words (this day) though at least, it must be a great uncertainty, and cannot be true stylo veteri, & novo. In publick Baptism you are so far from giving a Liberty to the Parent to answer for his own Child, (which seems most reasonable) as that you force him to the use of Sureties, and cause them to answer in the name of the Infant, that he doth believe, and repent, and forsake the Devil and all his works; which doth much f…vour the Anabaptistical Opinion for the necessity of an actual profession of Faith and Repentance in order to Baptism. You will not leave the Minister in the Visitation of the Sick, to use his judgement or discretion in absolving the sick person, or giving the Sacrament to him, but enjoyn both of them, though the person to his own judgement seem never so unfit: neither do you allow the Minister to pronounce the Absolution in a Declarative and Conditional way, but absolutely, and inconditionately. And even in one of your Concessions, in which we suppose you intend to accommodate with us, you rather widen then heal the breach; for in your last Rubr. before the Catech. you would have the words thus altered, That children being baptized, have all things necessary for salvation; and dying before they commit any actual sin, be undoubtedly saved, though they be not confirmed: Which Assertion, if understood of all Infants, even of Heathen, is certainly false; and if onelyonly of the Infants of Christians, is doubtful, and contrary to the judgement of many learned Protestants, and will give little satisfaction to us or others: some more we might name, which for brevities sake we omit. All which considered, we altogether despair of that happy success which Thousands hope and wait for from this his Majesties Commission; unless God shall incline your hearts for the Peace and Vnion of the Nation, to a more considerable and satisfactory alteration of the Liturgie. In which that we may the better prevail, we here tender a Reply to your Answer, both against our general and particular Exceptions; of which we desire a serious perusal, and candid interpretation. We have divided both your Preface and Answer into several Sections, that so you might more easily understand to which of the particulars both in the one and in the other our Reply doth refer.
THE PAPERS That passed between the COMMISSIONERS Appointed by his Majesty for the Alteration of the Common-Prayer, &c.
THe strain of these Papers we fear is like to perswade many that your designe is not the same with ours.Reply. Being assured, that it is our Duty to do what we can to the peace and concord of Believers, especially when we had the past and present Calamities of these Nations to urge us, and his Majesties Commands and gratious Promises to encourage us, we judged the fittest means to be by making known the hindrances of our Concord, and without reviving the remembrance of those things that tend to exasperate, to apply our selves with due submission to those that may contribute much to our recovery; and without personal reflections, to propose the Remedies which we knew would be most effectual, and humbly and earnestly to petition you for your consent. But in stead of consent, or amicable Debates in order to the removal of our differences, we have received from you a Paper abounding with sharp Accusations, as if your work were to prove us bad, and make us odious; which as it is attempted upon mistake, by unrighteous means, so were it accomplished, we know not how it will conduce to the Concord which ought to be our common end. If we understand Christs Commission, or the Kings, and our duty as Christians, or as Ministers, our work now assigned us, was not to search after, and aggravate the faults of one another, (though of our own in season we are willing to hear) but to review the Liturgie, and agree upon such alterations, diminutions and enlargements as are needful to our common unity and peace. What is amiss in us, we shall thankfully accept your charitable assistance to discover; but we take not that for the Question which his Majesty called us to debate, nor do our judgements or dispositions lead us to Recriminations, nor to cast such impediments in the way of our desired accord: And were it not that our Calling, and our Masters work are concerned somewhat in our just Vindication, we should not trouble you with so low, so private and unnecessary a work, but leave such Causes to the righteous Judge, who will quickly, impartially, infallibly and finally decide them.