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Title:  A view of the nevv directorie and a vindication of the ancient liturgie of the Church of England in answer to the reasons pretended in the ordinance and preface, for the abolishing the one, and establishing the other.
Author: Hammond, Henry, 1605-1660.
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may escape the offending others? not sure because we more esteem the judgments of the latter, for by the Apostles rule the wea∣ker men are, the more care must be taken, that they be not offen∣ded. 2. I shall suppose that their Liturgy, or their having none at all, may possibly offend us, and then demand why they shall not be as much obliged to change for the satisfying of us, as we of them? I am ashamed to presse this illogicall discourse too farre, which sure never foresaw such examination, being meant only to give the people a formall specious shew for what is done, a heap of popular Arguments, which have of late gotten away all the custome from Demonstrations, and then, Si populus vult decipi, decipiatur, if the tame Creature will thus be taken, any fallacy, or Topicke doth as well for the turn, as if Euclid had de∣monstrated it. In pursuit of this popular Argument it followes,P. . that by this means, i. e. of the Liturgy, divers able and faithfull Ministers were debarred from the exercise of their Ministry, and spoyled of their livelyhood, to the undoing of them and their Families. To which I answer, 1. That if this be true, it is very strange that so few of this present Assembly were of that number. For of them I may surely say many, very many in proportion, were not debarred of the exercise of their Ministry, were not dispoyled of their livelyhood, &c. And if any one was, which I professe I know not, I believe it will be found, that the standing of Liturgy brought not those inflictions upon him. The conclusion from hence will be, that either these present Assemblers concurred not in judgment with those many able and faithfull Ministers (and then why do they now bring their Arguments from them, whose judgement they did not approve and follow?) or else that they were not so valiant, as to appear when sufferings ex∣pected them, or else that they had a very happy Rainbow hang∣ing over their heads to avert from them that common storme. But then 2. It might be considered, whether those mentioned penalties have not been legally, and by act of Parliament, infli∣cted on those who suffer'd under them, and then whether that will be ground sufficient to abolish a Law, because by force there∣of some men that offended against it have beene punished. 3. Whether some men did not choose non-conformity as the more in∣strumentall 0