The Pelagian Herefy, as was before hinted> had fpread itfelf among the British Chriftians; but they were refettled in the true Faith by Lupus and Germanus, two French Bishops: and when that Herefy began to get Ground again, it was a fecond time quelled by the faid Germanus, and one Severus Bishop of Triers. Bed. L. 1. c. 17.8 21.

And even in the most degenerate Times of Christianity, the English Church was never corrupted to fuch a degree as fome others; of which I will give two Inftances, viz. that in Scotland it was carried by Vote, in a Provincial Synod, that the Pater Nofter might be faid to the Saints. Archbishop Spotswood's Hift. p. 92. &c. (tho' the Prefident chanced to be a Man of better Senfe than to permit it to be enacted): And that in Germany, Priefts were openly licensed to keep Concubines; nay, at laft they were obliged to pay an annual Tax to the Official for fuch a Licenfe, whether they made ufe of it or not: Of this the German Princes openly complain'd, in the Diet of Noremberg. 1523; and this is mentioned in two of the Centum Gravamina, Grav. lxxv. and xci, which may be feen in the Fafcicul. Rer. Exp. and which we are affured by the Writer of the Hiftory of the Council of Trent, L. I. were actually fent to the Pope: But it does not appear that ever fuch lewd Opinions or Practices prevailed in England.

The Doctrine of the prefent Church of Eng land is in all refpects Catholick and Orthodox. The Nicene or Conftantinopolitan Creed is inferted into the moft folemn Office of our Liturgy, and what has been adjudg'd Herefy by the Four

B. 4

firft

firft General Councils, is allow'd to be fo, even by our Statute Law. 1 Eliz. 1.

Befides the Creeds, our Clergy fubfcribe to the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion, drawn up in Convocation, A. D. 1562. The greatest part of which are either Affirmations of fome antient Truths, or Renunciations of the Errors of fome old Herefies, or of the Papifts, or fome modern Sects.

Some would have it thought, that the 17th Article afferts the Doctrine of abfolute Predeftination, which was condemn'd in the 3d Council of Mentz, An. Dom. 848, and at feveral other Times and Places; but thefe Men are certainly miftaken: For that Article afferts Predeftination in general Terms only, which all allow, The Queftion is, Whether God pafs'd thefe De crees abfolutely and unconditionally? In this the Article is filent; and why fhould. we unders ftand it in the most harsh and fevere Senfe, when the Words do not of neceffity import any fuch Meaning?

But it will appear unreafonable to understand this Article of abfolute Predeftination, if it be confidered, that in the very foregoing Article it is exprefly declar'd, that we may depart from Grace given; whereas they who are for the abfolute Decrees, muft of confequence affert, That a Man cannot fall from Grace: For if we may fall from the Means, we may alfo fall from the End: And if we are not abfolute predeftinated to perfevere in Grace, we cannot be abfolutely predeftinated to Salvation: And indeed the Puritans, in the beginning of King James the Firft's Reign, were fenfible that this Doctrine

of

of the defectability of Grace was inconfiftent with their Opinion of abfolute Predeftination, and therefore defir'd that thefe Words might be added at the End of the aforefaid Claufe of the. 16th Article, viz. tho' not finally; but the King and Bishops would not hearken to it. See Con ference at Hampton-Court.

Farther, our Church pofitively affirms, that God the Son redeemed all Mankind; which can' never be reconciled to the Doctrine of abfolute Election and Reprobation.

CHA P. III.

Of the Worship of the Church of England.

A.S there is no room to doubt, but that every

Church, as it grew to a Settlement, had fated Forms for celebrating the Sacraments, and other Publick Offices of Religion, fo the antient Britains had the fame with the Gallic Church. See Comb. Hift. Lit. Part 2. 162. Stil. Or. Br. 216:

It feems very evident from the fixteenth Anfwer of Ecgbriht, Bishop of York, that the Miffal, and other Service-Books of the Church of Rome, were ufed here from the firft Times of the Nation's Converfion to Chriftianity. It is true, Pope Gregory, in his Anfwer to Augu ftine's Second Question, gives him Liberty to compofe a Liturgy of his own, by felecting what heefteem'd beft out of the Romish, French, or any other Forms; but it does not appear B 5 that

that Augustine ever did this. And if he had, it feems probable, that Gregory would have recall'd this Privilege granted to him, after he himself had reform'd the Sacramentary. His former Indifference to the Romish Forms, feems to have proceeded from his Diflike to the Share his Predeceffor Gelafius had in the drawing of them. See my Note on Gregory's 2d Answer in my Collection and Preface to that Book, Sect. I. The Council of Cloves-hoo, A.D. 747. Ca. 10, 13, 15, 18.

But Bishop Still. Or. Br. p. 216. has well ob ferved, that there are many Things in the Roman Offices, and have been there a long time, which do not owe their Beginning to the Pope, or that Church, but were borrow'd by them from others, viz.

1. Alternate finging of Pfalms was taken from the Church of Milan, and was long be. fore ufed in the East.

2. Singing Gloria Patri, &c. after every Pfalm, was the first Practice of the Gallic Church. At Rome it was used of old, but after the Refponforia.

3. Te Deum was compofed, not by one of the Church of Rome, but by St. Ambrofe of Milan, or Noetius of Triers. Quefnel afcribes this Hymn to Sifebutus the Monk.. See Quefnel's Obfervations on the Breviar. Mont. Cafl. in Petit's Theodore's Penitential.

4. The Creed was not used after the Gospel at Rome, till the Year 1014; but this Custom began in Spain, in 531.

5. Only

5. Only Epiftles and Gofpels were antiently read at Rome; but in the Eaft and Gaul, Lef fons out of the Old Teftament.

6. In Rome, of old, there were no Sermons; but at Milan, and in the Gallic Church, every Sunday.

7. Litanies were firft ufed in the Greek Church, afterward in the Gallic, and from thence taken by the Church of Rome; and thisis efpecially true of the fhort Litany, or Kyrie Eleyfon.

And as for the Gloria Patri itself, the Sur fum corda, the Trifagium, Gloria in Excelfis, Prayers for the whole Eftate of Christ's Church, Commemoration of Saints departed, the Words of the Inftitution of the Sacrament, and the like,. 'tis hard to fay where they were firft ufed; they indeed feem to be Apoftolical Forms, ins troduc'd by thofe who firft fettled Churches in every Country.

By this it will appear, That our Rerformers tranfcrib'd nothing into our Liturgy, but what was truly Primitive; nothing but what was borrow'd by the Church of Rome from other Churches, or what was used by that Church as well as others, while her Faith and Worship were uncorrupted; fo that it may justly be faid. of our Liturgy, that it is the most primitive and compleat Collection of publick Devotion that is ufed in any Church in the World..

Therefore no Clergyman ought to think the Liturgy too long, tho' perhaps he may not have ftrength of Body to read all that is prefcrib'd to be read every Sunday Morning at one Breath, as is now commonly done, and then preach a Ser