A plain and rational vindication of the liturgy of the Church of England collected out of the discourses of some of the reverend bishops and doctors of the same church, by way of question and answer / by J. Clvtterbvck, Gent.

Of the Litany.

Quest. WHAT doth the Name signifie?

Answ. An humble and earnest Supplication made to God in Adversity.

Q. When were these Forms first brought into the Church?

A. About Four Hundred Years after Christ, in Times of great Calamity, for the appeasing of God's Wrath.

2. Others think the Practice is derived from the Apostles and the Custom of their Times.

Q. By what Motives are your Addresses urged?

A. By Two: Because we are miserable, and because we are Sinners.

Q. Why do the People answer to every Petition?

A. By these Suffrages their Devotion is excited, quickned and exercised, and every Word is significant; for there,

• 1. We declare we ask every thing with Humility and Ear∣nestness, by the word We Beseech.
• 2. With Faith by calling him, we pray unto Good Lord.
• 3. We declare we seek not to Saints or Angels to hear us, but to our God alone, We beseech Thee, &c.

All which shews the stupidity and baseness of those who are Mute at this part of this excellent Litany, whose Bodies are pre∣sent, but their Souls (it is to be feared) are absent from this Ser∣vice; for whosoever would perform it with a present Mind cannot be better helped by any Means, than by carefully atten∣ding, When and How he ought to say this Devout Answer, We Beseech, &c.

Q. Why is the Litany broke into so many short Ejaculations, and not one continued Prayer?

A. That the Intention and Devotion, which is most necessary in Prayer may not be dulled, and vanish (as in a long Prayer it's apt to do) but be quickned, and the nearer to the End the shorter and livelier are the Expressions; strengthning our De∣votion, by raising in us an Apprehension of our Misery and Di∣stress, and therefore crying out, O Lamb of God, &c.

Q Why is the Litany ordered to be read on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday?

A. Upon Sunday in Honour to that Day, it being the Chief Service, and on Wednesdays and Fridays because they are Days of publick Assemblies and Fastings, and commanded more parti∣cularly to be said by the Minister those Days weekly, tho' they be not Holy-days. Canon the 15^th.

Q. Why do we repeat the First Four Verses intirely after the Minister?

A. Because it is as well a Confession of Faith as an Epitome or Sum of the whole Litany.

Q. Why do we pray to every Person in the Holy Trinity, apart?

A. Because as we acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord, so we worship each Person apart.

Q. What is meant by a Person in the Holy Trinity?

A. Person, is a distinct Subsistence of the whole Godhead. There are Three Divine Persons, which are not Three several Substances; but Three distinct Subsistences, or Three divers Manner of Being of one and the same Substance and Divine Essence, which Divine Essence is neither divided nor distinguish'd; But the Three Persons in the Divine Essence are distinguish'd among themselves by their Names, by their Order, and by their Actions or Properties.

Q. Why is the Divine Essence sometimes call'd Unity and some∣times Trinity.

A. Because the Divine Essence common to all the Three Per∣sons is but One, we call the same Ʋnity. But because there be Three distinct Persons in this one indivisible Essence, we call the same Trinity.

Q. Why is the Third Person named the Holy Ghost.

A. Because He is Spiritual without a Body.

2. Because He is Spired, and as it were breathed from both the Father and the Son, that is Proceeding from them both.

And He is call'd Holy, both because He is Holy in his own Nature, and also the immediate Sanctifier of all true Believers.

Q. Why is the Second Person called God the Son, and not the Son of God?

A. In Opposition to the Arrian Heresie, who denied the Di∣vinity of the Son, therefore we own him to be God equal with the Father, and give him the same Worship.

Q. Sith no Church in the World hath so compleat a Form, pray instruct us in that curious and comprehensive Method?

A. It's introduced with an Invocation of the Blessed Trinity, severally and conjunctly in the Four first Verses.

2. It contains Deprecations for Forbearance, v. 5. For Deli∣verance from Spiritual, Temporal, and Eternal Evils, v, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Noting also the Means by which, v. 11, 12. and the spe∣cial Time when, we should be delivered, v. 13.

3. It contains Intercessions for the whole Church, v. 14. For this Church, and in it for the King and His Royal Family, v. 15, 16, 17, 18. And for the Clergy, v. 19. For the Nobility and Magistrates, v. 20, 21. and the People, v. 22. For all Estates

of Men we beg Peace, v. 23. and Grace, v. 24, 25, 26, 27. For the Comfort of the Afflicted, v. 28, 29, 30, 31. and for Forgive∣ness of our Enemies, v. 32; and we pray for our selves, that we may have Plenty, v. 33. and Grace, v. 34.

4. It contains Supplications, 1. To press the former Petitions in Addresses to the Son of God and the whole Trinity; and to prevent, or remove evil in the Lord's Prayer, in the Prayer a∣gainst Persecution and the Alternate Requests, and to sanctifie evil not removed in the last Collect.

Q. Why do we begin to ask with these Deprecations?

A. Because Deliverance from Evil is the First Step to Felicity, and the proper Business of Litany.

Q. Why in the Petition for Forbearance do we pray, That God would not remember the Sins of our Fathers?

A. When God punisheth Sin, he's said to remember them, and we know there is a vast Heap of our own and our Fathers Sins unrevenged, and God may justly punish us for them, when we make them ours by Imitation.

Q. What is the Sum of all these Deprecations?

A. Deliverance from the Evils of Sin and Punishment, com∣prehended in those two general Words, Evil and Mischief, which signifie Wickedness and Misery.

Q. Why in the First Place, do we pray to be delivered from the Evil of Sin?

A. Because it is the First, greatest, and only real Evil, and the sole Cause of all the Mischiefs that do befall us; and by it the Church teacheth us, that they begin at the wrong End that pray against Affliction rather than Sin.

Q. What is the occasion of drawing us into this evil?

A. The Grafts and Assaults of the Devil.

Q. What are those Sins mentioned, which concern our selves?

A. Blindness of Heart, Pride, Vain-Glory and Hypocrisie.

Q. What are those Sins against our Neighbours?

A. Envy, Hatred, Malice, Ʋncharitableness.

Q. What mean we by Fornication and all other deadly Sins?

A. Fornication is not to be restrained to the defiling of single Persons, but comprehends all Acts of Uncleanness.

Q. Is any Sin Venial or Pardonable in its own Nature?

A. No: But yet with St. John we affirm as to the Event, there is a Sin unto Death, and there is a Sin not unto Death, and it's from those open and grievous Sins of Presumption which keep Men from Repentance, and usually end in Damnation; which we pray to be delivered from under the Name of Deadly Sins, of which we have a Catalogue, 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10.

Q. What do the Deceits of the World, Flesh and Devil comprehend?

A. All other Kinds of Sin; and because all Sin is managed by those Three Enemies, therefore they are mentioned.

Q. What do we pray against in that Petition, from Lightning and Tempest, &c?

A. For the Removal of the Effects, viz. Judgments.

Q. What mean we by Sudden Death?

A. Either an untimely Death before the Term which Nature allots; or, a violent Death by stabbing, burning, drowning, & o. or else it signifies the dying in a Moment of Time.

Q. Why are all these kind of Deaths to be prayed against?

A. Because they leave our Relations without Comfort.

2. They leave our worldly Concerns unsettled.

3. They deprive us of the necessary preparative Ordinances for Death.

4. They give us no Time to fit our Souls for our great Ac∣count.

The Frequency and fearfulness of Earthquakes gave the First occasion to this Prayer against Sudden Death (as Dr. Hakewell tells us) but tho' this sort of Calamity be more rare in this than in some other Countries, and less dreadful now than in former Ages, so that this Petition (at least as to us may seem less need∣ful upon that account; yet how many are the Casualties and Dangers we are continually exposed to, that may put a sudden Period to our Lives? which to beg the Divine Protection to be preserv'd and delivered from, a Judicious Author looks upon as the most proper and direct sense of this Petition, and let that Man alone (saith he) who judgeth this unsit, condemn and reject this Petition against Sudden Death.

Q. What's comprehended in that Petition, from Sedition, &c?

A. We pray against the Causes of those sad Effects, which such Evils may bring upon the Kingdom and Church.

Q. Why was Rebellion and Schism added since King Charles II's Happy Restauration?

A. Because Rebellion and Schism did murder one of the best of Kings, and Thousands of his loyal Subjects, and also pull'd the Church to pieces.

Q. What are the means we pray to be delivered by?

A. His Holy Incarnation, &c.

Q. Why are such Petitions as these called by the Latins Obse∣crationes?

A. Because we urge the party, of whom we ask, by all that is dear to him; and in these we commemorate all that our dear Redeemer did for us in his Life, at his Death, and after his Death; and by all the Love he shewed to us, by all the Torments he endured for us, by all the glorious

Things he intends for us; we beseech him to deliver us from these Evils.

Q. Is not this called Conjuration?

A. Yes: Ignorant Malice hath so censured it, when it is the most devout and moving Oratory in the World.

Q. What is the Cross here put for?

A. Not for the Wood, (which the Papists superstitiously adore, but) for the Torments he suffered thereon; and his Cross com∣prehends the pains of his Body, his Passion, and the Anguish of his Mind.

All these Arguments, devoutly urged, have a mighty Force in them.

Q. When is the season that we pray for Deliverance?

A. It is expressed in that Petition, In all Time of our Tribu∣lation, &c.

Q. Why is that part which we call Intercession used in the Litany?

A. Because it is commanded by God, and in Christian Cha∣rity we ought to desire Blessings for all sorts of Men?

Q. Why do we begin in our Intercessions with the Holy Church Ʋniversal?

A. Because we ought to be more concern'd for the good of the Whole, than of any particular Part.

Q. Why do we beg of God to Rule and Govern All Churches in the right Way, which is left out by the Romanists?

A. Because when these Petitions were first made, it is not likely that the Doctrine of Infallibility was maintain'd, either in the Roman Church, or any other Part of the Christian World; and that any particular Church may fall into wrong Ways, the very Roman Church which boasts of its Infallibility has demonstrated, and by sad Experience, we find that no particular Church is free from the possibility of being deceived, altho' we believe that God will not suffer the whole Universal Church at once to fall into any grievous Error.

Q. What do we pray for in those Petitions for the King?

A. Our first Requests are for the King's spiritual Good, that he may be throughly and sincerely pious from inward Princi∣ples, which will never fail; if he be of the right Faith, then the Prayer is for his Confirmation in it; and if he be perverted, it's a Prayer for his Conversion?

2. We pray likewise that he may be supplied with all Tempo∣ral Blessings, and kept from all kinds of Evil. And if any be so wicked as to rebel upon any Pretence whatsoever, Religion, Li∣berty, Property, or the like; we must wish the Victory may fall always on the King's side.

Q. Why is the Prayer for the Clergy placed next to that for the Royal Family?

A. The Jews and Gentiles both reckoned their Chief Priests to be next in dignity to their Kings, and so did our pious Ancestors account them (next to the King) the most considerable Mem∣bers of the Catholick Church.

Q. Why are the Clergy distinguish'd here into those three Orders, Bishops, Priests and Deacons?

A. All ancient Offices do particularly pray for the Clergy so distinguished, which have from the Beginning been ever in the Church.

Q. What is the Substance of the Prayer?

A. The Prayer we make for them, is the same which Moses made for Levi, Deut. 33. 8. Let thy Ʋrim and thy Thummim be with thy holy One: That is, Illumination, or Enlightning, and Perfection, which is excellently Paraphras'd in this Prayer.

Q. What are those three Words in the Litany, which comprehend all the Miseries that concern our Bodies?

A. Danger, Necessity, and Tribulation.

All Evils are either future and feared, and these are implied in the Word Danger; or else they are present, and then they proceed from want of some good thing expressed by Necessity, or from suffering some evil thing signified by Tribulation; and each of these hath its proper Verb suted to it, viz. Succour, Help, and Comfort. So that in this one general Request, we compre∣hend our selves and all other afflicted Persons in the whole World.

Q. There are some who condemn all Antiquity together with our Church, as if They and We pray'd for Thieves and Pirates, because the word is general for All that Travel, &c.

A. It is a malicious Comment on an innocent Text, for He is properly a Traveller who goes about his allowable or ordinary Occasions, and it is evident that no other are here meant, but Just and Honest Men.

Q. Why after so many excellent Petitions presented to our Heavenly Father, do we make our Addresses to our Mediatour, viz. Son of God, Lamb of God.

A. That he may recommend us and our Prayers at the Throne of Grace; beseeching him by his Divinity, and by his Sufferings for us, to accept of our Petitions, and to pardon our Sins; and again, as he's our anointed Mediatour, that he would procure a gracious Answer to them.

Q. Why are those Versicles added: Lord have Mercy, &c?

A. That our Conclusion may be suitable to our Beginning, we close up all with an Address to the whole Trinity for that

Mercy which we have been begging in so many particulars, and this one Word Mercy comprehends them all; so that this is the Epitome of the whole Litany.

Q. When was this last part of the Litany, called the Supplications, first collected and put into this Form?

A. When the barbarous Nations began to over-run the Em∣pire, about 600 years after Christ.

Q. Why is the Lord's Prayer again repeated?

A. To shew the high esteem that pious Antiquity had of it, and their mean Opinion of their own Inventions and Compo∣sures, which receive Life and Value from this Divine Form.

Q. Why are those words (Let us pray) here used?

A. That the People may not think the Duty is ended, as soon as the Responses or Answers cease; but are admonished in their Heart (not with their Voice) to join with the Priest still.

Q. Why is not the Prayer against Persecution concluded with A∣men?

A. To shew that the same Request is continued in another Form, and what the Priest begg'd alone there, all the People join with him to ask in these alternate Supplications, or Pray∣ers in turn.

Q. Is not the repeating that Petition twice (O Lord, arise, &c.) a vain Repetition?

A. No: But a Testimony that we are convinced we did wisely and well, to ask of God now to arise and help us; that so the honour he hath gotten by the wonders of his Mercy may be renewed and confirmed, by this new Act of his Power and Goodness.

Q. Why is the Doxology placed here?

A. In imitation of Holy David, Psal. 6. 8. and Ps. 22. 25. we having such a God to pray to, in the midst of our mournful Supplications, do both praise God for his ancient Mercies; and also in assurance we shall obtain his Help, praise him for his Help beforehand: And as he was glorified for past Mercies in the Beginning; so he is for the present, and shall be hereafter for future Blessings.

Q. Why do we not rise up when the Doxology is repeated in the Litany?

A. Because as it's here used, and other parts of the Litany, before and after, are matters of humble Supplications; and so most fit to be tendred to God in that Posture.

2. We are to consider, that this Doxology was inserted when the Litany was (what it is now, but called) Procession; and then it was no Exception, for then Men were standing or walking.

Q. What is chiefly meant by that Phrase: Mercifully look upon our Infirmities?

A. The Calamities which Divine Providence hath laid upon us, and which we have justly and righteously deserved.

Q. What Ʋse is there for the occasional Prayers in general, if the various Miseries of Mankind are exactly enumerated in the Litany?

A. Our Miseries are but barely mentioned there, and at some times some particular Evils lie so heavy upon us; and some great mercies are so necessary for us, that it is requisite we should have solemn Forms upon such Occasions; that it may fully sute all our Necessities.

Q. Why are the 4. Sundays before Christmas called Advent Sun∣days?

A. Because they are to prepare us for Christ's Advent, or coming in the flesh, which we call Christmas.

Q. Why do we commemorate the blessed Birth of our Saviour upon the 25th of December?

A. Because it was the custom of the ancient Church so to do, and we have good Reason to believe that Christ was Born on that Day. Vide Dr. Hammond.

Q. Why is the Feast of Circumcision observed?

A. As by Christ's Birth we received the Adoption of Sons, so by his Circumcision the Redemption from the Law.

Q. What do we celebrate upon Epiphany?

A. Three glorious Manifestations, viz. The Star, which was the Gentiles guide to Christ; and that of the Trinity at the Baptism of Christ, in the opening of the Heavens, and of his Divinity by the Miracle of turning Water into Wine, which is thought to have been done on the same Day.