A petition for peace with the reformation of the liturgy, as it was presented…

THE REFORMATION OF THE LITURGY.

Presented to the Right Reverend Bishops, by the Divines appointed by His Majesties Commission to treat with them about the Alteration of it.

HAVING already given you our judgement of several things in the Book of Common-Prayer, and our desires for the altering of some parts of it, leaving the rest unaltered; we here tender you some of the said Alterations, which in our former Paper we showed to be needful, and some Additional Forms in Scripture Phrase (as near as we well could) suited to the nature of the several parts of Worship. The Texts are cited in the Margin, to justify partly the Matter, and partly the Phrase. If any be mis-applied (which we hope will not be found) we shall be willing upon Information, to retract such mis-application. If some of the Prayers here offered seem of too great a length, the substance of them being allowed, we shall upon conference and mutual consideration, ⟨p. 23⟩endeavour to contract them. And whereas His Majesties Commission doth impower and authorize us: To take into our Consideration the several Directions, Rules and Forms of Prayer, and things contained in the Book of Common-Prayer; And further addeth, When we shall have drawn our Consultations to any Resolution and Determination, which we shall agree upon as needful or expedient to be done for the altering, diminishing, or enlarging the Book of Common-Prayer, or any part thereof, &c. We have here accordingly added some Rules or Directions as requisite to give light to the whole, showing when and how those several Prayers shall be used. But if any of those Rules or Directions upon debate shall be judged by the Commissioners unnecessary, or over long, we shall be very ready to submit either to the Alteration, or Omission of them. And since we for our parts do so freely profess not to insist on any thing now or formerly proposed, which shall be manifested to be unmeet; so we humbly crave, and hope for your consent to all the rest; And that these Alterations and Additions now offered, may find your favourable interpretation and acceptance, and may by our joint consent be presented to His Majesty, to the end they may obtain his gracious Approbation; And the several particulars thereof may be inserted into the several respective places of the Liturgy, to which they do belong, and left to the Ministers choice to use the one or the other, according to His Majesty's gracious Declaration concerning ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS.