HIS MAJESTY'S Proclamation, CONCERNING The Book of Common-Prayer, AND The DIRECTORY for public Worship. (Given at Oxford, Novemb. 13. 1645.) With some Observations thereupon. royal coat of arms C R HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE OXFORD, Printed by Leonard Lichfield, Printer to the University: and reprinted at London, by R. Austin. 1645. By the King. WHereas by a printed Paper, dated the third of January last past, entitled, An Ordinance of Parliament for taking away the Book of Common Prayer, and for establishing and putting in execution of the Directory for the public Worship of God, it is said to be ordained, amongst other things, That the Book of Common Prayer should not remain, nor be from thence used in any Church, or Chapel, or place of public Worship, within the Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales; and that the Directory for public Worship in that Paper set forth, should be from thenceforth used, pursued, and observed in all Exercises of public Worship of God in every Congregation, Church, chapel, and place of public Worship. And by another printed Paper, dated the 23. day of August last passed, entitled. An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, for the more effectual putting in execution the Directory for public Worship, etc. particular Directions are set down for the dispersing, publishing, and use of the said Directory in all Parishes, Chappells, and Donatives; for the calling in and suppressing of all Books of Common Prayer, on the several forfeitures and penalties to be levied and imposed upon conviction, before Justices of Assize, or of Oyer and Terminer, and of the Peace, as by the said two printed Papers may appear. And taking into our consideration, that the Common Prayer, which is endeavoured thus to be abolished, was compiled in the times of Reformation, by the most learned and pious men of that age, and defended and continued with the Martyrdom of many, and was first established by Act of Parliament in the time of King Edward the sixth, and never repealed nor laid aside, save only in that short time of Queen Mary's Reign, and upon the return of Popery and superstition: And in the first year of Queen Elizabeth, it was again revived and established by Act of Parliament, and the repeal of it then declared by the whole Parliament, to have been to the great decay of the due honour of God, and discomfort of the Professors of the truth of Christian Religion, and ever since it hath been used and observed for above fourscore years together in the best times of peace and plenty that ever this Kingdom enjoyed, and that it contains in it an excellent form of worship and service of God, grounded upon the holy Scriptures, is a singular means and help to devotion in all Congregations, and that, or some other of the like form simply necessary in those many Congregations which cannot otherwise be supplied by learned and able men, and keeps a uniformity in the Church of England. And that the Directory, which is sought to be introduced, is a m●ans to open the way, and to give the liberite to all ignorant, factious, and evil men, to broach their own fancies and conceits, be they never so wicked or erroneous, and to misled people into sin and Rebellion, and to utter those things, even in that which they make for long prayer in their Congregations in God's presence, which no conscientious man can assent, or say Amen too: And be the Minister never so pious and religious, yet it will break that uniformity which hitherto hath been held in God's service, and be a means to raise factions and divisions in the Church, and those many Congregations in this Kingdom, where able and religious Ministers cannot be maintained, must be left destitute of all help and means for the public worship and service of God. And observing likewise, that no reason is given for this Inconveniency alleged in the general, and whether pride and avarice be not the ground, whether Rebellion and destruction of Monarchy be not the intention of some, and Sacrilege and the Church's possessions the aims and hopes of others, and these new Directories the means to prepare and draw the people in for all, We leave to him who searches and knows the hearts of men. And taking into Our consideration, that this alteration is introduced by colour of Ordinance of Parliament, made without and against Our consent, and against an express Act of Parliament still in force, and the same Ordinances of Parliament made as perpetual binding Laws, inflicting penalties and punishments, which were never (before these times) so much as pretended to have been the use or power of Ordinances of Parliament, without any express Act of Parliament, to which We are to be parties. Now lest Our silence should be interpreted by some as connivance or indifferency in Us, in a matter so highly concerning the worship and service of God, the peace and unity of the Church and State, and the established Laws of the Kingdom, We have therefore thought fit to publish Our Proclamation, and do hereby require and command all and singular Ministers in all Cathedral and Parish Churches, and other places of public worship, within our Kingdom of England, or Dominion of Wales, and all other to whom it shall appertain, That the said Book of Common Prayer be kept and used in all Churches, Chapels, and places of public worship, according to the said Statute made in that behalf, in the said first year of the late Queen Elizabeth, and that the said Directory be in no sort admitted, received, or used, the same pretended Ordinances, or any thing in them contained to the contrary notwithstanding. And We do hereby let them know, that whensoever it shall please God to restore Us to peace, the Laws to their due course, wherein we doubt not of his assistance in his good time, We shall require a strict account and prosecution against the Breakers of the said Law, according to the scope thereof: And in the mean time, in such places where We shall come and find the Book of Common Prayer suppressed and laid aside, and the Directory introduced, We shall account all those that shall be Aiders, Actors, or Contrivers therein, to be persons dis-affected to the Religion and Laws established, and this they must expect, besides the great loss they shall sustain, by suffering themselves to be deprived of the use and comfort of the said Book. Given at our Court at Oxford the thirteenth day of November; in the one and twentieth year of Our Reign. Observations. Our present breaches call out to every honest Christian to become a continual Sentinel, watching against the incessant assaults of such, whose endeavours have been, and still are, to bring utter ruin upon this Kingdom: His Majesty's private Counsellors, although they have been for some space, by reason of the several victories obtained, (through the blessing of the Almighty) by the Parliaments Forces over the King's Army, yet after a long progress being returned to Oxford (the old Forge of their invectives against the Parliament) it seems they thought good to try one stratagem more to work upon the people, by publishing the Proclamation, pretending it in his Majesty's name, upon which I thought fit to publish the following Observations, lest many too-credulous people might be ensnared by the specious and flourishing pretences thereof (especially upon the underhand divulging of it (by many of the Malignants in London, and other places) the scope of it is against the Directory, as it is established by two Ordinances of Parliament, and therein would persuade the people again to set up the Book of Common Prayer, which they know was much idolised in England. The first Argument used to infuse this into the people's heads (for I shall briefly examine the particulars of the Proclamation as they lie) is, That it was compiled in the times of Reformation, etc. 1 Obs. The first Reformers of Religion doubtless did never intent the use of the Book of Common Prayer further than to be an help in the want or weakness of a Ministers gifts, but that Ministers and people should be still strictly tied to the use thereof is sinful and unlawful, for the ability to offer up the people's wants in prayer is part of the Ministeriali Office as well as preaching, 1 Cor. 12. 10. This he cannot do by reading in a Book devised by another; besides, the shadows of darkness now flying away, and the truth more fully and gloriously appearing, it is now as shameful to use, as it were again to revive the Book of Homilies. Procl. And defended and continued with the martyrdom of many. 2 Obs. Though many holy and zealous Martyrs than died for the Protestant Religion, yet it can never be proved that any suffered particularly in maintenance of the Common Prayer, since all know it is (for a great part) but the Mass in English. Procl. It was first established by Act of Parliament in the time of King Edward the sixth, etc. 3 Obs. Besides, the palpable difference between the Common Prayer in Edward the sixth his time, and that afterwards set forth, yet (as is expressed Obs. 1.) Though the Liturgy, with the ceremonies belonging to it, were then (tollerabiles ineptiae) now it is time to leave off those and other things, which we had formerly by tradition from the Papists. Procl. It hath been used and observed for above eighty years together, etc. 4 Obs. The long use of any thing doth not make it lawful, they might then have pleaded a far longer prescription of time for the continuance of Papacy, and then when should we have had a Reformation? The like may be said for outward peace and plenty, which abounded as much in times of Popery as ever. Procl. It is grounded upon holy Scriptures, etc. 5 Obs. It contains in it many false and corrupt translations of holy Scripture, with additions to it, or leave out, and abstractions from it. Take only one instance for many, Psal 105. 28. the Service-Book hath, They were not obedient to his Word; In the Text thus: They were not disobedient. Procl. The Directory which is sought to be introduced is a means to open the way, etc. to all ignorant Factions and evil men to broach their own fancies. 6 Obs. Common experience (blessed be God) now manifests the contrary to all the world, England having at this present in the places within the power of the Parliament, more learned, pious, and able Ministers then ever; They having now the opportunity to exercise and increase their gifts in prayer and preaching, whereas formerly the Common-Prayer was a means to nuzzle up a non-preaching and ignorant Ministry, were his Majesty persuaded but to come up to London, he would perceive a great difference between the Ministers here, and those Episcopal Sycophants, which are now in such favour with him. And for able and religious Ministers the great care of the Parliament is to store all the dark places of this Kingdom with them. Procl. It will break the uniformity, which hitherto hath been held, etc. 7 Obs. What greater stumbling-block was there in all times both in the times of Queen Elizabeth, and King James, and the beginning of his now Majesty's Reign, to make non-Conformists, than the general imposing of the Common-Prayer to be every where publicly read. Procl. Inconveniency alleged in the general. 8 Obs. The words used in the Ordinance are manifold inconveniencies, which in regard of the numerousness of them were too many for to be particularised, both the manner of it as well as the matter, was offensive to tender consciences, which his Majesty in some Declarations expres●es his desire so much to keep from offence; it brought the Land generally to Atheism, gross superstition, profaneness, ignorance of God and his ways; the people in many places where they had it most frequent, were so superstitious and ignorant, that they learned not all the days of their life to open their souls before the Lord in prayer. 9 Obs. For those charges of Rebellion, Sacrilege, the destruction of Monarchy, etc. The establishing of the Directory doubtless will occasion none of these, we have had some experience of it at present, and King James himself who defended Monarchy in several Treatises, thought it no diminution for him and the former Kings that ruled there to maintain the government of the Church of Scotland (who use a Directory) and what commotions and differences happened lately in that Kingdom by the imposing the Common Prayer on them is fresh in memory, nor was the continuance of it without much disturbance here; And for the Church's possessions which were formerly devoured by a company of lazy Prelates, deboyst Priests, idle singing Boys, Chanters, etc. they are now by the vigilancy of the Parliament disposed of for the maintaining of a pious, learned, and preaching Ministry, and for the setting up of Lectures, more for the edification of the people than all the popish trumperies whatsoever. Procl. This alteration is introduced by colour of Ordinance of Parliament, etc. 10 Obs. The Parliament have a power (upon the Kings withdrawing himself from them) to order and ordain all such matters as shall be for the safety of the Realm, it was so by a known Law, and so wisely established in Edward the first days, the right of the people to be summoned, ad tractandum ordinandum faciendum approbandum in all things appertaining to the people, and this as than was not prejudicial to the King, why should the King's Proclamation now abreviate or annul the same? In inferior Courts the Judges are so Counsellors for the King as that the King may not countermand their judgements. Procl. Never before these times so much as pretended to have been the use or power of Parliament, etc. Obs. There are divers precedents upon Record of greater things that have been done by former Parliaments then ever yet have been by this, such as these: Anno 7. and 8. H. 4. Numb. 31. Counsellors appointed by authority of Parliament, An. 1. H. 6. Numb. 15. The Protector & Defensor Regni, appointed by Parliament, Numb. 16. Privy Counsellors; in E. 3. time, the whole Navy disposed of by Parliament, in other times the Militia, Castles, and Forts, disposed of by Parliament. For a conclusion I will make that apology which Plutarch observes in the life of Brutus, That though Pompey had been the cause of his father's death, yet he judging Pompey's cause to be better than Caesar's, adheres to Pompey's party, preferring the public good before his private ends. So although the King be dear unto me, yet the public good is enore dear. Amicus Plato, amicus Aristoteles, sed magis amica veritas. FINIS.