BOOK III.

THE OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE LITURGY OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND CONSIDERED, AND ANSWERED UPON THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF THE REFORMED CHURCH OF FRANCE.

CHAP. I.

That the French Church hath a Public Liturgy or Form of Prayers and Administration of Sacraments, which all Ministers are obliged to use in their daily Service.

The French Liturgy is so often mentioned in many parts of their Book of Discipline and Canons, already cited in this discourse, that I think it needless to offer any further proofs, that they have an established Liturgy among them. But there is one thing which it will not be amiss to evidence and confirm a little further, which is, that they require all ministers to use it constantly, and in no wise to vary or deviate from it. Calvin gave this advice to the heads of the English reformation in king Edward's days, and we need not doubt but he took care to put it in practice in his own country. "As to what concerns a form of prayer and ecclesiatical rites," says he, "I highly approve of it, that there be a certain form, from which the ministers be not allowed to vary: that first, some provision may be made to help the simplicity and unskillfulness of some. Secondly, that the consent and harmony of the Churches, one with another, may appear. And lastly, that the capricious giddiness and levity of such as effect innovations, may be prevented. To which end I have shewn that a catechism will be very useful. Therefore there ought to be a stated catechism, a stated form of prayer and administration of the sacraments." Calvin Ep. ad Protector. Angl. p. 4169.

If we had no clearer light or evidence concerning the practice of the French Church in this matter, this were at

strong presumption what it must be, considering how great an hand Calvin had in its reformation. But we have most certain and undeniable evidences in the case. Their Book of Discipline in one canon determines the controversy beyond all dispute. cap. 5. art. 32. where it says, "If any pastor break the Church's union, or stir up contention about any point of doctrine, or discipline, or about the form of catechising, or administration of the sacraments, or of our common prayers and celebration of marriage, and conform not to the determination of the Classis, he shall then be suspended from his office, and be further prosecuted by the provincial or national Synod." Here we see conformity to the Liturgy and all its parts, as well as to the confession of faith and discipline, is made necessary to the Church's union. And this is demonstrable of every particular office contained in it.

First, for their ordinary public prayers, they covenant, as much as we do, to use their prescribed form and no other. Nor do they ever pretend to deviate from this rule in their ordinary service, but only allow of extraordinary prayers in some cases, and upon some particular occasions, such as the minister's prayer before sermon, and prayers composed for solemn fasts and thanksgivings. He that pleases may see this fully proved by that learned Frenchman Ludovicus Capellus, in a long discourse about set forms of prayer, where he shews that their Liturgy is not a mere directory, but a precise form, to be used in all the offices it appoints, by all the ministers of the kingdom; and he answers all objections brought against it. Thes. Salmur. Par. 3. Disp. 37.

So that Mr. B's three arguments against the subscription required of ministers in the 36th canon, which is, that they will use in public prayer the forms prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer and no other, are altogether as strong against the French Church. 1. First he says, "the bishops themselves by the king's order, do upon special occasions of fasts and thanksgivings, prescribe, impose and use other forms and we must not covenant to disobey them. 2. The

public ministers have and do in the pulpits before sermons use other forms; and so break this covenant themselves. 3. It belongs to the office of a pastor to word his own prayers, as well as his own sermons: and it is sinful to renounce so much of the work of the office, which we are vowed and ordained to." Engl. Nonconf. cap. viii. p. 43.

Then first, I say the French Church is guilty of perjury, and breach of vow also: for they use particular forms prescribed upon special occasions of fasts and thanksgivings, besides their ordinary form of prayer. Calvin here will be our witness, who tells us in one of his epistles, "That in in the year 1541. when Germany was infested both with war and pestilence, he prevailed with the magistrates of Geneva to appoint a solemn day of extraordinary supplications for them, aud that he himself composed the prayers that were to be used on that occasion. Precationes, quibus in iis uterentur, conscripsi." Calvin, Ep. p. 263. And there is such a form now annexed to his liturgy. Tom, 8. p. 31. The French Canons often mention such solemn days of fasting and extraordinary supplications, in which they used some new prayers besides their ordinary service. And yet they never thought themselves guilty of perjury or breach of covenant, because these were cases, which in the covenant itself were presumed to be excepted.

2. They use other forms of prayer in the pulpit before their sermons, as the ministers in England do. Dr. Bernard, who put forth the book, called "Bishop Usher's Judgment," &c. p. 315. says, both the Dutch and French Churches are so strict in this matter, as to keep always to the same form. The Geneva Liturgy allows every minister to choose what form he thinks most convenient for his purpose. Precationis Formulam ad id aptam Minister sibi pro arbitrio deligit. Calvin Formul. Prec. Eccl. T. 8. p. 29.

Thus the Synod of St. Maixant allows the minister, that ordains another, to use a prayer of his own composing, 'till he comes to the prayer of consecration, and then he must use the form which they prescribe, and no other. See this cited a little after in this same chapter.

Any one, that will turn over any volume of Calvin's ser

mons, will find at the end of every homily a short prayer of his own, about the length of one of our collects, suited to the matter or subject of his discourse, which he constantly used besides the long prayer prescribed in the Liturgy to be

used after sermon.

3. The French Church did not think it belonged so absolutely to the office of a pastor, to word his own prayers; no, nor yet his own sermons, as Mr. B. says it does, who therein condemns himself; that in 1661. presented a new liturgy to the bishops, which words the pastors' prayers for them, as much as the old liturgy does. And I cannot think whom Mr. B. intended to serve by making this objection, unless those, who reject the use of all set forms in general, as simply unlawful. For if it belong to the office of a minister to word his own prayers, then he sins in using a set form and if so, all protestant ministers are to blame, both in the French and all other protestant Churches; for they do not always word their own prayers, but use the forms that are prescribed for them. But then they do not contradict and condemn themselves, and say with Mr. B. that it belongs to the office of a pastor to word his own prayers, but think that in most cases, it is better the church by common consent should word them for him; and in some cases, it is more advisable to word men's sermons for them too, where pastors are weak and ignorant as many were in England, France, Holland, &c. in the beginning of the reformation, for the assistance of whom, Calvin's Sermons, and Bullinger's Decads, and our Book of Homilies, were allowed to be read in churches. But of this I have spoken before. I now proceed with the business of set forms in other offices. Conformity to the rubrick and canons, which appoint the form of administering the holy communion, is strictly required by the Synod of St. Maixant, under pain of ecclesiastical censure; cap. 6. art. 14. That hereafter there may be a general uniformity in the Churches of this kingdom, in the administration of the Lord's Supper,-all pastors are enjoined to abstain from any new or private methods of their own; as of reading the words of institution between the ordinary long prayer, and that appointed particularly for this sacrament, &c." Then after several other rites men

tioned and enjoined, they conclude with this sanction: "Classes and Synods shall have their eyes over those, who act contrary to this order, and reduce them to their duty by all befitting censures."

Here we have express mention, not only of a form of prayer to be used, but in what order, and with what rites and ceremonies the whole administration is to be performed; of which I shall speak more fully, when I come to consider the particular objections that are made against our office for celebrating the holy communion. At present it is sufficient to have observed, how this Synod enjoins the use of a set form in administering the communion as strictly as any rule, canon, or rubrick in the Church of England.

I observe the same exactness required in keeping close to the rule and form appointed for the administration of the other sacrament of baptism. Of which I will only give this one instance out of a canon of the Synod of Vitre, 1583. cap. ii. art. 8. The question being proposed, "Whether the usual form of prayer should be recited at the baptism of infants born out of matrimony, or in adultery, or incest, because there are in it those words, Begotten of Father and Mother whom thou hast called into thy Church?" The Synod judged, that there should be no dispute made. about it, for reasons which they there assign." Whence I infer, that if they would not suffer any variation to be made in the usual form of baptism, in so extraordinary and singular a case, much less would they allow it to any upon common and ordinary occasions.

And as they strictly keep to their form in the baptism of infants, so do they likewise in the baptism of adult persons.

The 3d Synod of Charenton, 1645. composed a particular form for the baptism of persons, converted from paganism, judaism, mahometanism, and anabaptism, which is inserted into the acts of that Synod. cap. 9. where there is a long prayer, and particular interrogatories and answers for each person, containing a renunciation of his former errors, &c. "Which form by order of that Synod is enjoined to be used particularly on those occasions, whenever God shall be pleased to make any additions to His Church, of such converts.” Synodie. T. 2. p. 447.