eanes are exposed at every celebration to every
Ministers private infirmities, indispositions, errours, disorders, and
defects, both for judgement and expression.

A serious sense of which inconvenience in the Church unavoidably
following every mans severall manner of officiating, no doubt, first
occasioned the wisdome and piety of the Ancient Churches, to
remedy those mischiefs, by the use of constant Liturgies of publike
composure.

The want of which I believe this Church will sufficiently feel, when
the unhappy fruits of many mens ungoverned ignorance, and confident
defects, shall be discovered in more errours, schismes, disorders, and
uncharitable distractions in Religion, which are already but too many,
and the more is the pitie.

However, if violence must needs bring in and abet those innovations,
(that men may not seem to have nothing to do) which Law, Reason, and
Religion forbids, at least to be so obtruded, as wholly to justle out
the publike Liturgy;

Yet nothing can excuse that most unjust and partiall severity of those
men, who either lately had subscribed to, used and maintained the
Service-book; or refused to use it, cried out of the rigour of Laws
and Bishops, which suffered them not to use the Liberty of their
Consciences in not using it.

That these men, (I say) should so suddenly change the Liturgy into a
Directory, as if the Spirit needed help for invention, though not
for expressions; or as if matter prescribed did not as much stint and
obstruct the Spirit, as if it were cloathed in, and confined to fit
words (so slight & easie is that Legerdemain which will serve to
delude the vulgar.)

That further, they should use such severity as not to suffer without
penalty, any to use the Common-Prayer-Book publikely, although their
consciences bind them to it, as a duty of Piety to God, and Obedience
to the Laws.

Thus I see, no men are prone to be greater Tyrants, and more rigorous
exactors upon others to conform to their illegall novelties, then
such, whose pride was formerly least disposed to the obedience of
lawfull Constitutions; and whose licentious humours most pretended
consciencious liberties, which freedome, with much regret, they now
allow to Me, and My Chaplains, when they may have leave to serve Me,
whose abilities, even in their extemporary way comes not short of the
others, but their modesty and learning far exceeds the most of them.

But this matter is of so popular a nature, as som