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PREFACE.

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I hath been the wisdom of the Church of England, ever since first compiling of her Publick Litur­gy, to keep the mean between the two extremes, of too much stiffness in refusing, and of too much easiness in admitting any variation from it. For, as on the one side common experience sheweth, that where a change hath been made of things ad­visedly established( no evident neces­sity so requiring) sundry inconveni­ences have thereupon ensued; and those many times more and greater than the evils, that were intended to be remedied by such change: So on the other side, the particular forms of Divine worship, and the Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be used therein, being things in their own nature indifferent, and alterable, and so acknowledged; it is but reason­able, that upon weighty and impor­tant considerations, according to the various exigency of times and occa­sions, such changes and alterations should be made therein, as to those that are in place of Authority should from time to time seem either neces­sary or expedient. Accordingly we find, that in the reigns of several princes of blessed memory since the Reformation, the Church, upon just and weighty considerations her there­unto moving, hath yielded to make such alterations in some particulars, as in their respective times were thought convenient: yet so, as that the main body and essentials of it( as well in the chiefest materials, as in the frame and order thereof) have still continued the same unto this day, and do yet stand firm and un­shaken, notwithstanding all the vain attempts and impetuous assaults made against it, by such men as are given to change, and have always discovered a greater regard to their own private fancies and interests, than to that duty they owe to the publick.

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By what undue means, and for what mischievous purposes the use of the Liturgy( though enjoined by the laws of the land, and those laws never yet repealed) came, during the late unhappy confusions, to be dis­continued, is too well known to the world, and we are not willing here to remember. But when, upon his Majesty's happy restoration, it seem­ed probable, that, amongst other things, the use of the Liturgy would also return of course( the same hav­ing never been legally abolished) un­less some timely means were used to prevent it; those men who under the late usurped powers had made it a great part of their business to render the people disaffected thereunto, saw themselves in point of reputation and interest concerned( unless they would freely acknowledge themselves to have erred, which such men are very hardly brought to do) with their utmost endeavours to hinder the re­stitution thereof. In order where­unto divers pamphlets were pub­lished against the Book of Common Prayer, the old objections mustered up, with the addition of some new ones, more than formerly had been made, to make the number swell. In fine, great importunities were used to His Sacred Majesty, that the said Book might be revised, and such alterations therein, and additions thereunto made, as should be thought requisite for the ease of tender con­sciences: whereunto His Majesty, out of his pious inclination to give satisfaction( so far as could be rea­sonably expected) to all his subjects of what persuasion soever, did gra­ciously condescend.

In which review we have endea­voured to observe the like modera­tion, as we find to have been used in the like case in former times. And therefore of the sundry altera­tions proposed unto us, we have re­jected all such as were either of dan­