our prayers: these forces are to him acceptable 1. When we publicly make our prayers, it cannot be but that we do it with much more comfort than in private, for that the things we ask publicly are approved as needful and good in the judgment of all, we hear them sought for and desired with common consent. Again, thus much help and furtherance is more yielded, in that, if so be our zeal and devotion to God-ward be slack, the alacrity and fervour of others serveth as a present spur. For even prayer itself, (saith St. Basil) when it hath not the consort of many voices to strengthen it, is not itself. Finally, the good which we do by public prayer is more than in private can be done, for that besides the benefit which is here, is no less procured to ourselves, the whole Church is much bettered by our good example; and consequently whereas secret neglect of our duty in this kind is but only our own hurt, one man's contempt of the common prayer of the Church of God may be, and oftentimes is most hurtful unto many. In which considerations, the prophet David so often voweth unto God the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving in the congregation, so earnestly exhorteth others to sing praises unto the Lord in his courts, in his sanctuary, before the memorial of his holiness, and so much complaineth of his own uncomfortable exile, wherein although he sustained many most grievous indignities, and endured the want of sundry both pleasures and honours before enjoyed; yet, as if this one were his only grief, and the rest not felt, his speeches are all of the heavenly benefit of public assemblies, and the happiness of such as had free access there

unto.

1 Apolog. i. 39.

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2. Of Common Prayer.

A great part of the cause wherefore religious minds are so inflamed with the love of public devotion is that virtue, force, and efficacy, which by experience they find that the very form and reverend solemnity of common prayer duly ordered hath to help that imbecility and weakness in us, by means whereof we are otherwise of ourselves the less apt to perform unto God so heavenly a service, with such affection of heart, and disposition in the power of our souls as is requisite. To this end therefore all things hereunto appertaining have been ever thought convenient to be done with the most solemnity and majesty that the wisest could devise. It is not with public as with private prayer. In this, rather secrecy is commanded than outward shew; whereas that being the public act of a whole society, requireth accordingly more care to be had of external appearance. The very assembling of men therefore unto this service hath been ever solemn.

Of all helps for due performance of [Divine] service, the greatest is that very set and standing order itself, which framed with common advice, hath both for matter and form prescribed whatsoever is herein publicly done. No doubt, from God it hath proceeded, and by us it must be acknowledged a work of singular care and providence, that the Church hath evermore held a prescript form of Common Prayer, although not in all things every where the same, yet for the most part retaining still the same analogy. So that if the liturgies of all ancient Churches throughout the world be compared amongst themselves, it may be easily perceived they had all one original mould, and that the public prayer of the people of God in Churches thoroughly settled, did never use to be voluntary dictates, proceeding from any men's extemporal wit.

3. The House of Prayer.

If it be as the gravest of the ancient fathers seriously were persuaded, and do oftentimes plainly teach, affirming that the house of prayer is a court, beautified with the presence of celestial powers; that there we stand, we pray, we sound forth hymns unto God, having his angels intermingled as our associates; and that, with reference hereunto, the apostle doth require so great care to be had of decency for the angels' sake; how can we come to the house of prayer, and not be moved with the very glory of the place itself so to frame our affections praying, as doth best beseem them whose suits the Almighty doth there sit to hear, and his angels attend to further? When this was ingrafted in the minds of men, there needed no penal statutes to draw them unto public prayer. The warning sound was no sooner heard, but the churches were presently filled; the pavements covered with the bodies prostrate, and washed with their tears of devout joy.

4. Splendour of Public Worship approved in the Word of God.

In Egypt, it may be, they were right glad to take some corner of a poor cottage, and there to serve God upon their knees, peradventure covered in dust and straw sometimes. In the very desart they are no sooner possessed of some little thing of their own, but a Tabernacle is required at their hands. Planted in the land of Canaan, and having David to be their king, when the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies, it grieved his religious mind to consider the growth of his own estate and dignity, the affairs of religion continuing still in the former manner; Behold now I dwell in an house of cedar trees, and the ark of God remaineth within

curtains. What he did purpose, it was the pleasure of God that Solomon his son should perform, and perform it in a manner suitable unto their present, not their ancient estate and condition. For which cause Solomon writeth unto the king of Tyrus; The house which I build is great and wonderful; for great is our God above all gods. Whereby it clearly appeareth, that the orders of the Church of God may be acceptable unto him, as well being framed suitable to the greatness and dignity of later, as when they keep the reverend simplicity of ancienter times. Such dissimilitude therefore between us and the apostles of Christ, in the order of some outward things, is no argument of default.

5. The surplice.

That Church attire which with us for the most part is usual in public prayer, our ecclesiastical laws so appointing, as well because it hath been of reasonable continuance, and by special choice was taken out of the number of those holy garments which (over and besides their mystical reference) served for comeliness under the law; and is in the number of those ceremonies which may with choice and discretion be used to that purpose in the Church of Christ; as also for that it suiteth so fitly with that lightsome affection of joy, wherein God delighteth when his saints praise him; and so lively resembleth the glory of the saints in heaven, together with the beauty wherein angels have appeared unto men, that they which are to appear for men in the presence of God as angels, if they were left to their own choice, and would choose any, could not easily devise a garment of more decency for such a service.

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6. Length of Church Service.

If that very service of God in the Jewish synagogues, which our Lord did approve and sanctify with the presence of his own person, had so large portions of the law and the prophets, together with so many prayers and psalms read day by day, as do equal in a manner the length of ours, and yet in that respect was never thought to deserve blame, is it now an offence that the like measure of time is bestowed in the like manner? Peradventure the Church hath not now the leisure which it had then, or else those things whereupon so much time was then well spent, have since then lost their dignity and worth. If the reading the law, the prophets, and the psalms, be a part of the service of God as needful under Christ as before, and the adding of the New Testament as profitable as the ordaining of the Old to be read; if therewith, instead of Jewish prayers, it be also for the good of the Church to annex that variety which the apostle doth commend ', seeing that the time which we spend is no more than the orderly performance of these things necessarily required, why are we thought to exceed in length? Words, be they never so few, are too many when they benefit not the hearer.

7. The Liturgical Confession.

Seeing day by day we in our Church begin our public prayers to Almighty God with public acknowledgment of our sins, in which confession every man, prostrate as it were before his glorious Majesty, crieth against himself, and the minister with one sentence pronounceth universally all clear whose acknowledgment so made hath proceeded

11 Tim. ii. 1, 2. "Supplications, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks."