A Short View of the Prelatical Church of England 2, Chapter 7

A Short View of the Prelatical Church of England 2 · Chapter 7

p. 31CHAP. VII. Of the Effects.

FRom Arguments taken from the Nature of the Thing, we come to ſome Arguments Collateral, yet forcible enough to evince both the Equity and the Neceſſity of our deſire: And firſt from the ill Effects of the Book, and that not accidentally, which p. 32might haply excuſe the Cauſe, but properly and originally, h…ding alwaies, in tali vel in tanto, an evil effect argues alwaies …n evil cauſe; an evil Bird comes alwaies of an evil Egg as bad fruit of a bad tree: yea, the evil cauſe is alwaies worſe than the effect. Nam prepter quod aliquid tale eſt, illud ipſum eſt magis tale, that which makes a thing evil, is worſe it ſelf: for method ſake, we will reduce the evils of the Service book into 4 Heads, diſtinguiſhed from their ſeveral objects: as, 1 It ſhews its evil effects upon the Miniſters. 2 Upon the Ordinances. 3 Upon the People. 4 Againſt God moſt of all.

Sect. 2 Tim. 3.3. Mat. 13.52. 1 Sam. 9.9. Iſa 56 20 1 Cor. 4.15. Eph. 4.112 Tim 3:3Matt 13:521 Sam 9:9Isa 56:201 Cor 4:15Eph 4:11Firſt, upon the Miniſters, it worketh pernitiouſly, whether they be good or bad work-men, or no work-men; to inſtance in the latter, where Miniſters ſhould be apt to teach furniſhed with old & new, Seers, Watch-men, Begetters of Sons unto God, & builders up of the body of Chriſt. But this Book ſettles ſuch blind fellows over People, who can neither feed, nor lead; What, we pray you, is the procreant and conſervant cauſe of dumb Doggs that cannot bark; idle Shepherds, ſaying Sir-Johns; meer Surplice & Service-bookmen, ſuch as cannot do ſo much as a Porter in his frock; for he doth ſervice, & the Prieſt only ſayes Service: is it not the Servicebook? A Prieſt in London, when he heard the Service-book ſhould down, made this his main Argument, or rather idlement, why it ſhould not: If they remove the Service-book (ſaith he) What ſhall all the Reading Miniſters do? they muſt go begg, ſtarve, or ſteal, 2 Theſ. 3 10.2 Thess 3:10for work they cannot: (the words were to this effect) not remembring the Apoſtles principle, He that will not labour, ſhall not eat. Some years ago, a very godly man being convented before that High-Commiſſion, was asked by ſome of them, what he thought of the Service-book? the man being afraid to deliver his opinion of ſuch a peece of ordnance mounted, fully charged upon him, the great Canoneers ſitting by, ready to give fire; yet with much ado, plucking up his ſpirits, he told them freely, that it was a halter to lead a blind horſe to the water: ſuch dumb Diegoes, or devouring Caterpillers, might rightly be called, as the Prophet ſpeaketh, fooliſh Shepherds; and ſo the Service-book the Inſtrument of a fooliſh ſhepherd, Zach 11.15.Zech 11:15they truck away their Souls, and the ſouls of others for a cruſt; are they not then errant fools? And this fooliſh inſtrument the Service-book, is the Broker in this unhappy bargain.

p. 33Sect. There are another ſort of bad Miniſters, Phil. 3.2. Verſ. 18.Phil 3:2who will not be idle (as they ſay) but they are very ill exerciſed, ſuch the Apoſtle calls evil workers, doggs, enemies to the Croſs of Chriſt. The Apoſtle bids us beware of ſuch; but indeed ours are worſe than thoſe falſe Apoſtles: for they preached Chriſt, though of envy, Phil. 1.…5Phil 1:5but ours preach error, hereſies, blaſphemies, & calumnies out of envy, & not Chriſt. Were there ever the like accuſations heard of for number & nature, as hath bin laid againſt thoſe unparallel'd Miniſters, for vileneſs, both in living & preaching? The Goliah his ſtaffe, wherewith they maintain all this, and all their brags againſt the Hoſt of Iſrael, is the Service-book, which is the Helena of the Hierarchy, the ſtrict and total obſervation whereof Lincoln Articles do punctually appoint. To thoſe we might adjoyn Nonreſidents & Pluraliſts, who knowing that Service will ſerve the turn, can have choice of Readers to ſerve their Cure, at a cheap rate. In Kent a common Fidler read Service for 12. d. a week: In another place a Black-ſmith did the like; yea, the Prelates themſelves trade in this comodity, when they have an old off-caſt ſervant, the ruines of a profane wretch, good for nothing, then make a Prieſt on him, witneſs a Prelates Porter made Prieſt of Paddington. One that we all know diebus illis, Chaplin to a great Officer of State, but now a proud Prelate; in the time of his Chaplainry, poſſeſſed 3 Benefices to the value of 700. l. a year, or thereabout, allowing nothing out of all this for the feeding of ſo many flocks, ſave 10. l. a piece, or thereabouts, to three poor Curats, with a number of caſt Service-books, which are no good meat, neither cold nor hot; yea, had not this Service-book been, this man and others could never have been ſo unconſcionable.

Sect. Yet further, the Service-book hath been the bane of many good Miniſters, and that of two ſorts, Conformers & Nonconformers; the latter of whom were deprived of their Miniſtery, dearer to them than their lives; caſt out of their Free-holds, againſt the Law of the Land, Excommunicated, Impriſoned, their Families diſſolved and caſhired from all Callings; yea, their very Being, through calumnies, and injuries thruſt at; ſo that with Fambria againſt Scaevola, they quarrelled with them, Quod totum ferrum in ſe non receperant, Tul.that they received not the whole deadly Weapon into their body; and what the quarrel, p. 34but the Service-book? To which the Miniſters muſt not only conform, but alſo ſubſcribe: As to four Books more, ſome of which (it may be) they had never ſeen: that nothing in them was contrary to the Word of God; Monſtrum horrendum! O fearful ſin, to father falſhood and lies upon God, for which the Lord may juſtly quarrel with this Nation!

Now for the godly and painful Miniſters, yet conforming and ſubſcribing; the Service-book was a heavy burden to them, and they groaned under the rigour of the Service: It may be ſaid of the Service-book, as it was ſaid of Gath in another kind, namely, It was Metheg Amath, the bridle of the hilly tract, or ſtrength of the Philiſtims: ſo the Book was the ſtrength of the Philiſtim Prelacy, and a bridle with a Curbing bit, to ſtop, to winde and turn them at their pleaſure; yea, ſometimes to cut them in the Mouth, if they delivered any ſuch part of Gods Counſel, as touched their Copy-hold; beſides the ſcoffing calumnies that the Prelates and their Janizaries would put upon them: How did they grieve the ſouls of divers worthy men, that divers of them were forced to break thorow that Egyptian bondage, with danger of their liberties and lives, if they had been reached by the Prelates ill Angels; but flying with the Woman into the Wilderneſs, the flood of the Service-book out of the mouth of the Serpent was ſent after them, but both fire and water conſpired to the devouring of it; witneſs its arrival at New England, two fellows being drunk, addreſſed themſelves by water, to diſperſe ſome bundles of them; one of them ſwearing, that he would have a Pipe of Tobacco in deſpite of the Devil, ſtriking fire, the ſparks fell into a barrel of gunpowder, which blew both men and Books all into the Air; the men were ſaved by ſwimming in the water, and the Liturgy ſunk when it could not ſwim, and ſo we hope it ſhall. Some of us heard a painful Miniſter complain, with abundance of tears, a little before his death, That ſo long as he, and ſuch as he carried the Prelates fardel after them, they would never down. We will ſhut up this point with a very remarkable obſervation,Ier. 23.23. Joh. 4.23, 24.Jer 23:23John 4:23John 4:24 Though God made conforming Miniſters, being the diſpenſers of his Word, the means to turn many from their evil wayes, yet this proved for the moſt part, but in the point of life and converſation, and not in point of Purity of Worſhip, p. 35according to our Lord and Maſters practice upon his Patient, that Samaritan Woman, whom he reclaimeth not only from uncleanneſſe of life, but alſo from a polluted Worſhip; the Woman here is not only touched in Conſcience for her evil life, but alſo deſires to be rectified in the caſe of Religion. Chriſt healeth her of both thoſe Diſeaſes, and having given check (as a Father obſerved) both to the arrogancy of the Samaritans, Ciril.and of the Jewes; for the latter was faulty as well as the former, though not in the like degree, he layeth down an undeceivable Rule for both, that they, and all who will worſhip God acceptably, muſt worſhip him in ſpirit and in truth; in ſpirit, that is oppoſed to bodily ſervice, as waſhings, anointings, garments, &c. In truth, that is oppoſed to ſhadows and figures, whereof Chriſt is the ſubſtance and the body; ſuch converts then as will reap Comfort out of reſpect had unto all Gods Commandments, Tract. 15 in Ioh.they muſt come down from the mountains of impure worſhip. Auſtin hath a pretty ſaying upon this, that he that will draw near to God, muſt come down from his own mountain, or from the mountain of his own device in Gods worſhip; it is a duty laid on Chriſts Meſſengers, in preparing of his way, to lay thoſe mountains level, as well as others; but the good men durſt not meddle with the Gerezim of the Service-book, becauſe they were captive to it, and partly becauſe the Philiſtims that kept it, would fall upon them.

We come in the ſecond place to the Ordinances, Sect. blocked up by the Book as cloſe as the Miniſters, we muſt give but a touch: as our Liturgian Maſs-mongers, eſteem more of the Service, than Preaching, ſo they juſtle out, and keep out Preaching with it. For the former, let Howſon ſpeak, not being aſhamed to aſſert, That Preaching is no part of divine worſhip, Serm. on Pſal. 1.8. p. 78.Ps 1:8agreeable to that Canon of the Conſtitution, Anno. 1603. making a clear and poſſitive diſtinction between Preaching and Worſhip, in theſe words, In time of divine Worſhip, or Preaching. And for the latter,Can. 19. we will cite but one teſtimony for brevities ſake, namely, from the ſame Canons: If any Miniſter having ſubſcribed to the Articles, & to the Lyturgy, & to the Rites & Ceremonies therein contained, do afterward omit any thing, he is liable to the penalty of ſuſpenſion for one month, & after that, if he amend not, to excommunication: and laſtly, if he continue ſo the third month, to total deprivation; p. 36they have their pattern from Pope Pius the fifth, who made the ſame impious ſanction, for the Breviary, that at no time, nor in any caſe, any thing thereof ſhould be omitted; yea, the Congregations of London have had too much experience of Service for Sermons, which exchonge is very robbery, contrary to the proverb; for it is ordinary with the Journey-men Levites, and Letany-Prieſts, to ſpin out all the time, in making up that courſe thred of the Service, that is allotted for Sermons; and this they do of malice, like the dogg in the manger; but were it good, they would never be ſo eager upon it; for the Countrey Prieſts will caſt it through a riddle, and curtail it to the waſte, to gain a long afternoon for prophane ſports; but judge ye Honourable Senators, if this be not a miſerable caſe, that Hagar ſhould not only inſult over Sarah, but alſo thruſt her out of her own houſe: How unreaſonable, yea how dangerous a thing it is, that the wholſome and ſoul-ſaving Word of the Lord Jeſus, ſhould give place to a fardel of mens devices in the Worſhip of God!

We come now in the third place, to the People: There are three things of note in every Common-wealth, foreign, the People, Religion, and Law, the Service-book intrencheth upon all theſe: as firſt upon the Law, in ſo many particulars, though we cannot name them all, that it juſtly may be called Nomomaſtix, a ſcourge to the Law, we will inſtance in one or two particulars: firſt by the Law of England, No Clergy-man to the very Pope himſelf, ſhall bear any Rule, or exerciſe any juriſdiction, Niſi in rebus ſpiritualibus, except in ſpiritual things: witneſs the ſecond Lawyer that ever wrote of our Laws, namely,**Lib. 1. f. 5. n. 2. Bracton, who lived in the time of King Henry the third, when Popery was in the Ruffe; for a little before, in King John his time, the Crown of England was at the Popes diſpoſing, which I alledge the rather to ſhew the Inſolency and Impudency of our Prelates managing of the Service-book againſt the Law; to which Book, if Miniſters will not conform and ſubſcribe, they out them of their Free-holds, contrary to Right and Law; the iniquity of which courſe hath been clearly manifeſted in Caudryes Caſe. Another witneſs yet more antient appears in this particular, namely,**Lib. 4. f. 32. cap. 6 Glanvil, the firſt that ever writ of our Lawes in the time of King Henry the ſecond, under whom the ſaid Author was Lord Chief p. 37Juſtice; and ſpeaking of the Caſe of the triall of advowſons belonging (as he alledgeth) Ad Coronam & dignitatem Regiam, to the pleas of the Crown; he produceth a prohibition to the ſpiritual Court, which he calleth Curiam Chriſtianitatis, that they meddle not with the matter, though it might ſeem collateraly to belong unto their Courts; and if they ſhould perſiſt after their Prohibition, then they are commanded by appearance to anſwer it in the Kings-Bench. But how many of the Kings prohibitions have been ſlighted by the High Commiſſion, threatning thoſe that have brought them, the Caſe then depending, having its riſe from that Service-book;

Another inſtance we will cite of their incountering of the Lawes, it is decreed, that Eccleſiastical power, Sect. ſhall neither impriſon nor fine, except in caſe of mutation of Penance: but how many good Chriſtians, both Miniſters, and others, have been not only Fined more than they were worth, but alſo cloſely impriſoned in the naſtieſt dog-holes they could deviſe, never Parting with them till their breath departed from them; And what was the ground of all theſe illegell and cruel courſes contrary to the Common and Statute Laws,Stat. Art. cleai c. 1. Fitzher. de natu…. brev. fol. 51. Edw. 3. c. 6. but Non-conformity to that Service-book and Ceremonies? We might be large in this Point, but the Treatiſe will not bear it, onelyonly we Pray your Honours, who are Judices & Vindices Legis, the Judges and Revengers of the Lawes and breaches thereof, to look upon this Lawdeſtroying-piece, and to manifeſt that the Law of God is in your hearts, with which it cannot conſiſt; caſt it out of Gods Houſe, that he may delight to dwell amongſt us.

In the ſecond place, for the Service-bookes affronting of Religion, ſomewhat hath been ſaid, and more we have to ſay in the fourth Evill effect, namely againſt God: but now a little more of its malignity againſt the people, wherein we will be briefe: People are of two ſorts good and bad: how the better ſort have ſuffered from this Iron Furnace, it is more then manifeſt, in ſpoyling of their goods, loſs of liberty, deſolating of their Families, being forced to wander from place to place, their nigh friends and acquaintance not daring through feare to lodge them; at laſt, forced either to forſake their native ſoyl and deareſt friends, with no ſmall grief, genio pa…riae plangente, the genius of the Country, to ſpeake with Lipſius, lamenting after p. 38them; or if they ſtaid by it, and were catched in the Prelates clutches, they told them when they petitioned, they ſhould lye till their bones rotted, as Doctor Abbot, then Prelate of Canterbnry, ſaid of Mr. Baits, whom they ſtifled in the Gate-houſe; and all this, becauſe they could not eat and ſwallow down, to the choaking of their conſcience, the Arſnical Goblets of that poyſonable Book,Deut. 4.20.Deut 4:20 which is worſe than the Iron Furnace (for ſo the Spirit terms it:) Gods People came out of that, but the Furnace heated for the not adoring by their Service-book, as Nebuchadnezzars, for not adoring of his Idol, did ordinarily conſume ſuch as were caſt into it; ſo that it became like the Lions Denne, whereof the Poet ſpeaks,

Omnia te advorſum ſpectantia, nulla retrorſum:

Many impreſſions of ingreſs, but none of regreſs. But is this all? no, though it be too much; if any out of their zeal to Gods Worſhip, ſtand up in oppoſition againſt that Goliah, willing to redeem and buy the Truth, at whatſoever rate they ſhall buy it; Indeed, if the adverſaries may have their will, not only with hands ſpoyling of their houſes, expoſing of their families to all manner of miſeries, but alſo with blows, and that not of an ordinary ſize, but with torments and tortures unparalleled, as cutting, branding, ſlitting, whipping, beſides ſhameful pilloring, with cenſures of fines upon one, more than they were all worth: After all this, they cannot ſatisfie their rage, in deviſing Golgotha's bad enough, wherein to drain out their hearts bloods, being deprived of the company of their wives, families and friends, and uſed worſe than Dogs. Of ſuch heavy inflictions upon Miniſters and Gods People, we profeſs, we never read nor heard, neither under the Heathen Rome, nor Antichriſtian Romes Perſecution; for though they tortured the Martyrs of Chriſt, yet they rid them out of their miſeries with their lives; yea, the crueleſt kind of American Savages, called the Mohaukes, though they fatned their captive Chriſtians to the ſlaughter, yet they eat them up at once: but the Service-book ſavages eat the ſervants of God by piece-meal, keeping them alive (if it may be called a life) Ut ſentiant ſe mori, Caligula.that they may be the more ſenſible of their dying. One inſtance, and but one occurs to our reading, that hath ſome reſemblance of this dealing. Catulus, to revenge his brothers death, deſired Sylla to let him have Marius his brother to revenge himſelf upon, who is ſaid thus to torment him:

p. 39Cum laceros artus, Lucan. l. 2. p 33.aequataque vulnera membris

Vidimus, & toto quamvis in corpore caeſo;

Nil animae, letale datum, &c.

Which a Poet Engliſheth thus:

His mangled joynts,May. as many wounds as limbs

We ſee, yet no wound deadly given to him,

Through his ſpoyl'd body; an example rare

Of cruelty, a dying life to ſpare.

Yet this Catulus did ſo but with one; but our Catuli, Sic Canibus ſimiles—Like old Dogs, have filled their ſhambles with many. The aforeſaid Poet gives a good reaſon for it in theſe words:Lucau. l. 1. p. 14. May. Nullus ſemel ore receptus, pollutus patitur ſanguis manſueſcere fauces. Engliſhed thus: Never again grow thoſe jaws pure, that blood did once diſtain. And why are theſe harmleſs men made worſe than ſheep to the ſlaughter, but that they meddle with Diana, the Service-book, and the Maſter and Wardens of that Company, who may truly ſay with Demetrius, foreign, By this craft we get our goods; Act. 19.25.Acts 19:25So we have better ground than Zipporah had, calling Moſes a bloody husband, to ſay and maintain it, That the Service-book is a bloody Book, Another ſort of Gods People there were, who were ſo terrified with the cruel uſage of their Brethren, that either they durſt not ſearch into the rottenneſs of this Piece, and ſo like blind men that ſwallowed many flyes; and ſome it may be, that did ſee the evil of it,Joh. 12.41.John 12:41 durſt not avoid it for fear of a worſe turn from the Scribes and Phariſes, than caſting out of the Synagogue.

Laſtly, Some people profeſſing the Lord Jeſus, Sect. and having been very uſefull in Gods Houſe, by the neceſſary avoiding of this Quick-ſand, have, for want of good take-heed, been caſt upon the Rocks of Separation, Anabaptiſm, and other unſound Tenents, which hath made a very great breach in Profeſſion. For which, ſee more in Zions Plea. And though the riſe of Separatiſm, p. 84, 85, 86.and other Sects, be there juſtly charged upon the Hierarchy, yet by ſhunning of this ſour paſture, they fall unadviſedly foul, on breaking of the hedge.

Now we come to the worſer ſort of people; Sect. of whom we may truly ſay that, which the Phariſees did, falſly of Chriſt, A curſed people, not knowing the Law; all the provocations in the p. 40Land, have not made havock of ſo many ſouls, eſpecially under colour of good, as this hath done; if Ignorance be the mother of deſtruction, Pro. 29.18.Prov 29:18then much guilt lieth upon the Service-book. Where there is no viſions, the people muſt periſh, or, in the firſt Language, are left naked. So how many Congregations are ſtript ſtarke naked of the Word in this Land? in ſome of which it is well known, there hath ſcarce been a Sermon in an age; and in moſt places where they have Preaching, it is neither Seed to beget, nor Bread to feed upon. And what makes this nakedneſs, but the Lyturgy? which is enmity, both to good Miniſters and Miniſtery: For as the Ivie, which winding it ſelf about the Vine, draws the ſap and ſpirit out of it; ſo the advancement of this Liturgy, leaves neither life nor ſpirit in the Ordinance of the Word; and being like Prieſt like People, love to have it ſo: for the Liturgy will never bring them out of the deadly Lethargy of ſin; it will never awake the ſoul,Iudg. 17.Judg 17 nor pierce the conſcience; and therefore they love it, is Micah did his Idoll. But let a man of God, by the light of the Word, diſcover their wretched condition, he had as good ſtir in a Hornets neſt, they will quickly hunt him and purſue him to the Lyons den, if they can: but (God be bleſſed for it) the Beaſts are in chaſe themſelves. The love and liking of evil men unto this Book, is an evidence of the badneſs of it, for if it were Gods Ordinance, they would hate it, as they do the Ordinances of God; as Iſaac took Abimelech his ſending of him away for a token of his hatred: Gen. 26.27.Gen 26:27ſo when a ſoul hating people ſet away the Word, and cleave to the Service, or the Service joyned, it may be, with ſome dead Miniſtery, then it is a token that they hate the former, and love the latter. A worthy Miniſter went to viſit one of his flock upon his death-bed, a man of quality, for the world, but an enemy to goodneſs, the Miniſter groping the pulſe of his eſtate, he asked the Miniſter what he thought of the Biſhpop of Canterbury, which the Miniſter waving (it being dangerous then to call a ſpade a ſpade) he asked the party if he would pray with him, he replyed, yea, if he would do it on the Book of Common-prayer. To ſhut up this point, we will make but general mention of the troubles, which this Book did bring upon the Engliſh exiles in forraign Nations in the time of the Marian perſecution, for the information in the particulars whereof, we refer you to a Book called, The troubles of Frankeford, where from their firſt erecting of a Church in p. 41Frankeford, Anno 1554. this Book and the Patrons thereof, never left perſecuting of thoſe that could not brook it, till after the death of Queen Mary they teturned home: In theſe troubles we commend three things to conſideration; Firſt, in all theſe broyles and unchriſtian vexations, the maintainers of the Book dealt both maliciouſly and fraudulently with the other party. The ſecond thing, the Patrons of the Book, could not alledge any thing for it, and for others that they held, but ſuch Popiſh ſtuff as they did foot upon.

Laſtly, ſome of thoſe Patrons upon their retuin, became perſecutors of ſuch as ſtood for the whole truth.

The laſt evil effect, but not the leaſt, is againſt God, Sect. we mean directly, or more immediatly, for indirectly all the other effects were againſt God; but as all ſin provokes God, ſo corrupt worſhip is that ſin againſt which the jealouſie of God is inſlamed, Exod 20.5. D…ut 4.24. & 12.30.31. 2 Kin. 23 15. Exod 8.27.Exod 20:52 Kgs 23:15Exod 8:27and he becomes a conſuming fire; yea, the Lord calleth ſuch worſhip by way of tranſcendency, abomination. If Moſes would not ſacrifice in Egypt, becauſe it was an abomination to the Lord, (as hath been ſaid) why ſhould we provoke the Lord by abominable ſervice? All Syſtems of Theology are full of this in the Theſi, therefore we ſhall not inſiſt upon it, but come as brieſly as we can, to adde ſomething, to that which hath been ſpoken of the Hypotheſis, or Service-book, which Mr. Calvin calleth (as hath been ſaid in his Letter to Frankeford) the leavings of the Popiſh dregs; ſo the Papiſtical Ceremonies therein contained, are truely called by that Franckeford-book, burthens, yokes and clogs to Gods People and his ſervice; Beſides thoſe which have been named,p. 89. we will ſpeak but a word or two more, namely, of Feſtival dayes, to Saints, at leaſt tranſitive, though not determinative, as Papiſts excuſe their Idolatry. The other is kneeling at the Communion; the former is an intrenching upon Gods Prerogative: For, none can appoint an holy day, but he who hath made the dayes, and hath all power in his own hand, which is clear: Firſt, from the Denomination of them in both Teſtaments, Levit. 231. Exod. 32.5.Exod 32:5in the Old they are called the Solemn Feaſts of Jehovah, not onelyonly becauſe they were to be kept to Jehovah, but alſo becauſe they were of his appointing; and ſo in the New Teſtament, as we read but of one, for the ſelf-ſame reaſons, it is called The Lords day: another inſtance for clearing it from that brand of rebuke, Rev. 11 10.Rev 11:10that is put by God upon that Jeroboam that made Iſrael to ſin: he, and p. 42he only, that the Book of God ſpeaks of, took upon him, beſides all his Idols and Idolatrous tricks, not to appoint another Numerical day, but the ſame day of another Month, namely, the eighth month, where God hath appointed the ſeventh month, and that out of reſpects ſpeciouſly politick, becauſe in the eighth monethmonth all the harveſt would be in, and they might feaſt more freely. Secondly, that the Lords feaſt being furniſhed in Jeruſalem, they might come to Jeroboams feaſt: but theſe fig-leaves could not cover his ſcars;2 King 6.11, 32, 332 Kgs 6:112 Kgs 6:322 Kgs 6:33 but the Spirit chargeth directly upon him, that that was the monethmonth that he had lyed, or coyned to himſelf. Gretzer the Jeſuite commends the Engliſh, (though it be nothing to our commendation) Quod Calvino-papiſtae Anglice, De feſt. lib. 8. c. 2&c. That as the Popiſh-Engliſh Calviniſts, are freer in other Rites and Ceremonies, than the Puritans in France and Germany, and other where; ſo they are in Holy-dayes. And to ſay the truth, we are too free indeed;Cartwrit Rep. 21. for, as a learned man obſerveth, we have more Holy-dayes than ever God gave to the Jews: We will not inſiſt on this ſubject, they who will know more of it, let them reade Altare Damaſcenum, P. 6.42, &c Gal. 4.10, 11, Col. 2.16Gal 4:10Gal 4:11Col 2:16only we will point at theſe two places, which may fully ſhew the unlawfulneſs of them: Ye obſerve years and dayes, I am afraid of ye: Let no man judge you in meat or in drink, or in any part of an holy-day. Yet thoſe holy-dayes, though then out of date, were better than ours, for they were of Gods appointment, and ſo are not ours.

Followeth in the next place Kneeling at the Sacrament, Sect.the laſt particular that we are like to touch upon; for if we ſhould reckon up all, a great volumn would not hold them. This Popiſh modern poſture, Colum.of not above four hundred years ſtanding, which (as hath been ſaid) and Peter Martyr witneſſeth,Sect. Propter tranſubſtantiationem & realem praeſentiam invecta eſt in Eccleſiam, &c. That to maintain Tranſubſtantiation, or real preſence, it was brought into the Church, and therefore to be abandoned with it. Though Innocent the third, 1215. enacted for Tranſubſtantiation, and Honorius his ſucceſſor decreed for a reverent inclination of the body, to the Sacrament changed into a breaden God, yet was it not uſed until the ſucceeding Popes, thinking this reverence not enough for the countenance and maintenance of their upſtart Deity, allotted thereto the higheſt point of Adoration, for which there is neither Scripture nor Antiquity; neither Precept nor Preſident, but p. 43from the man of ſin; neither do any Churches uſe it, ſave the Synagogue of Rome, ſome Lutheran Churches, and ours; and howſoever this miſplaced worſhip hath been cruelly manned out by the Prelacy, and ſomented by that miſ-begotten conceit of humility in Gods Worſhip, becauſe they knew no better, yet the truth is, it is meer will-worſhip, and hath been a ſharp rod to Gods People; yea, and proved a Scorpion to ſomes Conſciences: witneſs the former, the violent deaths of divers for refuſing this geſture, as that worthy Gentleman, Mr. Dyton, ſtifled by his impriſonment in the Gatehouſe; Mr. Porter of Ware in the New-priſon, and others: but becauſe many learned and unanſwerable Treatiſes are out againſt this diſapproved geſture, it ſhall be needleſs, actum agere, to do a work ſo often done. It is true, ſome have attempted to ſay ſo mething for it; but in the ballance of truth, hoc aliquid nihil eſt, that ſomething is juſt nothing: For brevities ſake we will only ſhut up the Piece with one binding Argument:

To adore in, by, or before a Creature respectively, or with a relation to the Creature, is Idolatry:

But to kneel at the Sacrament, is to adore in, by, or before a Creature respectively, with relation to the Creature; Therefore it is Idolatry.

The explanation of the Terms, will make the Argument the better underſtood: as firſt, Adoration is the higheſt point of external worſhip, which God will not admit with an intervenient or relative reſpect to any Creature: for that makes the Creature Objectum ſignificativè à quo, that is the motive of the worſhip; the Terms thus explained: this is the very ſame Argument that our learned Divines ſtop the Papiſt mouthes with, in the point of adoring God mediatly by the Creature: And as the Papiſts cannot deny the major; ſo ſence and reaſon, yea, the injunction of the Commanders, all verifie the truth of the minor in Kneelers; for they cannot deny the Elements to be the motive of their kneeling, the Concluſion then muſt needs hold; that it is Idolatry disjunct, or improper at leaſt, as we argue againſt the Papiſts: But if the minds of thouſands of ignorant receivers in the Country were known, it is to be feared they fall foul on conjunct or proper Idolatry, making the Bread Octjectum determinativum, in plain, the Bread the Object of their Worſhip; with which ſin the Papiſts charge all the Proteſtant kneelers: for, if Chriſt were not p. 44there bodily (ſay the Jeſuits) we would rather be racked with horſes than kneel. So ſaid Spalato after his revolt to Rome, and we confeſs ingenuouſly, if the Papiſts ſhould retort this argument upon us, it would put the learned'ſt Conformers to a non-plus to evade it. Here were place to have a fling at the Croſs, but we referre the deſirous Reader to Zions Plea, P. 95. to …. 106.wherein there is a ſuccinct and learned Treatiſe againſt the Croſs, proving it by many ſtrong Arguments, to be the mark of the Beaſt. All theſe, and much more, are the houſhold-ſtuff of the Service-book, againſt which we will produce one argument more in the cloſure of this point, namely, God will not hear the prayers of the Service-Book; Ergo, they are not to be offered.

The Antecedent ſhall be proved from that place of Saint Johns Goſpel;Ioh. 9.31John 9:31 God heareth not ſinners, if any man be a worſhipper of him, and doer of his will, him he heareth: out of the latter part, we reaſon thus negatively, a contrario: thoſe prayers which are not a doing of the will of God, God heareth not.

This Propoſicion is confirmed from other places, the Interceſſions of the Saints (ſaith the Apoſtle) muſt be according to the will of God;Rom. 8.27. Eſa. 1.12.Rom 8:27Isa 1:12 and if they be not, the Lord will ſay, Who requireth them?

Now, to the latter Propoſition.

But the Prayers of the Service-book are not the doing of the will, nor according to the will of God; witneſs all the former Reaſons given againſt it; therefore God will not hear them.