Catholic communion defended against both extremes, and unnecessary division confuted in five parts ...…Catholick communion defended against both extreams, and unnecessary division confuted in five parts ...…

Do you mean that this was the Intent of the first Contrivers and Continuers? or only that it had this effect, contrary to their Intent? The first seemeth your Sense, which is another misreport.¹ For 1. You know not who the first Inventor was. 2. You know not all the Continuers. 3. And so high a Charge is to be taken for a Slander, till it be proved. 4. Are you sure that you lay not this Charge of Malignity on the Men of God, that made the Jews Psalms? and on Christ, that composed a Form of Praying and Baptizing? and on Paul, that commands Hymns, and imposed on Timothy a Form of Sound Words?

Do you mean that this was the Intent of the first Contrivers and Continuers? or only that it had this effect, contrary to their Intent? The first seemeth your Sence, which is another misreport.¹ For 1. You know not who the first Inventor was. 2. You know not all the Continuers. 3. And so high a Charge is to be taken for a Slander, till it be proved. 4. Are you sure that you lay not this Charge of Malignity on the Men of God, that made the Iews Psalms? and on Christ, that composed a Form of Praying and Baptizing? and on Paul, that commands Hymns, and imposed on Timothy a Form of Sound Words?

1. 1XXIV. Error.

And if you meant it but of the English Liturgy, you could never prove that our Martyrs and Confessors that made it, had so malignant an End. But you speak it of Liturgical Worship in general, which obligeth you to prove almost all the Pastors for 1120. years and more, to be such Malignants. And its easily disproved, whether you meant it of their Intent, or of the Effect, by assigning the true and better Intent and Effect. They did it not to render useless the Spirits help, but 1. To be useful where such Abilities were wanting: It was the antecedent disability of Men that occasioned Liturgic Forms. 2. And it was to be a help subordinate to the Spirits help, to those that have it but in part; as Spectacles to dark Sights, and Sermon Notes to weak Memories. 3. They are really a great help to many, and therefore not made only to hinder them. When fitter and more sound and moving words are set before an unready Speaker, they help his affection more than his own shorter and unmeeter words would do; And his mind being not taken up with the study of words, is the freer to attend its affections. You must not measure all Mens Volubility of Speech by your own. I can truly say, that Forms are oft a help to me: I find young and old Christians are more fit to use them than the middle-aged: For the young cannot at first pray well (at least before others) without them, till use hath taught them And the old have discretion to fit their Affections to sound words oft repeated. But the middle-aged, that have a greater Heat, and a lesser Light, are much more taken with their own sudden Effusions and Expressions.