Common Prayer Book No Divine Service, Title page – To the reader
Common-Prayer-Book NO Divine Service: OR, XXVIII REASONS AGAINST Forming and Impoſing any Humane LITURGIES or COMMON-PRAYER-BOOKS; AND The main Objections to the contrary, anſwered; ALSO, The Engliſh Common-Prayer-Book anatomized.
LIKEWISE Twelve Arguments againſt Dioceſan and Lord-Biſhops; with the main Objections anſwered.
AND The Great Diſparity between them, and Timothy and Titus, ſhewed.
By VAVASOR POWELL.
The Third Edition: Corrected and Enlarged.
Why do you alſo tranſgreſs the Commandement of God by your Traditions?
Mat. 15.3.
foreign. Not as though yee were Lords of (or over) the Heritages,
1 Pet. 5.3.
London, Printed for Livewell Chapman, and are to bee ſold at his ſhop at the Sign of the Crown in Popes-head-Alley. 1661.
TO The
Compoſers, of
Impoſers, of
Readers, of
Hearers, of
Diſputers and Writers for
Common-Prayer.
I Would deſire you all in the Name and Fear of the All-ſeeing, Almighty, and All-judging GOD, to ſet theſe following, and the like Conſiderations to your hearts, and your hearts to them.
Conſider
1. How jealous the Lord of Heaven and Earth is of his own Worſhip, and of all the Parts and Circumſtances thereunto belonging, Deut. 5.9. Hoſ. 5.11. Mat. 15 3. Col. 2.21, 22. Rev. 22.14, 20.
2. How abominable and unacceptable to this holy juſt God have been and are all Idolatrous, Superſtitious and Falſe Services, and all that do ſerve him in any Way or Thing which he hath not himſelf commanded and appointed, Deut. 7.25, 26. Iſa. 30.22. & 66.3, 4. Jer. 9.13, 14, Ezek. 20.4.
3. How ſorely and ſeverely he hath puniſhed thoſe Kings, Prieſts, Prophets, and People that have been falſe Worſhippers, and ſwerved from His Holy Commandements, 1 Kin. 11.6. Num. 11.3, 4.
4. Whether God doth call upon any of you all, to offer him any ſuch Service as this is. And whether he may not ſay to you, as he did once to Judah, Who hath required this at your hand? Iſa. 1.12.
2. How inconſiſtent with the Day and Light of the Goſpel is this Service, God having ſent his Word more fully and plainly to direct his Miniſters and People, and given his Spirit in a more abundant meaſure to help and inable them to call upon him.
6. How little good (if any at all) hath been done by the long uſe of the Service-Book, though men have prayed long by it, That the reſt of their Lives might be holy, and righteous, and yet they ſtill continue prophane and unrighteous.
7. How much hurt it hath done in ſhouldring and thruſting out many godly, painful, ſoul-ſaving Preachers; and in bringing in, and maintaining ſo many ignorant, ſcandalous, lazy and formal Prieſts and Curates, to the deceiving and utter undoing of precious Souls.
8. Whether the impoſing of the Scottiſh Liturgy (which in ſome things was better, though in ſome others worſe than the Engliſh) was not the beginning, and firſt Cauſe of the late grievous Wars; and if ſo, whether men ſhould not be more cautious to do the like for the future?
9. Whether if the Truth were thorowly and truly weighed and examined, the firſt end of compoſing the Common-Prayer-Book (which doth ſo much ſymbolize with the Maſs) was not, to bring Papiſts to Church: but it effected ſo little therein (not becauſe they ſo much diſlike it, as becauſe it was not in Latine, and commanded by the Pope) that it did rather confirm them in their Maſs-Service.
10. Whether ſome now may not intend by the re-eſtabliſhing of this Book, to oppoſe and pull down that excellent and gracious Spirit of Prayer and Preaching, which God hath poured out upon his Miniſters; and to make this a Snare and Net againſt all Preachers and People, that out of Conſcience cannot conform thereto.
11. Whether any Perſons can produce any ſuch Liturgie, or ſuch Form of Prayer from the beginning of the World, either among the Jews or Gentiles, till above three hundred years after Chriſt, when Antichriſt began to exerciſe Papal Power?
12. Whether if there were no other Reaſon but that this Book hath been ſo much idolized by the generality of men, and offenſive to ſo many Chriſtians, it ſhould not be done with as the Brazen Serpent was by Hezekiah? 1 King. 18.4.
13. Whether one end of Chriſts coming into, and one part of his work in the world, was not to redeem men from the Rudiments and Traditions of men? of which this is one. And whether it be not a Sin againſt the Blood, Spirit, and Goſpel of Christ, to impoſe, maintain and continue still to uſe the ſame? 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. Heb. 9.10, 11.
14. They that worſhip God in a falſe way, are ſaid in Scripture to worſhip Devils, Lev. 17.7. Deut. 32.17. 2 Chron. 11.17. 1 Cor. 10.20.
15. Whether at the great and terrible Day of judgement, any Magiſtrates, Miniſters or People can juſtifie before Chriſt the making, impoſing, reading or hearing of this or the like Service? (And whether good men as far as they build with this Material, will not then ſuffer loſs?) And whether thoſe can then ſtand in the Judgement without fear, ſhame and ſorrow, that have caſt out, perſecuted, impriſoned, or otherwiſe afflicted the true Preachers and Servants of God, who did chuſe to obey GOD rather than men, and to obſerve His Divine Will, rather than Mens Traditions?
Conſider what I ſay, and the Lord give thee (you) underſtanding in all things, 2 Tim. 2.7.
I eſteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to bee right, and I hate every falſe way, Pſal. 119.128.