By the King.
WHereas by a printed Paper, dated the third of January last past, intituled, An Ordinance of Parliament for taking away the Book of Common Prayer, and for establishing and putting in execution of the Directory for the publike Worship of God, it is said to be ordained, amongst other things, That the Book of Common Prayer should not remaine, nor be from thence used in any Church, or Chappell, or place of publike Worship, within the Kingdome of England, and Dominion of Wales; and that the Directory for publike Worship in that Paper set forth, should be from thenceforth used, pursued, and observed in all Exercises of publike Worship of God in every Congregation, Church, Chappell, and place of publike Worship. And by another printed Paper, dated the 23. day of August last past, intituled. An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, for the more effectuall putting in execution the Directory for publike Worship, &c. particular Directions are set downe for the dispersing, publishing, and use of the said Directory in all Parishes, Chappells, and Donatives; for the calling in and suppressing of all Books of Common Prayer, on the severall forfeitures and penalties to be leavied and imposed upon conviction, before Justices of Assize, or of Oyer and Terminer, and of the Peace, as by the said two printed Papers may appear. And taking into our consideration, that the Common Prayer, which is indeavoured thus to be abolished, was compiled in the times of Reformation, by the most learned and pious men of that age, and defended and continued with the Martyrdome of many, and was first established by Act of Parliament in the time of King Edward the sixth, and never repealed nor laid aside, save onely in that short time of Queene Maries Reigne, and upon the returne of Popery and superstition: And in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth, it was againe revived and established by Act of Parliament, and the repeale of it then declared by the whole Parliament, to have beene to the great decay of the due honour of [Page] God, and discomfort of the Professours of the truth of Christian Religion, and ever since it hath been used and observed for above fourscore yeares together in the best times of peace and plentie that ever this Kingdome enjoyed, and that it containes in it an excellent forme of worship and service of God, grounded upon the holy Scriptures, is a singular meanes and help to devotion in all Congregations, and that, or some other of the like forme simply necessarie in those many Congregations which cannot otherwise be supplyed by learned and able men, and keeps a uniformitie in the Church of England. And that the Directorie, which is sought to be introduced, is a m [...]ans to open the way, and to give the liberite to all ignorant, factious, and evill men, to broach their owne fancies and conceits, be they never so wicked or erroneous, and to mislead people into sin and Rebellion, and to utter those things, even in that which they make for long prayer in their Congregations in Gods presence, which no conscientious man can assent, or say Amen to: And be the Minister never so pious and religious, yet it will break that uniformitie which hitherto hath been held in Gods service, and be a meanes to raise factions and divisions in the Church, and those many Congregations in this Kingdome, where able and religious Ministers cannot be maintained, must be left destitute of all help and meanes for the publike worship and service of God. And observing likewise, that no reason is given for this Inconveniencie alleaged in the generall, and whether pride and avarice be not the ground, whether Rebellion and destruction of Monarchy be not the intention of some, and Sacriledge and the Churches possessions the aimes and hopes of others, and these new Directories the meanes to prepare and draw the people in for all, We leave to him who searches and knowes the hearts of men. And taking into Our consideration, that this alteration is introduced by colour of Ordinance of Parliament, made without and against Our consent, and against an expresse Act of Parliament still in force, and the same Ordinances of Parliament made as perpetuall binding Lawes, inflicting penalties and punishments, which were never (before these times) so much as pretended to have been the use or power of Ordinances of Parliament, without any expresse Act of Parliament, to which Wee are to be parties. Now lest Our silence should be interpreted by some as connivence or indifferencie in Vs, in a matter so highly concerning the worship and service of God, the peace and unitie of the Church and State, and the established Lawes of the Kingdome, We have therefore thought fit to [Page] publish Our Proclamation, and do hereby require and command all and singular Ministers in all Cathedrall and Parish Churches, and other places of publike worship, within our Kingdome of England, or Dominion of Wales, and all other to whom it shall appertaine, That the said Book of Common Prayer be kept and used in all Churches, Chappels, and places of publike worship, according to the said Statute made in that behalfe, in the said first yeare of the late Queen Elizabeth, and that the said Directorie be in no sort admitted, received, or used, the same pretended Ordinances, or any thing in them contained to the contrarie notwithstanding. And We do hereby let them know, that whensoever it shall please God to restore Vs to peace, the Lawes to their due course, wherin we doubt not of his assistance in his good time, We shall require a strict account and prosecution against the Breakers of the said Law, according to the scope thereof: And in the meane time, in such places where We shall come and find the Book of Common Prayer suppressed and laid aside, and the Directorie introduced, We shall account all those that shall be Aiders, Actors, or Contrivers therein, to be persons dis-affected to the Religion and Lawes established, and this they must expect, besides the great losse they shall sustaine, by suffering themselves to be deprived of the use and comfort of the said Book.
Given at our Court at Oxford the thirteenth day of November; in the one and twentieth yeare of Our Reigne.
Observations.
OVr present breaches call out to everie honest Christian to become a continuall Centinell, watching against the incessant assaults of such, whose endeavours have been, and still are, to bring utter ruine upon this Kingdome: His Majesties private Councellours, although they have been for some space, by reason of the severall victories obtained, (through the blessing of the Almightie) by the Parliaments Forces over the Kings Army, yet after a long progresse being returned to Oxford (the old Forge of their invectives against the Parliament) it seems they thought good to try one stratagem more to work upon the people, by publishing the above-mentioned Proclamation, pretending it in his Majesties name, upon which I thought fit to publish the following Observations, lest many too-credulous people might be ensnared by the specious and flourishing pretences the [...]eof (especially upon the [Page] under-hand divulging of it (by many of the Malignants in London, and other places) the scope of it is against the Directorie, as it is established by two Ordinances of Parliament, and therein would perswade the people againe to set up the Book of Common Prayer, which they know was much idolized in England.
The first Argument used to infuse this into the peoples heads (for I shall briefly examine the particulars of the Proclamation as they lye) is, That it was compiled in the times of Reformation, &c.
1 Obs. The first Reformers of Religion doubtlesse did never intend the use of the Book of Common Prayer further than to be an help in the want or weaknesse of a Ministers gifts, but that Ministers and people should be still strictly tied to the use thereof is sinfull and unlawfull, for the abilitie to offer up the peoples wants in prayer is part of the Ministeriali Office as well as preaching, 1 Cor. 12. 10. This he cannot do by reading in a Book devised by another; besides, the shadowes of darknesse now flying away, and the truth more fully and gloriously appearing, it is now as shamefull to use, as it were again to revive the Book of Homilies.
Procl. And defended and continued with the martyrdome of many.
2 Obs. Though many holy and zealous Martyrs then died for the Protestant Religion, yet it can never be proved that any suffered particularly in maintenance of the Common Prayer, since all know it is (for a great part) but the Masse in English.
Procl. It was first established by Act of Parliament in the time of King Edward the sixth, &c.
3 Obs. Besides, the palpable difference between the Common Prayer in Edward the sixth his time, and that afterwards set forth, yet (as is expressed Obs. 1.) Though the Liturgie, with the ceremonies belonging to it, were then (tollerabiles ineptiae) now it is time to leave off those and other things, which wee had formerly by tradition from the Papists.
Procl. It hath been used and observed for above eighty yeares together, &c.
4 Obs. The long use of anie thing doth not make it lawfull, they might then have pleaded a far longer prescription of time for the continuance of Papacy, and then when should we have had a Reformation? The like may be said for outward peace and plenty, which abounded as much in times of Poperie as ever.
Procl. It is grounded upon holy Scriptures, &c.
5 Obs. It containes in it many false and corrupt translations of holy Scripture, with additions to it, or leavings out, and abstractions from it. Take onely one instance for many, Psal 105. 28. the Service-Book hath, They were not obedient to his Word; In the Text thus: They were not disobedient.
Procl. The Directory which is sought to be introduced is a meanes to open the way, &c. to all ignorant Factions and evill men to broach their own fancies.
6 Obs. Common experience (blessed be God) now manifests the contrary to all the world, England having at this present in the places within the power of the Parliament, more learned, pious, and able Ministers then ever; They having now the opportunity to exercise and increase their guifts in prayer and preaching, whereas formerly the Common-Prayer was a meanes to nuzzle up a non-preaching and ignorant Ministery, were his Majestie perswaded but to come up to London, he would perceive a great difference between the Ministers here, and those Episcopall Sycophants, which are now in such favour with him. And for able and religious Ministers the great care of the Parliament is to store all the dark places of this Kingdome with them.
Procl. It will breake the uniformity, which hitherto hath beene held, &c.
7 Obs. What greater stumbling-block was there in all times both in the times of Queen Elizabeth, and King James, and the beginning of his now Majesties Reigne, to make non-Conformists, then the generall imposing of the Common-Prayer to be everie where publikely read.
Procl. Inconveniencie alledged in the generall.
8 Obs. The words used in the Ordinance are manifold inconveniencies, which in regard of the numerousnesse of them were too many for to be particularized, both the manner of it as well as the matter, was offensive to tender consciences, which his Majestie in some Declarations expres [...]es his desire so much to keep from offence; it brought the Land generally to Atheisme, grosse superstition, profanenesse, ignorance of God and his wayes; the people in many places where they had it most frequent, were so superstitious and ignorant, that they learned not all the dayes of their life to open their soules before the Lord in prayer.
9 Obs. For those charges of Rebellion, Sacriledge, the destruction of Monarchy, &c. The establishing of the Directorie doubtlesse will occasion none of these, we have had some experience of it at present, [Page] and King James himself who defended Monarchy in severall Treatises, thought it no diminution for him and the former Kings that ruled there to maintaine the government of the Church of Scotland (who use a Directorie) and what commotions and differences happened lately in that Kingdome by the imposing the Common Prayer on them is fresh in memory, nor was the continuance of it without much disturbance here; And for the Churches possessions which were formerly devoured by a companie of lazie Prelates, deboyst Priests, idle singing Boys, Chanters, &c. they are now by the vigilancy of the Parliament disposed of for the maintaining of a pious, learned, and preaching Ministery, and for the setting up of Lectures, more for the edification of the people then all the popish trumperies whatsoever.
Procl. This alteration is introduced by colour of Ordinance of Parliament, &c.
10 Obs. The Parliament have a power (upon the Kings withdrawing himselfe from them) to order and ordaine all such matters as shall be for the safetie of the Realme, it was so by a known Law, and so wisely established in Edward the first dayes, the right of the people to be summoned, ad tractandum ordinandum faciendum approbandum in all things appertaining to the people, and this as then was not prejudiciall to the King, why should the Kings Proclamation now abreviate or annull the same? In inferiour Courts the Judges are so Councellours for the King as that the King may not countermand their judgements.
Procl. Never before these times so much as pretended to have beene the use or power of Parliament, &c.
Obs. There are divers presidents upon Record of greater things that have been done by former Parliaments then ever yet have been by this, such as these: Anno 7. and 8. H. 4. Numb. 31. Councellours appointed by authority of Parliament, An. 1. H. 6. Numb. 15. The Protector & Defensor Regni, appointed by Parliament, Numb. 16. Privie Councellours; in E. 3. time, the whole Navie disposed of by Parliament, in other times the Militia, Castles, and Forts, disposed of by Parliament.
For a conclusion I will make that apologie which Plutarch observes in the life of Brutus, That though Pompey had been the cause of his fathers death, yet hee judging Pompey's cause to be better than Caesars, adheres to Pompey's partie, preferring the publike good before his private ends. So although the King be deare unto mee, yet the publike good is enore deare. Amicus Plato, amicus Aristoteles, sed magis amica veritas.