Commissioners Petitioning for Review of Book of Common Prayer, Commentary 2 · Preface · Section 7
Sect. 7.
[Though Charity will move to pitty,Answ. Rule 5. and relieve those that are truly perplexed or Scrupulous: yet we must not break Gods Command, in Charity to them, and therefore we must not perform publick Services undecently or disorderly for the case of tender consciences.]
Repl. Repl.O that you would but do all that God alloweth you, yea that he hath commanded you, for these ends! how happy would you make your selves, and these poor afflicted Churches. But as to the instance of your Rule, we answer. 1. VVhen the indecency and disorder is so smal, as that it will not crosse the ends, so much as our disobedience would, we are here so far more comfortable, and peaceable than you, as that we would even in Gods worship, do some things indecent and disorderly, rather than disobey. And so should you do rather than destroy your Brethren, or hinder that peace, & healing of the Church. For Order is for the thing ordered, and not contrarily. For example, there is much disorder lies in the Common-Prayer-Book, yet we would obey it, as far as the ends of our calling do require. It wouldbe undecent to come without a Band, or other handsome Raiment into the Assembly; yet would we obey, if it were commanded us, rather than not worship God at all.
We are as confident that Surplices, and Copes are undecent, and kneeling at the Lords Table is disorderly, as you are of the contrary: And yet if the Magistrate would be advised by us (supposing himself addicted against you) we would advise him to be more charitable to you, than you here advise him to be to us: We would have him, if your Conscience require it, to forbear you in this undecent and disorderly way; But to speak more distinctly. 1. There are some things decent and orderly, when the opposite species is not undecent or disorderly. 2. There are some things undecent, and disorderly, in a small and tollerable degree: And some things in a degree intollerable. 1. VVhen things decent are commanded, whose opposites would not be at all undecent, their Charity and Peace, and Edification, may command a Relaxation, or rather should at first restrain from too severe Impositions: As it is decent to wear either a Cloak or a Gown, a Cassock buttoned, or unbuttoned, with a Girdle or without; to sit, stand, or kneel in singing of a Psalm; to sit or stand in hearing the Word read or preached, &c. 2. VVhen a Circumstance is undecent or disorderly, but in a tolerable degree, to an Inconvenience; Obedience, or Charity, or Edification, may commaud us to do it, and make it not only lawful, but a duty pro hic & nunc, while the preponderating Accident prevaileth. Christs instances goe at least as far as this, about the Priests in the Temple breaking the Sabbath blamelesly, and David's eating the Shew-bread, which was lawful for none to eat ordinarily, but the Priests: And the Disciples rubbing the ears of Corne: [I will have mercy and not Sacrifice] is a lesson that he sets us to learn, when two duties comes together, to preserve the greater, if we would escape sin; And sure to keep an able Preacher in the Church, or a private Christian in Communion, is a greater duty, caeteris paribus, than to use a Ceremony, which we conceive to be decent; It is more orderly to use the better translation of the Scripture, than the worse, as the Common-prayer-book doth; and yet we would have no man cast out for using the worse: It is more orderly, decent, and edifying for the Minister to read all the Psalms, than for the people to read each second verse; And yet we would not cast out men from the Church or Ministry meerly for that disorder, It is more orderly, and decent to be uncovered in divine worship, than covered: And yet rather than a man should take cold, we could allow him to hear a Chapter or Sermon covered: why not much more, rather than he should be cast out. But let us come to the Application, It is no undecent disorderly worshiping of God, to worship him without our Crosse, Surplice, and kneeling in the reception of the Sacrament. 1. If it were, then Christ and his Apostles had worshipped undecently and disorderly; And the Primitive Church that used not the Surplice, nor the transient Image of the Crosse in Baptism (but in an unguent) yea the Church for many hundred years, that received the Sacrament without kneeling. 2. Then if the King, Parliament, and Convocation should change their Ceremonies, it seems you would take your selves bound to retain them; for you say you must not worship God undecently: But that they may be changed by Authority, our Articles determine, and therefore Charity may well require the Magistrate to change them without any wrong to the worship of God. 3. VVe appeal to the common judgement of the Impartial, whether in the nature of the thing, there by any thing that tels them, that it is undecent to pray without Surplice in the reading place, and not undecent to pray without in the Pulpit? And that it is undecent to Baptize without Crossing, and not to receive the Lords Supper without: And that it is undecent for the Receiver to take the Lords Supper without kneeling, and not for the Minister to give it him standing, that prayeth in the delivery.