A Just Defense of Hearing the Sermons, Chapter 7 · Section 10
Sect 10. The Forms of Prayer imposed, are not made necessary essential parts of Wo…ship.
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Answ. The … P…oposition, m…ant of making it doctrinally necessa…y, by vertue of Gods appointment, so as that the omission of it at any time, when the worship is performed, should be sin; or using any other Form, should make it not Gods worship, or not acceptable to him; might be granted: But being understood, of making a thing the condition of an action, by vertue of the authority of Governours, so, as that at some time and place, it is not to be done without it, by persons that are their subject…, under a civil penalty, the major is denied: In which sense, the use of the Liturgy is imposed, which doth not make it any other than a circumstance of Divine worship, not such an adjunct as is a necessary part thereof. This Author granted before here, sect. 8. Circumstances in the worsh…p of Christ, atttending religious actions, as actions; without assignment of time and place, no action to be managed by a community, can be orderly performed by them. Therefore, if the Governours assign a time and place, undetermined by God, it is that which they may do lawfully, and not requiring them as necessary by vertue of Gods institution; nor of all but only of their own subjects, they are made but circumstances, not necessary parts of Divine worship. So, if for avoiding of inconvenience, publique praying be forbidden in the night, and in some places; and it be commanded to be done at such hours of the day, in such a place: these hours and place are made no other than circumstances of the religious action, no Religion is placed in them, …hey are not made parts of worship, but adjuncts alterable as it may stand with conveniency. There is the same reason of imposing a Liturgy for uniformity, to prevent dissonancy, or some other inconvenience, which may be incident to some persons, as of requiring Prayers without it. If neither be determinatively instituted by Christ, but commanded for conveniency, they both remain circumstances, …ot necessary parts of Divine worship, notwithstanding the imposition by Governours. Sacrificing on the Altar, at the Tabernacle and Temple, was a part of the worship, because commanded by God; and so would the Liturgy be, if it were commanded as that was: But that the Liturgy is not so, it appears from the words of the Preface to it The particular forms of Divine worship, and th… rites appointed to be vsed therein, being things in their own natu…e indifferent and alterable, and so acknowledged; it is but r…asonable, that upon weighty and important considerations, according to the … exigency of times and occasions, such changes and alterations should be made therein, as to th…se that are in place of Authority, should from time to time seem either necessary or expedient. Nor do I think it true, That any considerable Minister of England, would affirm the Common-Prayer Book to be an essential part of worship, or make it such, as this Author imputes to them; nor in use of it, is it alwayes so observed, but that it gives place to preaching, to reading Briefs for collections, and some other occasions; and yet, if they did so strictly observe it, this doth not prove, they esteem it a necessary essential part of worship, by vertue of Gods command: but that they conceive they ought to obey their Governours Laws, not judging others, who use it not. But whatever be the judgement or practice of the present Ministers, yet the words of the Preface (which are more to be regarded, than any particular Ministers opinion, whereof some, its confess'd, have too much magnified it) do shew, that the imposition makes it not such as this Author chargeth on them. And this is enough to acquit the use of it from Idolatry, even in this Authors own sense, sith they do not place the worship of God in the Form, but in the Kind of worship commanded by God; and so the minor of his Argument is denied. For though the Form of the Common-Prayer Book be not prescribed, yet the way of worship therein, that is, Prayer, Praises, the Lords Supper, are worship pre…cribed by God. If the Author mean, by way of wor-ship, the forms and modes, the way of worship by Preachers conceived or extemporary prayers▪ this Authors form of preaching, and other worship, is not prescribed by God; and the Separatists are Idolaters, as well as the Ministers of England; and so his Argument is retorted as before▪ He goes on thus,