SECT. IV.

The Service-book served, not for distinction of the Reformed Churches from the unreformed, as the Doctor saith: Too much conformity in it to the Romish Bre∣viary, yet passed in the first Parliament of Q. Elizabeth, and why so.

FOr your third word,*distinction, that is as ill applied to the Service-book, as the two former, for how serves that for Page  12 a distinction of the Reformed against the unreformed Churches? If you call those unreformed Churches that have it not, you speak a new Dialect of your own, and as naught as new; where∣in all Orthodox Protestants will be against you: If you mean by unreformed, those who are most unreformed, viz. the Roman Churches, the distinction was not so great, either in K Henry the 8^th his time, or K. Edw. the 6^th his time, or Q. Elizab. time, as it should have been: Not in K. Henry the 8^th his time, for theno Card. Quignonius at the request of Pope Cl•• 7. then made the Popish Missall liker the English for a great part, then it was to the Roman Breviary: Not in King pEdw. the 6^th his time, for when the Rebels were up in Devon∣shire, for the restitution of the Mass and other Popish matters comprised in severall Articles: To that of the Service-book, (which was one of them) the Kings answer was, As for the Service (in the English tongue) it hath manifest reasons for it, and yet (perchance) it seemeth to you a new Service, and is in∣deed none other but the old, the self same words in English, which were in Latine, saving a few things taken out, which were so fond, that it had been a shame to have heard them in English, as all can judge that do report the truth. Not in Q Elizab. time, for Pope qPaul the 4^th would have allowed of the Service and Liturgy, set out by her, if she would have received it by his authority: And for the English Service, as it first passed in Parliament, it was not such as was desired by the best, but such as could be obtained of the worst sort of Protestants, who made the major part in the first Parliament of Q Elizab. and who were so su∣perstitiously devoted to that form of Service, that the Book would not have passed, if it had been so Reformed as it should have been: We have just ground for this conjecture out of ther Conference at Hampton Court; where (upon, the debate betwixt King James and others, about the womens Baptism by warrant thereof) the King urging and pressing the words of the Book, said, they could not but intend a permission of women s• to do, the Bishop of Worcester said, that (indeed) the words are doubtfull, because otherwise, perhaps the Book would not have passed in the Parliament; and for this he cited the testimony of the Archbishop of York.

Page  13 Why then should those who have power to Reform what is amiss, be confined to such a form of service as this? which had i• been a perfect masculine issue, they who should (as Mid∣wives) have holpen to bring it forth, would have been ready to strangle it in its birth.

Yet such as it was, with all its faults and defects, they gave their Vote unto it: but those who were truly wise and godly, never meant to set up their rest with such a Reformation: For it was both irreligious and unreasonable which some Prelates projected, viz. instead of proficiency towards perfection, to make us retrograde, to the state and stature of our Churches minority, and they might as well put down preaching, and bring up Homiles, and meer reading Ministers again, as make that form of prayer a standard to our publique devotion.

Now for that you say in your Latine Letter, where you call the Service-book you lent me (before my Library was brought to Br.) thesmost glorious household-stuff of your father, which you say is pretious in your sight, and so shall be for ever. Methinks you honour that Book so much, as you must imply no little dishonour to your father, as if he had not a Bible in his house, and no less dishonour to the Bible, if he had it, and yet that were not in your eye a more glorious piece of houshold-stuff, then the Service-book was.

But though neither the Parliament, nor the Assembly did either admire or adore it, as you did▪ it should not have been so contemptuously used as it was, to use your own words.