THE PREFACE.

wisdom of return hav­

I Church of England, ever since the ing never been legally abolished) un­

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.

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what mischievous purposes the use of the Liturgy( though enjoined by the laws of the land, and those laws never yet repealed) came, during the late unhappy confusions, to be dis­continued, is too well known to the world, and we are not willing here to remember.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

less 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 dangerous consequence( as secretly striking at some established doctrine, or laudable practice of the Church of England, or indeed of the whole Ca­tholick Church of Christ) or else of no consequence at all, but utterly fri­volous and vain. But such altera­tions as were tendered to us( by what persons, under what pretences, or to what purpose soever tendered) as seemed to us in any degree requisite or expedient, we have willingly, and of our own accord assented unto: not enforced so to do by any strength of argument, convincing us of the necessity of making the said altera­tions: for we are fully persuaded in our judgements( and we here profess it to the world) that the Book, as it stood before established by law, doth not contain in it any thing contrary to the word of God, or to sound doc­trine, or which a godly man may not A 3