Concerning the English Liturgy, Discourse · Section 5
SECT. V.
The Service-book not caſt out by the Parliament or Aſſembly as a menſtruous cloth, as the Doctor inſinuateth, but laid aſide with honourable remembrance of the compoſers of it, and with approbation of the Book it ſelf in divers reſpects.
IT would have troubled my conſcience,Sect. 5. to have been an inſtrument of caſting it away as a menſtruous cloth …:Dr H. And if any Divines of the Church of England gave their advice for its opp… brious ejection, they muſt ſhew a good reaſon why they altered their own judgement, before they may hope to have any powerfull influence upon mine.
Who they be (if any Divines at all of the Church of England) who caſt away the Service-book as a menſtruous cloth,Animadv. 3. or gave advice for its opprobrious ejection, I know not, ſure I am that I am none of them: and for my Brethren of the Aſſembly, they have at large, with much candor and fair dealing (though for that they have not been fairly dealt withall by ſome) expreſſed their ſenſe, both of the Compilers, and of the Book it ſelf: Of them they ſpeak very honourably, for they ſay, In the beginning of the bleſſed Reformation,*In the Preface before the Directory. p. 11 our wiſe and pious Anceſtors took care to ſet forth an order, &c. Afterwards their words are, That what they did in laying aſide the Service-book, was not from any love to novelty, or intention to diſparage our firſt Reformers; of whom we are perſwaded, (were they now alive) they would joyn with us in this work, and whom we acknowledge, as excellent inſtruments raiſed by God, to begin the purging and building of his Houſe; and we deſire that they may be had of us, and of poſterity in everlaſting remembrance, with thankefulneſs and Honour. Ibid. p. 6.
And of the Book it ſelf, they ſay, That it occaſioned many godly and learned men to rejoyce much in it at that time it was ſet forth, becauſe the Maſs and the rest of the Latine Service, being removed, the publick worſhip was celebrated in our own tongue: many of the common people alſo received benefit by hearing the Scriptures read in their own language, which formerly were to them as a book that is ſealed. So Preface p. 1, 2▪ the worſt they ſay of it comes from the abuſe, and the worſt abuſe is, That it was made no better then an Idol, by many ignorant and ſuperſtitious people, who pleaſing themſelves in their preſence at that ſervice, and their lip-labour in bearing a part in it, have thereby hardened themſelves in their ignorance and careleſneſs of ſaving knowledge and true piety, p. 4. whereof I finde too much proof by ſad experience in ſome of thoſe who have learned of you to miſtake erroneous ſuperſtition for religious devotion. But ſuppoſe that ſome of them had caſt it away as a menſtruous cloth, for the defects and errours in it, and the Idolatrous doting of many, if not of moſt upon it, is it any better then the beſt humane righteouſneſs? and did they think worſe of it than the Prophet Iſaiah ſpeaks of that, where he ſaith, We are all of us an unclean thing, and all our righteouſneſs are as filthy rags? Iſa. 64. 6.
If I had ſerved God in the uſe of that form without any conſcience, Dr H.I had been an hypocrite, and how can I now ſcorn and revile that againſt my conſcience, and not be an Apoſtata?
It is true Sir,Animadv. 4. not only of you, but of any one elſe, and not of that form of Prayer only, but of any other, that he who formally worſhips God, either without his conſcience, or againſt it, is an hypocrite, and to revile and ſcorn that (of which a man hath formerly thought honourably and ſpoken reverently) againſt his conſcience, is to play the hypocrite alſo, and to adde to his hypocriſie the ſinne of Apoſtacy: While you ſay this in your own name, if you mean it of others, particularly of the Miniſters of the Aſſembly, or at leaſt of ſome of them (as perhaps you do) you have anſwer to that calumniatory conceipt already: If of your ſelf, your words imply that ſome have ſollicited you to ſcorn and revile the Service-book againſt your conſcience, if you know any ſuch (as for my part I do not) I doubt not but you will be more ready to ſcorn and revile them, then therein to be perſwaded by them: for you are ſo farre from all compliance in that kinde, that you charge ſuch as without ſcorn or reviling have laid it aſide, with ſacriledge and ſcandall, touching which I ſhall anſwer you, when the order of your words bring me to that charge.