AN

ADDRESS PROEMIAL.

THE fatal pique between parties oppositely persuaded, concerning the liturgy and ceremonies of our Church, drawing nigh to its axun and highest pitch about twenty years since, the noise of those clashings roused me up seriously to consider, that this was not a controversy, like many others, about trifling niceties, admitting a safe neutrality; but a controversy about a practical fundamental, wherein to err was to hazard the main. For if (as the non-conformists urged) the liturgy and ceremonies of our Church were absolutely and simply unlawful; first, as being of man's device; and secondly, because extracted out of the Mass-Book, Breviary, and other rituals of the Church of Rome; then did the ordinances of our Church betray me all the while to an abominable compliance, no longer to be endured. But if, on the contrary, her religious rites and appointments had no such impious quality, if they were elemented of materials, not only lawful, but highly decent, then to withdraw my obedience to her sanctions would prove as dangerous on the other side. Being then necessitated to an election of one of these two, (for they admit no medium,) conformity, or separation, resolved I was to do it as it should be, that is, by examining what was said pro and con, for and against it, on both sides,

and then to follow the dictates of an impartial judgment. That I might stand the more erect, and behold both opponents with equal angles, resolved I was also to move some prejudice I had conceived against some persons disaffected to our ceremonies, in regard by former subscriptions they had allowed what was since of so hard concoction to them; this I considered was argumentative only ad homines, not ad rem; for if any did comply in order to their temporal interest, their failings must not be urged to the disadvantage of the cause. Personal reflections therefore set aside, I fixed my mind only upon a disquisition of the truth. All in effect that at that time had been, or since hath been, said on the complainants' behalf, was drawn up into one body by Mr. Cartwright, the magazine that stores all that party with a panoply, complete armour for these polemics and all that Mr. Cartwright did urge was faithfully summed up by Dr. Whitgift and Mr. Hooker, who replied upon him. So that my study was reduced to a narrow scantling, viz. a perusal only of those learned authors. This I did, from point to point, with all possible diligence, and that more than once: having seriously weighed the arguments on both sides, I sincerely profess, my judgment did clearly acquiesce in this, That our liturgy and ceremonies were no way guilty of that foul charge of unlawful and if so, I had enough whereon to establish my obedience.

:

Necessity and consideration of my eternal state having brought me thus far, curiosity had a further journey for whereas one part cried down our service and ceremonies as a popish, and the other cried them up as a primitive model, and both with equal confidence; I had a mind to bestow some labour in the research of this truth also, and to consult the very fountains themselves, I mean those precious records of the first six centuries. With Clemens Romanus, Ignatius,

Polycarpus, apostolical men, I began; then descended to Justin Martyr, Clemens Alexandrinus, Irenæus, Tertullian, Cyprian, &c., so gradually downward unto the age of Gregory the Great. Whatsoever in passage occurred to my observation, as evidence of the practice primitive, I noted, at first confusedly, and after disposed into more serviceable order, assigning every note its proper station as it did parallelly relate to any respective part of our liturgy. By the help of these notes, able was I to discern that our liturgy in the most, and those the most noble parts, (those of sacred extraction excepted,) was extant in the usage of the primitive Church long before the popish mass was ever dreamt of. Nay, more than so; able was I to discern an admirable harmony, even in external rites, between the Church of England and those ancient fathers. These notes having had so potent an influence upon myself, that, whereas I at first conformed only as education and custom had prepossessed me, under the conduct of that light they afforded me, I became a true son of the Church of England, both in judgment and affection I inclined to think, that meeting with minds of the same complexion with mine, that is, studious of truth, not biassed by passion, nor addicted to any faction, they would have the same operation. Upon this supposition I began to fit them for the public; and I can only say I began; for, in my entrance upon that work, the torrent of our civil dissensions, plunder, and eight years' sequestration overtake me, as an adherent to the worsted, I say not to the worst, side. Reduced to this condition, how to live became my only study, these useless collections I laid to rest, where probably they had slept their last, had not an unexpected occasion awakened them. That occasion, this:

In July, 1656", came forth a book entitled Extraneus

Vapulans, in English, 'L'Estrange is beaten,' the author Dr. Heylin, by ordination a presbyter, who of all men should be no striker, so the Apostle's canon, 1 Tim. iii. 3, and so the canon of the Apostles, πρεσβύτερον τύπτοντα πιστοὺς ἁμαρ τάνοντας καθαιρεῖσθαι προστάττομεν, “ that presbyter who smiteth believers when they offend, we decree that he be deposed." It is not my desire, were I able, to lay this law upon him. No, that he may see that he hath wrought a reformation upon me, that I am the better for the beating, I solemnly profess all injuries he hath done me have with me had long since Christian burial, burial by the Book of Common Prayer, in that excellent form, "If any of you be in malice, come not to this holy table." I thank God I have not the least swelling thought against him; yet I ingenuously confess, that when I first read in the preface of that book, myself (amongst other not very lovely attributes) blazoned for a non-conformist, I beheld it as a provocation most piquant and pungent to turn again, had I not seriously resolved never more to enter the lists of unchristian strife with him or any other. But though I resolved totally to acquiesce from such contests, yet did I as firmly from that very moment resolve, if God blessed me with a few days, not to suffer that great blot of ink to dry upon mine honour, and the rather because I was persuaded I could take it out, not with juice of lemon, sharp recriminations, but with milk and milder lenitives. In order to it, I presently re-assumed my long-neglected papers. Having reviewed them, my second thoughts suggested to me a design of a new model. For whereas I at first intended only a confinement of my notes to the established liturgy of our Church, my last meditations resolved

b Can. 27. [Bev. Syn. p. 17.]

["Finding him to be stiffly principled in the puritan tenets, a semipresbyterian at the least in the form of government, a non-conformist in matter

of ceremony, and a rigid Sabbatarian in the point of doctrine, as ill-looking a fellow as he makes me, I could easily see that my known contrariety in opinion had raised this storm."]

to apply them to all our liturgies since the Reformation, to recommend the Common Prayer by all the arguments I could, to a more passable entertainment, and to take off all the considerable objections against it. In the progress of which enterprize so many new speculations offered themselves to my consideration, that I cannot but profess myself a great (I hope not the only) proficient by mine own labours; so true is that, διδάσκων τὶς, μανθάνει πλεῖον 4, “ he who teacheth others, instructs himself."

In the pursuit of these annotations, where I refer to antiquity, I rarely descend beneath six hundred years after Christ, and as rarely do I cite any but authentic records, or such as, under false ascriptions, are the undoubted issues of those times therefore the supposed liturgies of Peter, James, &c., I urge no further than I find them consonant with the genuine tracts of others. I bear no implicit faith to the dictates of any whatsoever : whence it is that I assume a liberty inoffensively to dissent from persons eminent, and whom I mention always with terms of respect. As little do I expect or desire to inthral any man to my private fancy; in matters of so minute consideration, I hold it as absurd to quarrel with any man for not being of my opinion, as for not being of my diet. If in any thing I have erred, as it is an even-lay I have, more than once, he who shall friendly remonstrate it to me, will exceedingly oblige me. As for such keno-critics, or rather cyno-critics, as snarl and bite where no offence is given, free liberty have they to say their pleasure, ὅπέρ εἰμι τοῦτο μένω, καὶ δυσφημούμενος καὶ θαυμαζόμενος, "whether they praise or dispraise me, to me it signifieth the same thing, that is, nothing."

Having thus presented to the world an account why I published these annotations, it will be proper to premise some• Nazianz. eipnv. B.

Clem. Alex. Strom., lib. i.