THE PREFACE.

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own private fancies and interests, than to that duty they owe to the publick.

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for what mischievous purposes the use of the Liturgy( though enjoined by the laws of the land, and those laws never yet repealed) came, during the late unhappy confusions, to be discontinued, is too well known to the world, and we are not willing here to remem­ber.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 also would 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 ren der 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.

the 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

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