Concerning the English Liturgy, Discourse · Section 6 – Section 7
SECT. VI.
The Doctor alloweth the laying aſide of the Service-book, ſo farre as juſtifieth the Parliaments and Aſſemblies removall of it, by the example of Hezekiah's breaking of the Braſen Serpent; yet with ſome miſtake of that ſtory.
TO lay it aſide is one thing,Sect. 6. to revile it another; that a godly Hezekiah may do,Dr H. if he think it a Nehuſhtan, but this befits only a Rabſhekah; that may be out of obedience, this only out of peeviſhneſs or a worſe principle.
To the reproach…r reviling of the Service-book I have anſwered already:Animadv. 5. that which I ſhall now obſerve, is your conceſſion, that he that laieth the Service-book aſide, if he be a Governour, may for all that be an holy Hezekiah, and an inferiour imployed in preparing for, and conforming to ſuch a Reformation as that, may do it in obedience; which you ſeem rather to approve of, then diſallow: If ſo, you have yet no juſt exception againſt the Aſſembly upon that account: for you may reade in the fore-cited place, what they did in their own words:tPraeface in Direct. p. 7. We have after earneſt and frequent calling upon the Name of God, and after much conſultations, not with fleſh and blood, but with his holy Word, reſolved to lay aſide (mark your own words, to lay it aſide) the former Liturgie, with the many Rites and Ceremonies formerly uſed in the worſhip of God; And they laid it aſide, not as you miſtaking ſay, Hezekiah did the Brazen Serpent, becauſe it was Nahuſhtan, (i.e. braſs or brazen) for that was not all, nor the chief cauſe, for which he brake it in pieces, for it was no better then braſs (for the matter of it) when by Gods appointment it was firſt ſet up by Moſes, Numb. 21. 8. but becauſe (even to thoſe daies) the children of Iſrael did burn incenſe unto it, 2 King. 18. 4. ſo the Service-book was laid aſide, not ſo much for the matter of it, (though what was erroneous in it, and ſome errour certainly there was, which was worſe then pure braſs, as bad as the ruſt or droſs of that and other mettals.)
But becauſe (as the brazen Serpent) it was made an Idol, as hath been ſhewed, ſo was the Service-book, and ſo is it by many to this day; which is not ſo much the fault of the Book, as the folly of thoſe who ſo much doted on it, and ſo many dote on it, and ſo much, that (if it be not taken from them) the next generation is more like to be more infected with, then the preſent to be cured of their ſuperſtition towards it: and as Hezekiah called it Nahuſhtan, i.e. braſs or brazen (by this Name giving the people to underſtand, that being (when it was the beſt) but a creature, now but a meer brazen figure of a Serpent, and not ſo much (when he had broken it in pieces, having no vertue of healing, as formerly it had) there neither was nor could be any deity in it, no not when it had a miraculous operation annexed unto it; and therefore, neither ſacrifice was to be offered, nor incenſe to be burnt unto it (as then they did) ſo we may ſay (to ſuch as Idolize the Service-book) that for the materials of it, being but Ink and Paper, viſible letters, and legible words, and being not infallibly indicted by the Spirit of God, as the ſacred Scriptures are, it ſhould not be made ſuch an object of worſhip, as by many it is: and now Sir, you have by this compariſon degraded the Service-book ſo low as a piece of braſs; How can you ſet ſo high price upon it, as to make it the moſtuSee Sect. 4. at the letter f. glorious houſhold-ſtuff your father had? If the Inventory of his goods were but ratably prized to this particular, you would not take your Childes portion after that rate, but would require an higher valuation to be ſet upon them.
SECT. VI.
The conſtancy and ingenuity which the Doctor aſſumeth to himſelf (if he had been an Aſſembly man) acted by thoſe who were choſen in that ſervice.
HAd I been of the Aſſembly,Sect. 7. I ſhould have ſhewed ſo much conſtancy to my ſelf,Dr H. as not to have eaſily changed my judgement; and ſo much ingenuity towards others, as not to have ſubdolouſly concealed it.
Had thoſe (whoſe Office it was to make choice of men for that ſervice (thought you a fit man to be called to it,Animadv. 6. I wiſh you had made one of that number, then your own experience would have ſhewed you, many who changed not their judgement, when they changed their practiſe, in the diſ-uſe of that Book, which they had formerly uſed, rather in a way of toleration, untill the time of further Reformation came, then of approbation for perpetuall uſe (as by an immutable Law of the Medes and Perſians) who were (in that particular) of Calvins minde (as is*At the letters I, K, L, M, N, in the 2d Alphabet. before mentioned) ſuffering what they could not then amend, and amending their own condition, by removall of it, as ſoon as the Divine providence offered a fit opportunity for that purpoſe; and who were ſo farre from a ſubdolous concealment of what they thought of it, that (when it was moſt magnified by ſuch as were Maſters of Eccleſiaſticall Ceremonies, and would have Lorded it over our faith, if we would have been ſo tame as to ſubmit our necks to ſuch oppreſſive yokes, they did not forbear (before ſuch) plainly to ſpeak their opinions againſt it: and when the times were ſo farre changed, as not only to cry it down, but all other ſet forms of prayer, they both diſputed and preached for the lawfulneſs (though not for the univerſall conveniency, much leſs the abſolute neceſſity of a ſet form of prayer) of this (for both parts of it) I can bring fair evidence of his ſincere carriage in that cauſe, whom it may be you meant (at leaſt obliquely) to tax for fickleneſs, in forſaking his firſt love, or for fallacy in ſitting ſilent, when he ſhould have freely ſpoken his minde and conſcience on that behalf.