Kingdom and in this prefent age how many of us have written and are content and ready to bleed for the fincerity of the Gofpel? If there be any therefore in this holy order whofe lips have hang'd towards the onions and garlick, and flefhpots of Egypt, let them undergo juft cenfure; but let the calling, and the zealous and faithfull managers of it be acquitted before God, and Men.

For the latter, I fee and mourn to fee that many good fouls are brought into a diflike and deteftation of the common prayers of the Church of England as meer Mals and Popery, wo is me that error fhould prevail fo farr with good hearts. I beseech you for Gods fake 'and your fouls fake be rightly informed in this fo materiall and important a point.

I fee there is herein a double offence. One of them which diflike the prayers because they are fet forms; the other that dislike them because they are fuch fet forms.

For the former I befeech them to confider feriously whether they ought to think themselves wifer and perfecter then all the Churches of God that ever have been upon the Earth: This I dare confidently fay that fince God had an established Church in the World there were fet forms of devotion in the Jewish Church before and fince Chrift, in the Chriftian Church of all ages; and at this very day all thofe varieties of Chriftians in the large circle of Chriftianography they have their fet forms of prayers which they do and muft ufe,and in the Reformed Churches both of the Lutherans, and France, and Scotland, it is no otherwife: yea reverend Mr. Calvin himself whofe judgment had wont to fway with the forwardest Christians writing to the Protector of England, Anno 1548. hath these words, Quod ad formulam precum attinet & rituum Ecclefiafticorum valde probe ut certa illa extet a qua paftoribus difcedere non liceat in functione fua, &c.And adding three grave and folid reafons for it,concludes thus:fo then there ought to be a fet form of Catechism, a fet form of adminiftration of Sacraments, and of publick prayers; and why will we caft off the judgment both of him and all the Divines of the whole Chriftian World till Barrow and Browne in our age and remembrance contradicted it, and run after a conceit that never had any being in the World till within our own memory:

For the latter. There are thofe who could allow fome form of fet prayers, but diflike this of ours as favoring of the Pope and

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the Mass, whence they lay it is derived; Nów I befeech you Brethren as you would avoid the danger of that wo of calling good evill, and evill good, inform your felves throughly of the true State of this business.

Know therefore that the whole Church of God both Eastern and Western as it was divided; both the Greek and Latin Church under which this Iland was wont to be ranged had their forms of prayer from the begining, which were then holy and Heavenly compiled by the holy Fathers of those firft times: Afterwards the abufes and errors of Popery came in by degrees, as Tranfubftantiation, Sacrifice of the Mafs, prayers for the dead, prayers to Saints; these poysoned the Church, and vitiated thefe holy forms whiles they continued, but when Reformation came in, divers worthy Proteftant Divines, whereof some were noble Martyrs for religion, were appointed to revife that form of fervice, to purge out all that popish leaven that had fowred them, to restore them to their former purity; leaving nothing in that book but that which they found confonant to godlinefs, and pure religion.

If any Man will now fay that our prayer book is taken out of the Mafs, let him know rather that the Mafs was caft out of our prayerbook into which it was injurioufly and impioufly intruded; the good of those prayers are ours in the right of Chriftians, the evill that was in them let them take as their own.

And if it fhould have been as they imagine; let them know that we have departed from the Church of Rome but in those things wherein they have departed from Chrift, what good thing they have is ours ftill ;That fcripture which they have, That Creed which they profefs is ours, neither will we part with it for their abuse.

If a pecce of Gold be offerd us, will we not take it because it was taken out of the channell? If the Devil have given a confeffion of Christ, and said, I know who thou art even Jefus the Son of the living God; fhall not I make this confeffion because it came out of the Devils mouth? Alas we fhall be herein very injurious both to our felves and to God whofe every holy truth is.

This then is the form which hath been compiled by learned and holy Divines, by bleffed Martyrs themselves, who used it comfortably, and bleffed God for it.

But if the quicker eyes of later times have found any thing which

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difpleafes them in the phrafes and manners of expreffion or in fome rites prefcribed in it, Let them in Gods name await for the reforming fentence of that publick authority whereby it was framed and enacted; and let not private perfons prefume to put their hands to the work; which would introduce nothing but palpable confufion, let all things be done decently, and in order.

Shortly my

Brethren let us hate Popery to the death but let us not involve within that odious name thofe holy forms both of administration, and devotion which are both pleafing unto God, and agreeable to all Christianity and Godliness.

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PARLIAMENT.

My Lords,

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Have long held my peace, and meant to have done fo ftill, but now like to Crafus his mute Son, I muft break filence; I humbly befeech your Lordships to give me leave, to take this too juft occafion to move your Lordships to take into your deep,and ferious confideration, the woful,and lamentable condition of the poor Church of England, your dear Mother; My Lords, this was not wont to be her ftile, we have heretofore talkt of the famous and flourishing Church of England, but now your Lordfhips muft give me leave to fay, that the poor Church of England humbly proftrates her felf (next after his facred Majesty) at your Lordships feet, and humbly craves your compaffion and prefent aid.

My Lords, It is a foul and dangerous infolence, this which is now complained of to you, but it is but one of a hundred of those which have been of late done to this Church and Government. The Church of England, as your Lordfhips cannot choose but know, hath been and is miferably infefted on both fides, with Papifts on the one fide, and Schifmaticks on the other; The Pfalmift hath of old diftinguifht the enemies of it, into wild Boars out of the Wood, and little Foxes. out of the Burroughs; The one whereof goes about to root up the very foundation of Religion, the other to crop the branches, and bloffornes and clusters thereof, both of them confpire the utter ruine & devaftation of it; As for the former of them ;I do perceive a great deal of good zeal for the remedy and fuppreffion of them; and I do heartily congratulare it, and bleffe God for it, and befeech him Ccc 2

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to profper it, in those hands that shall undertake and prosecute it; but for the other give me leave to fay, I do not finde many that are fenfible of the danger of it, which yet in my apprehenfion is very great and and apparent; Alas my Lords, I beseech you to confider what it is; that there fhould be in London, and the Suburbs and Liberties, no fewer then fourfcore Congregations of feveral Sectaries, as I have been too credibly informed, inftructed by Guides fit for them, Coblers, Taylors, Feltmakers and fuch like trafh which all are taught to fpit in the face of their Mother the Church of England; and to defye and revile her government; From hence have iffued those dangerous affaults of our Church Governours ; From hence that inundation of bafe and fcurrilous libels and pamphlets, wherewith we have been of late overborne, in which Papifts and Prelates like Oxen in a yoke are ftill matched together; O my Lords, I befeech you that you will be fenfible of this great indignity: Do but look upon thefe reverend perfons: Do not your Lordships fee here fitting upon thefe benches, thofe that have spent their time, their ftrength, their bodies and lives, in preaching down, in writing down Popery? and which would be ready (if occafion were offred) to facrifice all their old blood that remains to the maintenance of that truth of God, which they have taught and written,and shall we be thus defpightfully ranged with them,whom we do thus profeffedly oppofe ; but alas this is but one of those many fcandalous afperfions, and intolerable affronts that are daily caft upon us. Now whither fhould we in this cafe have recourse for a needful and feasonable redreffe? The arme of the Church is alas now short and finewlefs, it is the interpofing of your authority that muft refcue us. You are the Eldeft fons of your dear Mother the Church,and therefore moft fit & moft able to vindicate her wrongs, you are amici Sponfa, give me leave therefore in the bowels of Chrift humbly to befeech your Lordships to be tenderly fenfible of thefe woful and dangerous conditions of the times. And if the government of the Church of England be unlawful and unfit, abandon and disclaim it, but if otherwife uphold and maintain it. Otherwise if these lawlefs outrages be yet fuffred to gather head, who knowes where they will end? My Lords, if thefe men may with impunity,and freedom,thus bear down Ecclefiaftical authority, it is to be feared they will not reft there, but will be ready to affront