DIRECTIONS propounded AND humbly Presented to the High Court of PARLIAMENT.  
Concerning the book of COMMON PRAYER AND episcopal GOVERNMENT.  
Written by a Reverend and Learned Divine now Resident in this City.  
LONDON, Printed Anno Dmo. 1641.   

The opinions and directions of a worthy Divine, presented to the Parliament, concerning the liturgy, and episcopal Government.  

TO satisfy your Demands both concerning the liturgy, and episcopal Government, first for the Book of Common Prayer, it may be alleged.  
1. That God himself appointed in the Law, a set form of Benediction, Numb. 6. 23. 24, 25, 26.  
2. That David himself, set psalms to be sung upon special occasions, as the title of them showeth.  
3. That the Prophet Joel appointed a set form of Prayer to be used by the Priest at solemn fasts, Joel, 2. 7.  
4. That Christ not only commands us to pray after such manner, Matth. 6. 9 But to use a set form of words, Luke 11. 2. when you pray, say Our Father.  
5. The spirit of God is no more restrained by using a set form of Prayer, then by singing set hymns or psalms in meeter, which yet the adversaries of our Common Prayer, practise in their assemblies.  
6. of all Prayers (premeditated) are the best, Ecclesiastes. 5. 2.  
7. And of premeditated prayers, those which are allowed by public authority, are to be preferred above those, which are uttered by any private spirit.  
8. All the Churches in the Christian world, in the first and best times, had their best forms of liturgies, whereof most are extant in the writings of the Fathers unto this day.  
9 Let our Service book be compared with the French, Dutch, or any other liturgy, prescribed in any of the refo●med Churches, and it will appear to any indifferent Reader, that it is more exact and complete, than any of them.  
10. Our Service book, was penned and allowed of, not only by many learned Doctors, but glorious Martyrs, who sealed the truth of the reformed Religion with their blood, yet it cannot be denied, but that there are spots and blemishes, Nemo quidem in pulchro corpore, and it were to be wished, so it be done without much noise.  
1. That the calendar in part might be reformed, and the Lessons taken out of the canonical Scriptures, appointed to be read in the place of them, for besides, that there is no necessity of reading any of the apocrypha, for there are in some of the Chapters, set in the Index, passages repugnant to the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures, as namely in some Chapters in Tolit.  
2. That in the psalms, Epistles, and gospels, all sentences alleged out of the holy Scriptures, the last Translation (of King JAMES his Bible) may be followed, for in the former, there be many passages not agreeable to the original, as might be proved by many instances.  
3. That in the rubric, whereof of late the word (Priest) hath been instead of the word (Minister) it may be expunged, and the word Minister restored, which is less offensive, and more agreeable to the Languages of all the reformed Churches, and likewise that some clauses which seem surreptitiously to have crept into it, be expunged; as namely, after the Communion, every Parishioner shall communicate, and also shall receive the Sacraments and other rites, according to the order of this book appointed, which words can carry no good sense in a Protestants ears, nor those added, against private baptism, That it is certain by God's word, that children being baptised, having all things necessary for their Salvation, be undoubtedly saved.  
4. That in the hymns, instead of the Songs of the 3. Children, some others were placed out of the canonical Scriptures, and that a fitter psalm were chosen at the Churching of women, (for those verses) he will not suffer thy foot to be moved, and the sun shall not burn thee by day, nor the moon by night, seem not very pertinent, That in the Prayers and Collects, some expressions were bettered, as when it is said, Almighty God, which only workest great marvels, send down upon thy Bishops, &c. And let thy great mercy lose them, for the honour of Jesus Christ's sake, and for fornication and all other deadly sins, as if all other sins were not deadly, and that among all the chances of this mortal life, they may be defended, &c.  
5. And in the visitation of the sick, I absolve thee from all thy sins and the like.  
6. That in singing of psalms, either the same rhymes are superfluous Badges, (as I say) and for why, and homely Phrases, as thou shalt feed them with brown Bread, and take thy hand out of thy lap, and give thy foes a rap, and mend this gear, and the like may be corrected, or at the least, a better Translation of the psalms in meeter, appointed in the place of the old,   

Secondly, for episcopal government, it may be alleged.  
THat in the old Law, the Priests were above the Levites.  
2. That in the gospel, the Apostles were above the seventy Disciples.  
3. That in the subscription of St. Paul's Epist. which are part of canonical Scripture, as it is said, That Tim. was ordained the first Bishop of the Church of the Ephesians.  
That Titus was ordained the second Bishop of the Church of the Ephesians.  
That Titus was ordained the first Bishop of the Church of the Cretians.  
4. That if episcopal ordination and jurisdiction, hath express warrant in holy Scripture, as namely, Titus 1. 5. For this cause left I thee in Crect that thou shouldst set in order things that are wanting, and ordain Presbyters, that is Ministers in every City, and 1. Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man, and ver. 19 against a Presbyter or Minister, Receive no accusation, but under two or three witnesses.  
5. The Angels to whom the Epistles were endorsed, 2. and 3. of Apoc. are by the unanimous consent of all the best Interpreters, both ancient and latter, expounded to be the Bishops of those Cities.  
6. Eusebius, and other ecclesiastical writers, affirm (none contradicting them) that the Apostles themselves, chose James Bishop of Jerusalem, and that in all the Aposte-like Sees, there succeeded Bishops, which continued in all the Christian world, and no other government heard of in the Church, for 1500 years and more, then by the Bishops, and the Canons of counsels, both general and provincial, which consisted of Bishops.  
7. That so many acts of Parliament, and laws of the kingdom, and Statutes of colleges of both Universities, have relation to Bishops, that the removing of them especially (there having been never no other government ●●●led in this kingdom) will breed and make confusion, and no reformation, but rather a deformation in the Church, yet it were to be wished, that in some things our Government might be reduced to the Constitutions and practice of the Primitive Church, especially in these particulars.  
1. That Bishops did ordinarily and constantly preach, either in the Metropolitan Church, or in the parochial Church, in their Visitations.  
2. That they might not ordain any Ministers, without the consent of three or four at the least, Grave and learned Presbyters.  
3. That they might not suspend any Minister, ab Officio, & Beneficio, at their pleasures, by the sole Authors, but only with a necessary consent of some Assistants, and that for such causes and crimes only, as the ancient Canons, or the laws of the kingdom, appointed.  
4. That none may be excommunicated, but by the Bish. himself (with the consent of the Pastor) whose Parish the Delinquent dwelleth in, & that for heinous and scandalous crimes, joined with obstinate and wilful contempts of the Church author's, and that for none appearances, or ordinances, upon ordinary occasions, some lesser punishments might be inflicted, and that approved by Law.  
5. That Bishops might not demand benevolence for the clergy, nor exact allowance for their diet, at the visitations, nor suffer their servants to exact undue Fees at ordinations and institutions.  
6. That Bishops, and Chancellors, and Officials, may be subject to the censures of provincial Synods, and Convocations.   
FINIS.