A peaceable moderator, or, Some plain considerations to give satisfaction to such as stand dis-affected to our Book of common prayer established by authority clearing it from the aspersion of popery, and giving the reasons of all the things therein contained and prescribed / made by Alan Carr ...

Obj. There be many unfitting Words, Phrases of Speech, Corrupt Versions, wrong Translations, and hard Expressions in this Book of Common-prayer.

Answ. We do acknowledge many passages in it have been excepted against; yet of small Concernment, if they had been favourably and charitably construed. Exception hath been ta∣ken at the first Sentence, At what time soever a sinner doth re∣pent, &c. as there is no health in us in the Confession of sins; at Te Deum, Benedicte, the praying part of the Letany by the Clerk and people, at words in the Communion, with Angels and Arch-angels, after the Communion in the prayers which for our un∣worthiness we dare not, and for our blindness cannot ask, vouch∣safe to give us for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord; at the words in Baptism that Infants may receive Remis∣sion of sins by spiritual Regeneration; at words in the Rubrick after Confirmation before the Catechism, that Children bapti∣zed are undoubtedly saved, though they had not Confirmation; at the curses in the Commination; then at many passages in the reading Psalms which are according to the old Translation, Psa. 28. 9. Psa. 37. 38. Psa. 38. 8. Psa. 68. 6. Psa. 105. 28. Psa. 107. 40. Psa. 125. 3. Then at the Epistles and Gospels being after the old Translation; at some words in John 2. being the Gospel for the second Sunday after the Epiphany, at words in Gal. 4. The Epistle on the fourth Sunday in Lent, in Phil. 2. the Epistle

on Palm Sunday, and in Eph. 3. the Epistle on the 16th. Sunday after Trinity. But the greatest exception of all was at the words of Burial, We commit his body to the ground, Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, in sure and certain hope of Resurrection to eternal life. These words indeed (at the first sight or sound of them) To be spoken of all indifferently, with∣out any distinction, though their Lives had been never so bad and loose, might seem somewhat strange and harsh to many an honest and well-meaning man, who did not understand them a∣right, or know the Grounds or Reasons of them.

1. If you mark the words well, it is not said in sure and cer∣tain hope of his or her Resurrection to eternal Life, as in parti∣cular Reverence to the party deceased; but the words are spoken in general In sure and certain hope of Resurrection to eternal life; that is, of (a) Resurrection to eternal life, or as it is now Corrected and set down in the Book, in sure and certain hope of (the) Resurrection to eternal Life: To shew that we Christians do believe that there is a Resurrection to eternal life, and that we bury our dead in a strong hope and faith, that we and all true believers shall rise again to eternal life. In doubtful Speeches charity should take the best construction and fairest interpretation, and not pervert the meaning of the words.

2. If they will not be perswaded, but that it was meant by the Church, as they take it and will apply it in reference to the party deceased; yet this at most is but the charity of our Church, and you know what the Apostle Saint Paul speaketh of charity, 1 Cor. 13. 5. Charity thinketh no evil, believeth all things, hopeth all things, covereth a multitude of faults; we have no warrant in Scripture (as far as I find) to judge, censure, or condemn any man (especially for his final end) though he lived never so loosely, he might have grace (for ought we know) to repent before his death; but rather command to the contrary, Luke 6. 37. Judge not, and you shall not be judged; con∣demn not, and ye shall not be condemned. Again, Rom. 14. 4. Who art thou that condemnest another mans Servant? He standeth or fall∣eth (saith the Apostle) to his own Master. And this charity is

grounded upon more Reason then every one understandeth, if we consider the constitution of the Government of our Church, the strictness of Discipline that was set up and execu∣ted, and the temper and condition of the people of those times, you will find both Reason and Equity in it The Government set up was strict, if any of the Congregation were known, or upon common fame noted to be Drunkards, or any way Swea∣rers, Fornicators, unclean Persons, or any way prophane; they were to be presented to the Court by the Church-Wardens of the Parish upon their Oath (which was usually done twice a year constantly if not oftner) they were summoned and con∣vented to the Court, and upon Proof or Evidence of the Fact censured and put to open penance for the terrour of others: If the party Delinquent did submit, repent, and promise amend∣ment, upon his penace all was remitted; he was received in as a Brother, and reconciled to the Church; but if he continued ob∣stinate and wilful in his course, was excommunicated and cast out of the Church, and so stood till he did repent: And being excommunicate, if he died so, he was not thus to be buried, but was by the Law and by the Church debarred of the priviledge called by the ancients by the name of (Christian Burial) so that if a man were such a notorious Offender and Excommunicate by the censure of the Church, as few such were in those days (peo∣ple were not so loose by far as now, and again they feared much the curse of the Church, the danger of Excommunication) he was excluded from this priviledge by the Law, and might not be thus buried by the Minister. Now if we look upon other forms of Government, the Presbyterians and Independents also will acknowledge that no private man, nor sole and single per∣son, nor the Minister himself should have power to judge, cen∣sure, or condemn any man, or as much as to disown him as a Brother for any fault till he be censured and condemned by the Church; this were too tyrannical: Then let any man judge (if he look upon our Discipline being now fully again revived, if it be fully executed as it should be) whether charity be here altogether mistaken, or what just ground there is given of ex∣ception against those words. But all these we will pass over

and not mention them any farther, because all of them or the most of them (such as gave any just seeming cause or occasion of offence) are amended, altered, or expunged, and put out in this our book of Common▪prayer to give satisfaction