Commissioners Petitioning for Review of Book of Common Prayer, Commentary 2 · Topic 2
In the Letany.
Sect 1.
Ans. [The alterations here desired, are so nice, as if they that made them, were given to change.]
Repl. We bear the Censure; but profess, that if you will desert the products of Changers, and stick to the unchanged Rule, delivered by the Holy Ghost, we shall joyfully agree with you. Let them that prove most given to change, from the unchangeable Rule and Example, be taken for the hinderers of our Unity and Peace.
Sect. 2.
Ans. [From all other deadly sin] is better than [from all other hainous sin] upon the reason here given, because the wages …f sin is death.]
Repl. There is so much mortal poyson in the Popish distinction of mortal and venial sin (by which abundance of sins are denied to be sins at all properly, but only analogically) that the stomack that feareth it, is not to be charged with niceness: The words here seem to be used by way of distinction; and [all deadly sin] seemeth not to be spoken of [all sin;] and if so, your reason from Rom. 6. 23. is vain, and ours firm.
Sect. 3.
Ans. [From sudden death] as good as from [dying suddenly] which therefore we pray against, that we may not be unprepared.]
Repl. We added [unprepared] as expository, or hinting, to shew the reason why sudden death is prayed against; and so to hint our Prayers to that sudden death, which we are unprepared for; there being some wayes of sudden death, no more to be prayed against than death it self, simply considered may. When you say [from sudden death] is as good as from [dying suddenly] we confess it is, but not so good as from dying suddenly and unpreparedly.] We hope you intend not to make any believe, that our turning the Adjective into an Adverb, was our Reformation? And yet we wondered to hear this made a common jest upon us, as from those that had seen our Prayers. Would you have had us said [from sudden and unprepared death?] you would then have had more matter of just exception against the words [unprepared death] than now you have against [dying suddenly:] A man may be well prepared to dye suddenly, by Martyrdom for Christ, or by War for his Prince, and many other wayes.
Sect. 4.
Ans. [All that travel] as little liable to exception as [those that travel] and more agreable to the phrase of Scripture, 1 Tim. 1. 2. I will that Prayers be made for all men.]
Repl. All universal is to be understood properly, as comprehending all the individuals, and so it is not an indefinite: And we know not that we are bound to pray for Thieves, and Pirates, and Traitors, that travel by Land or Water, on such Errands as Faux, or the other powder Plotters, or the Spanish Armado, in 88. or as Parry, or any that should travel on the Errand as Clement or Raviliack did to the two King Heneries of France: Are these niceties with you.
Sect. 5. P. 16.
Ans. [The second Collect. &c.] We do not find, nor do they say, what is to be amended in these Collects; therefore to say any thing particularly, were to answer to we know not what.]
Repl. We are glad that one word in the proper Collects hath appeared such to you, as needs a Reformation; especially when you told us before, [That the Lyturgy was never found fault with, by those to whom the name of Protestants most properly belongs.] which lookt upon our hop…s of reformation, almost as destructively as the Papists Doctrine of infallibility doth, when we deal with them. As for the Collects mentioned by us, you should not wonder that we brought not in a particular Charge against them: For first, we had a conceit that it was best for us to deal as gently and tenderly as we could, with the faults of the Lyturgy: And therefore we have under our Generals hid abundance of particulars, which you may find in the Abridgement of the Lincolnshire Ministers, and in many other Books. And secondly, we had a conceit, that you would have vouchsafed to have treated with us personally in persence, according to the sense of his Majesties Commission, and then we thought to have told you particularly of such matters; but you have forced us to confess that we find our selves deceived.