Vindication of the Ancient Liturgy of the Church of England, Title page – Preface
A VINDICATION OF THE Ancient Liturgie OF THE Church of England. WHEREIN The Several Pretended REASONS for Altering or Aboliſhing the ſame, are Anſwered and Confuted.
By HENRY HAMMOND D. D. Written by himſelf before his Death.
LONDON, Printed for Auſtin Rice, and are to be fold, at the Crown in Saint Pauls Church-yard, 1660.
A PREFACE TO THE Enſuing Diſcourſe.
Sect. 1 THat the Liturgie of the Church of England, which was at firſt as it were written in blood, at the leaſt ſealed, and delivered down to us by the Martyrdom of moſt of the compilers of it, ſhould ever ſince be daily ſolicited, and call'd to the ſame Stage and Theatre, to fill up what was behinde of the ſufferings of thoſe Fathers, is no ſtrange or new peice of oeconomy in the Church of God. This propoſition I ſhall take liberty briefly to prove by way of introduction to the enſuing diſcourſe, and ſhall hope that you will acknowledge it with me, if you but conſider theſe ſeverals.
Sect. 2 Firſt, That there is not a ſurer evidence and foreign by which to diſcern the great excellencie of moderation in that book, and ſo the apportionateneſſe of it, to the end to which it was deſigned, then the experience of theſe ſo contrary fates, which it hath conſtantly undergone, betwixt the perſecutors on both extream parts, the aſſertors of the Papacy on the one ſide, and the conſiſtory on the other, the one accuſing it of Schiſme, the other of Complyance, the one of departure from the Church of Rome, the other of remaining with it, like the poore Greek Church, our fellow Martyr, devoured by the Turk for too much Chriſtian profeſſion, and damn'd by the Pope for too little, it being the dictate of naturall Reaſon in Ariſtotle, (whoſe rules have ſeldome failed in that kinde, ſince he obſerved them) that the middle virtue is moſt infallibly known by this, that it is accuſed by either extreame as guilty … the other extreame: that the true liberalitie of minde is by this be… exemplified, that it is defamed by the prodigall for paſſimony, and by the niggard for prodigality, by which (by the way) that great block of offence, which hath ſcandalized ſo many, will be in part removed, and the reproaches ſo continually heaped upon this book, will to every diſcerning Judge of things, paſſe for as weak an unconcluding argument of guilt in it, as the ſcarres of a Military man doth of his cowardice, or the foreign, the every Topick of rayling Rhetorick, Mal. 5. of the unchriſtianneſſe of the perſon on whom they are powred out.
Sect. 3 Secondly, That ever ſince the reproaches of men have taken confidence to vent themſelves againſt this book, there hath nothing but ayre and vapour been vomited out againſt it, objections of little force to conclude any thing, but onelyonly the reſolute contumacious, either ignorance, or malice of the objector, which might at large be proved, both by the view of all the charges that former Pamphlets have produced, all gathered together, and vindicated by Mr. Hooker, and that no one charge of any crime, either againſt the whole, or any part of it, which this Directory hath offered; which as it might in reaſon, make ſuch an act of malice more ſtrange, ſo will it to him that compares this matter with other practiſes of theſe times, (whoſe great engine hath been the calumniari fortiter, the gaining credit by the violence of the cry, when it could not be had by the validity of the proofs, moſt men being more willing to believe a calumnie, then to examine it) make it but unreaſonable to wonder at it; It being an experiment of daily obſervation, that thoſe which have no crime of which they are accuſable, are therefore not the leſſe, but the more vehemently accuſed, proſecuted, and dragg'd to execution, that the puniſhment may prove them guilty, which nothing elſe could, it being more probable in the judgement of the multitude, (who eſpecially are conſidered now adayes, as the inſtruments to act our great deſigns) that a nocent perſon ſhould plead not guilty, then an innocent be condemned; which prejudice, as it might be pardon'd from the charitie wherein 'tis grounded, that they who are appointed to puniſh vileneſſes, will not be ſo likely to commit them, ſo being applyed to uſurping judges, (whoſe very judging is one crime, and that no way avowable, but by making uſe of more injuſtices) will prove but a peice of Turciſme, which concludes all things honeſt, that prove ſucceſſefull, or of the moderne Divinity in the point of Scandall, which makes it a ſufficient exception againſt any indifferent uſage, that it is by ſome excepted againſt, a competent cauſe of anger, that men are angry at it though never ſo without a cauſe.
Sect. 4 Thirdly, That it hath been conſtantly the portion, and prerogative of the beſt things (as of the beſt men) to be under the croſſe to have their good things of this world foreign, with perſecutions. Mar. 10. 30. and ſo no ſtrange thing that that which is alwayes a dealing with the Croſſe, ſhould be ſometimes a panting, and gaſping under it; There was never any ſurer evidence of the cleanneſſe of a creature amongſt the Jews, then that it was permitted to be ſacrificed; the Lamb, and the Turtle emblems of innocence, and charity, and the other Chriſtian virtues, were daily ſlaughter'd and devoured, while the Swine, the foreign, and all the uncleaner creatures, were denyed that favour, placed under a kinde of Anathema, or Excommunication ſentence, of ſuch it was not lawfull, no not to eat; and ſo it muſt be expected in the anti-type, that all the heat of the Satanicall impreſſion, all the fire of zeal, the ſentence to be ſacrifized, and devoted, ſhould fall as now it doth, on this Lambe-like, Dove-like creature, of a making not apt to provoke any man to rage, or quarrell, or any thing, but love of communion, and thankſgiving to God for ſuch an ineſtinable donative.
Sect. 5 Fourthly, That a Liturgie being found by the experience of all ancient times, as a neceſſary hedge, and mound to preſerve any profeſſion of Religion, and worſhip of God in a Nationall Church, it was to be expected that the enemy and his inſtruments, which can call deſtruction mercy, embroyling of our old Church the founding of a new (we know who hath told one of the Houſes of this Parliament ſo, that they have laid a foundation of a Church among us, which if it ſignifie any thing, imports that there was no Church in this Kingdom before that Seſſion) ſhould alſo think the deſtroying of all Liturgy, the onelyonly way of ſecurity to Gods worſhip, the no-form being as fitly accommodated to no-Church, as the no-hedge, nowall to the Common, or deſert, the no incloſure to the no-plantation.
Sect. 6 Fifthly, That the eradication of Epiſcopacy, firſt Voted, then Acted, by the Ordination of Presbyters by Presbyters without any Biſhop, which begun to be practiſed in this Kingdom, about the end of the laſt yeer, was in any reaſon to be accounted prooemicall and preparatory to ſome farther degree of foreign, or diſorder, and to be attended by the abolltion of the Liturgy in the beginning of this new yeer, (Epiſcopacy and Liturgie being like the foreign, among the Aegyptians, this Daughter to attend that Mother, as among the Barbarians when their Prince died, ſome of the nobleſt were conſtantly to beare him company out of the World, not to mourn for, but to die with him) A thing that the People of this Kingdom could never have been imagined lowe or ſervile enough to beare or endure (I am ſure within few yeers they that ſate at the ſtern of action conceived ſo, and therefore were fain by Declaration, to diſavow all ſuch intentiōn of violence) till by ſuch other aſſayes, and practiſes, and experiments, they were found to be, ſatis ad ſervitutem parati, ſufficiently prepared for any thing that was ſervile, almoſt uncapable of the benefit or relief of a Jubilee, like the ſlave in Exodus, that would not go out free, but required to be bored thorow the eare by his Maſter, to be a ſlave for ever.
Sect. 7 Sixtly, That it is one profeſt act of Gods ſecret wiſdom, to make ſuch trials as this, of mens fidelity, and ſence, and acknowledgement of his ſo long indulged favours, to ſee who will ſincerely mourn for the departing of the glory from Iſrael, whether there be not ſome that (with the Captive Trojan Woman in Homer, who wept ſo paſſionately at the fall of Patroclu…, but made that publick loſſe the ſeaſon to prowre out their private grifes) are ſenſible of thoſe ſufferings of the Church onelyonly wherein their intereſts are involved, and more neerly concerned; whether not ſome that count the invaſion of the Revenues of the Church a Sacriledge, a calamity, and unparallell'd, but think the abolition of the Liturgie unconſiderable, a veniall ſin and miſery; whether that, wherein Gods glory is joyned with any ſecular intereſt of our own, that which makes the ſeparation betwixt Chriſt and Mammon, may be allowed any expreſſion of our paſſion or zeal, i. e. in effect, whether we powre out one drop for Chriſt in all this deluge of tears, or whether like uncompounded ſelflovers, whoſe onelyonly centre and principle of motion is ourſelves, we have paſſion to no ſpectacle but what the looking glaſſe preſents to us, with a foreign, making God the pret…nce and apology, for that kindneſſ, which is paid and powered … …nto another ſhrine. For of this there is no doubt, that of …ll the changes … … deſigned and offered to authority, there is none for which fleſh and blood, paſſions and intereſts of men can allow to …ree a ſuf…rage, ſo regertleſſe a conſent, as this of the abolition of the Liturgie, (The ſ…uggiſhneſſe of ungifted men, the onelyonly thing that is affirmed to be concerned in, or to gaine by it, is perfectly miſtaken, as ſhall a non appear) and were there not a God in Heaven, the care of whoſe honour obliged us to endeavour the preſervation of it, were not a future growth of Atheiſme and Prophaneneſſe the feared conſequent of ſuch abolition, and notorious experience ready to avow the juſtneſſe of this feare, I have reaſon to be confident that no Advocate would offer Libell, no Diſputer put in exception, againſt this preſent Directory; I am privy to my own ſence, that I ſhould not, I have rather reaſon to impute it to my ſelfe, that the want of any ſuch carnall motive to ſtir me up to this defence, might be the cauſe that I ſo long deferr'd to undertake it, and perhaps ſhould have done ſo longer, if any man elſe had appear'd in that argument. And therefore unleſſe it be ſtrange for men, when there be ſo many tempters abroad, to be permitted to temptations, ſure Gods yeilding to this act of the importunity of Satan (who hath deſired in this new way to explore many) will not be ſtrange neither.
Sect. 8 Laſtly, that our ſo long abuſe of this ſo continued a mercy, our want of diligence, in aſſembling our ſelves together (the too ordinarie fault of too many of the beſt of us) our generall, ſcandalous, unexcuſable diſobedience to the commands of our Church, which requires that ſervice to be uſed conſtantly in publike every day, the vanity of prurient tongues and itching eares, which are ſtill thirſting news and variety, but above all, the want of ardor and fervency in the performance of this preſcribed ſervice, the admitting of all ſecular company (I meane worldly thoughts) into its preſence, preferring all ſecular buſineſſe before it, the generall irreverence, and indifference in the celebrations, may well be thought to have incouraged Satan to his expetivit, to the preferring his petition to God, and his importunity at length to have provoked God to deliver up our Liturgy to him, and his miniſters, to oppoſe and maligne, to calumniate and defame, and at laſt to gaine the countenance of an Ordinance, to condemne and execute it as at this day. The Lord be mercifull to them that have yeilded to be inſtrumentall to that great deſtroyer in this buſineſſe.
Sect. 9 I have thus far laboured to preſſe home that part of St. Peters exhortation foreign, not to think the calamity ſtrange which hath befallen this Church in this matter, on no other purpoſe, but to diſcharge that duty which we owe to Gods ſecret providence, of obſerving the viſible worke of it, that diſcerning our ſelves to be under his afflicting hand, we may, I. Joyn in the uſe of all probable means to remove ſo ſad a preſſure, by humbling our ſelves, and reforming thoſe ſins which have fitted us for this captivity, then 2. that we may compaſſionate and pardon, and bleſſe, and pray for thoſe whoſe hands have been uſed in the execution of this vengeance and reproach upon the land: and Laſtly, That we may endeavour, if it be poſſible, to diſabuſe and rectifie thoſe, who are capable, by more light, of ſafer reſolutions; To which purpoſe theſe following animadverſions being deſign'd in the bowels of compaſſion to my infatuated Countrey-men, and out of a ſincere ſingle deſire that our ſins may have ſome end or allay, though our miſeries have not, and therefore framed in ſuch a manner, as I conceived, might prove moſt uſefull, by being moſt proportionable to them, who ſtood moſt in need of them, without any oblation provided for any other ſhrine, any civility for the more curious Reader) are here offered to thee, to be dealt with as thou deſireſt to be treated at that laſt dreadfull tribunall, which ſure then will be with acceptation of pardon, and with that Charity (the but juſt return to that which mixt this antidote for thee) which will cover a multitude of ſins.