for all and at all Times 2. Our Reverend Author p. 25. comes to his Second Thing promised viz. to shew That supposing it were true that nothing were to be admitted in the Worship of God but what hath a Divine Institution it equally concludes against conceived Prayer as against Forms His Answer is because God hath no where instituted conceived Prayer i. e. That Men in Prayer should Pray by Words first formed in their own Hearts We need no Institution for what Nature it self dictateth in any religious Act. All Institution of that Nature must be corrective not directive Institution indeed often correcteth our corrupt and imperfect Nature and so it is in this business of Prayer God hath commanded us to Pray It is Written in the Law of Nature that there is a God that this Supream Being being the first Cause and the first Mover must be the Author of all Good Hence it directs us Prayer for the good Things we want and Praise for good Things received Prayer is a making known of our wants to God God hath given us Sense and Reason to tell us what those wants are a Power to Will and desire a supply of them to form Words to be uttered by our Lips as expressive of them to help us to the better Knowledge of our wants he hath given us his Word if in that he hath given us any Forms of Words to be ordinarily used in that Duty we are to use them Others he hath left at Liberty under the more general Laws and Directions of his Word What need any Institution of what Nature it self directeth and teacheth We have indeed Reason to look for an Institution if we will correct this natural Course of Mans Soul of expressing its desires by Words formed in our own Thoughts we have Reason to look for a supersedeas from a Divine Institution any Forms instituted by God himself make up such an Institution corrective of the natural Motions and Inclinations of our Souls Which is a sufficient Answer to what our Author saith p. 25 26. I cannot apprehend what can be called Vocal Prayer but what is such from a natural Course and Order or from a Divine Institution Scriptural Forms if given and enjoined for ordinary Use are doubtless so by Divine Institution what can be so in a natural Course or Order but those which we call free and conceived Prayers I am yet to learn For what our Author saith of the Iews use of Forms it hath been abundantly spoken too Particularly in the Answer to Dr. Falkner's Vindication of Liturgies p. 232 233 234. Chronologers Account that the Iews were carried into the Captivity of Babylon about the Year of the World 3350. and came out thence about the Year 3420. after 3630. we have little Account of them they being in a miserable distracted State till Pompey conquered them about 3888. and in like manner under the Romans to the coming of Christ about the Year of the World 3947 how they were in Christs Time the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles tells us About the sixty fifth Year of Christ they were utterly destroied Philo is by Chronologers computed to have lived about Twenty five Years before the final Ruine of Hierusalem but our Author quotes him proving nothing but that the Priests were want to offer Prayers with their Sacrifices so they might and yet use no Forms For the Samaritane Chronicle which p. 27. he tells us of which mentions a Book wrote in the Year of the World 4713. which contained the Songs and Prayers also used before the Sacrifices Those who will give it any Credit may but the Year of the World 4713. was 760. and odd Years after Christ that was the pretended Time for its first Appearance to the World for it could not be Printed till above 1500. Years after Christ and this Book must give an Account of the Affairs of the Iewish Church before the Year 3360. which was more than a Thousand Years before that for who will regard what the Iews did after they came under the Power first of the Grecians then of the Romans I Appeal now to any reasonable Man who will give Credit to any Manuscript that wrote more than a Thousand Years after should pretend to give us Account of what was done in Ezra's Time or before the Iews were Captivated by the Grecians and Romans for admit the Iews when Tributaries to the Grecians or Romans did use Forms it is no imitable President especially when the New Testament gives us the Story of the Church at least Seventy Years of the Time and saith nothing of it For our Authors Quotation out of Iosephus about the Essenes besides that it signifies little what a Particular Sect did and a Sect that sprang up too after Christ's Time of which the Scripture saith nothing I say besides this if our Author knoweth how to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 better than certain Prayers which they received from their Ancestors the Translator of Iosephus into English will help him who translates it They made certain Vows and Prayers after the Custom of their Country which they might do without Forms I am not of our Author's Mind That there was not a more urgent Occasion for an express Prohibition of any Rite or Usage of the Iewish Church than praying by a Form For I believe there was no Reason for it at all because there was no such thing in use and if there had been any such Rite I know no Reason why either Iohn the Baptist should teach his Disciples to pray or why Christ's Disciples should beg of him to prescribe them a Form It should seem they had Forms enough Our Author in the next place P. 2. p. 29 30 c. comes to answer those Places of Scripture which Dissenters produce to prove it their Duty to pray free and conceived Prayers The first he instanceth in p. 29. Zech. 12.20 I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Hierusalem the spirit of grace and supplications I shall say little as to what our Author speaketh as to this Text because I am not concerned in other Mens forming the Argument from it The Spirit of Grace and Supplications signifieth either our own Spirit and then the Promise concerneth the fuller Effusion of the Spirit of Grace under the Gospel giving unto God's People generally more Gifts for his Service especially for Prayer or else it must be understood of the Spirit of God which is called the Spirit of Supplications because it particularly helpeth our Infirmities in that Duty Now whether this Infirmity respecteth only our Affections or our Memory and Vnderstanding bringing to our Remembrance Matters contained in Holy Writ according to the Promise Iohn 14.26 is the Question betwixt us and our Casuist Let it be interpreted which way it will it is all one to us If of the Third Person in the Trinity we say he ought not to be shut out we must give him a
that Iesuites will turn themselves into all Shapes this very Iesuit was a Probationer for a Son of the Church he Preached before the Dean for that Purpose One of them may be all for the Prayers of the Church and for the heighths of Ceremonies as we know Popish Priests are generally Another of them may be for conceived Prayer and exclaim against the Ceremonies when both the one and the other drive the same Design that they may rule Now had we no Liturgy universally imposed nor any Ceremonies so imposed their Designs were spoiled and they would be put to new Topicks I never thought the good Angels in the least defamed by the Devils transforming themselves into their Appearance But this Story as related by the Author of Foxes and Firebrands hath as great Appearances also of a Forgery as can well be imagined 1. It comes to us only upon the Credit of a Registry and concerneth a Matter of Fact 115 Years since is justified by no Print though both Itolinshead and Cambden wrote the History of Queen Elizabeth's Reign with great Particularities Now we know the Authority of an Ecclesiastical Court is such as none of our Civil Courts will admit their Scripts for Records 2. We know there was for Twenty Years an Interruption of those Registrings in which Time they lost many of their Books and Papers this must be supposed to have escaped the common Fate 3. The Register must be presumed to have made a true Entry and that Verbatim of what the Bishop said and Heath answered Those who have been acquainted with those Courts will tell us they could never find a true Entry made of what was said between the Iudges and Parties questioned when they have looked for them within Fourteen Days or a Month. 4. This Examination was in Court Registers use not in Court to set down Questions and Answers at large but to make Minutes of them and then extend them at their Leisure so as this Examination was probably set down when the Court was done as Mr. Register's Memory would serve him and it was for the Interest of the Church to set down so as we cannot be assured that so much as one Question with the Answer to it is truly set down 5. By what Authority did the Bishop Sentence him to the Pillory to have his Ears cut off his Nose slit and to suffer perpetual Imprisonment And for what Crime All the World knows that since the Reformation no Bishop ever had such a Power The High Commission and Star-chamber in latter Years exercised some such Power but this was in the Bishops Consistorial Court which never had such a Power 6. It is neither probable that a Iesuit should put his Beads into his Boots nor keep a Letter of no more Moment in his Pocket to drop in a Cathedral Pulpit 7. The having of Popish Beads or Books denying Baptism or speaking such Words was by no Law a Crime subjecting a Person to so severe a Punishment 8. In the Year 1536. but Thirty Two Years before there were not Ten Iesuites in the World In the Year 1540. but Twenty Eight Years before Pope Paul increased them to Sixty In the Year 1543. but Twenty five Years before he established them without Limitation In the Year 1541. but Twenty seven Years before this Year Their Colledge at the importunity of Peter Mascarenhaz the Portugal Ambassadour to the Pope could afford but Two and those were Two of the first Twelve Xavierus and Rodericus for all Portugal This Story happening within Twenty seven Years supposeth them a formed Body with settled Correspondencies so as there was a Communication fixed betwixt Rome Madrid and England The probability of which I leave to my Readérs Judgment 9. Whereas Common Fame speaks the Iesuites the most subtle of all Orders This Narrative speaks their Fathers for so all their Missionaries are the veryest Coxcombs in Nature Otherwise Heath would never at first have owned himself a Iesuit 1562. muchless would he preaching a Probation Sermon and that in a Cathedral have so sillily reflected on the Prayers of the Church or told the Bishop That he had laboured to refine the Protestants and to take off all smaks of Ceremonies The poor Iesuit is made here beneath a tolerable Fool. 10. Nor was the Iesuit Malt made less Whereas the Anabaptists had been once up in Germany 1524. and finally quelled upon their after-rising in the Years 1534 1535. Malt the Iesuit is here brought in endeavouring to perswade his Friend that Hallingam Coleman and Benson Thirty one Years after and 1568. had raised this Faction Was not this a great Blockhead think we for a Iesuite These Difficulties as to Credibilty this Story laboureth under how much soever it pleased the Dean of Pauls or now pleaseth our Casuist I am aware of what the Dean hath further said to strengthen this Story and to evince the suitableness of these pretences about spiritual Prayer as he calls them to the Doctrine and Practice of the Iesuites but he hath received an unanswerable Answer by the Learned Author of the Book called A Modest and Peaceable Enquiry into the Design and Nature of those Historical Mistakes that are found in Dr. Stillingfleets Preface to his Vnreasonableness of Separation p. 7 8 9. where is proved 1. That the Iesuites were not the first Inventers nor the first bringers in of spiritual Prayer spiritual Prayer being owned acknowledged and privately practiced ever since the Apostles Days for the Church never did forbid the use of it faith Filiucius 2. That the Iesuites ever have and still do zealously oppose the use of Free Prayer 3. That wherein the Iesuites and the Dissenters agree as to this it is in no other respect than wherein the Universal Church agree with them 4. That wherein the Dissenters and the Doctor differ about spiritual Prayer the Dr. closeth with the Iesuit our difference if any being about the Publick Vse of Free Prayer against which the Iesuites are See these Four Things made good in the Book before-mentioned p. 6 7 8. But methinks the Dean and those other Divines we have to do with in this Controversie if they have a mind to make People a little Sport about this grave business of Prayer in the Use of Mens own Abilities they should give it another Name than that of spiritual Prayer Prayer is then spiritual when it is so with respect to the Matter being such Things as the Holy Spirit in the Word hath directed us to Pray for Or as to the Manner when it is the Action of our inward Man not the outward only not a meer Lip labour and so it is opposed to what is meerly Verbal Or else when it is attended with Holy and spiritual Affections excited and inflamed by the Holy Spirit I am sure all other Prayer is an Abomination in the sight of God All the Question is betwixt our Brethren and us whether the Words we use in Prayer should not be first
Advertisement THere is lately Published A Letter of Advice to the Churches of the Nonconformists in the English Nation Endeavouring their Satisfaction in that Point Who are the True Church of England And now in the Press Short Animadversions upon Dr. Calamy's Discourse in the Conformists Cases against Dissenters concerning a scrupulous Conscience An Examination of Dr. Hascard's Discourse concerning Satisfaction wherein it is inquired How well the Author of the said Discourse hath proved That it is not lawful for a Man to go from his Parish Church to Meetings that he might better Edifie AN ANSWER TO Dr. SCOT's CASES AGAINST Dissenters CONCERNING Forms of Prayer AND The Fallacy of the Story of Commin plainly Discovered LONDON Printed for A. Baldwin at the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-Lane 1700. AN ANSWER TO Dr. SCOT's CASES of CONSCIENCE ABOUT Forms of Prayer IN the Question relating to Forms of Prayer agitated of late Years betwixt Learned Divines of several Perswasions Three Things are considerable which are no light Prejudices against their Opinion who have been so Zealous for them 1. The Difficulty of bringing them to State the Question right or to speak closely to it when so stated 1. Whether Forms of Prayer be lawful yea or no 2. Whether supposing them lawful they may be lawfully imposed on Ministers of the Gospel 3. Whether supposing they may be lawfully imposed on by some they may be lawfully imposed universally on all Ministers and by all Ministers used in their Publick Ministration 4. Whether People may join with Ministers using them Are Four distinct Questions The first of which is that I know of denied by none The last by none or very few The Author of the Book called A Reasonable Account why some pious Nonconforming Ministers in England Iudge it sinful for them to perform their Ministerial Acts in Publick solemn Prayer by the prescribed Forms of others Chap. 1. Stated the Question thus Whether it be lawful for Ministers having the Gift of Prayer ordinarily to perform their Ministerial Acts in Solemn Stated Publick Prayer by reading or reciting Forms of Prayer composed by other Men confessedly not divinely and immediately inspired although by Superiours required so to do His Learned Answerer confesseth That he had Stated the Question with sufficient plainness and clearness Let that then be taken for the true Question for we are concerned in no other 2. A Second considerable Prejudice is That those who have pleaded the lawfulness of the Vse of Forms have laid a great deal of more stress upon the inartificial Arguments drawn from Authority and Antiquity as they have pretended than upon any artificial Arguments drawn from the intrinsick Nature of the Action whereas one Scriptural or Artificial Argument is worth a Thousand others and till the lawfulness of an Action be proved no Argument from Authority commanding or Antiquity or present Usage approving can come into any Consideration at all it being most certain that no Authority of Man can oblige us contrary to the Will of God neither ought any Examples of Men to be produced as Temptations to move us to any Thing of that Nature 3. A Third is Their extravagant Zeal to load the Opinions contrary to theirs with odious Prejudices and Imputations Three of these I have taken more special Notice of in this Case 1. The First is great Impertinence and Nonsense and Rudeness to say no worse that are sometimes mingled with extempore Prayers so our Casuist phraseth it Part 2. pag. 14. 2. The Possibility that fluency of Expression may be from Diabolical Inspiration P. 2. pag 13. This our Casuist also hits upon I do not remember any higher Authority for this than that of Ravilliac Redivivus Since the Notion mightily pleased Dr. Falkner in his Vindication of Liturgies p. 41. Ravilliac produced only the Instance of Major Weier to prove what he said our Casuist hath found more 3. The Third is That these conceived Prayers were first brought in by Iesuits This also our Casuist hits upon P. 2. pa. 59 60. For the First of these I do not think it worth the while to say any Thing to it the Knowledge of the contrary to so many Thousands in London for Twenty Years together whiles hardly any others were publickly used and the Experience of Two or Three and Twenty Years since whiles the Forms have been used in Publick Temples yet others also have been used in the hearing of many Thousands is so eminent a Confutation of this as nothing need be added to say nothing of what hath been already said that Forms for the Desk will not prevent this unless we have some for the Pulpit and that for Sermons as well as Prayers and for Families c. and that as large an Experience hath shewed that a wandring Mind in a Minister will expose Forms to the like Absurdity of which Instances enough might be given besides that it is no small Imputation upon those who are intrusted to send out faithful and able Preachers that they send out such as cannot Pray without Impertinency Nonsense and Rudeness or Worse But the two latter have in them so much of falshood if not something much worse that it is necessary to vindicate free conceived Prayer from such black and odious Imputations fit for nothing but to make some prophane Persons matter for Discourse over a Pot of Ale or Pint of Wine I will begin with the latter first P. 59. Part 2. as to which our Casuist faith P. 59. Par. 2. That we should do well to consider who it was that first introduced it that is praying by conceived Prayer into England and set it up in Opposition to our Liturgy For First There was one faithful Commin a Dominican Frier who in the Ninth of Elizabeth to seduce the People from the Church thereby to serve the Ends of Popery began to Pray Ex tempore with such wonderful Zeal and Fervor that he deluded a great many simple People for which he was afterwards amply Rewarded by the Pope Vid. Foxes and Firebrands p. 7. P. 17. After him one Thomas Heath a Iesuit pursued the same Method exclaiming against our Liturgy and crying up Spiritual or Ex tempore Prayers thereby to divide the People from our Publick Worship telling the Bishop of Rochester by whom he was examined That he had been Six Years in England labouring to refine the Protestants and to take off all Smacks of Ceremonies and to make the Church purer †Of which see more in the Preface of the learned Treatise The unreasonableness of Separation beginning p. 11. And I hope when our Brethren have well considered who it is they join with and whose Cause they advance while they thus decry our Liturgy and Cry up their own Ex tempore Prayers in the Room of it they will at last see Cause to retract a mistake which none but the Church of Rome will have cause to thank them for The Learned Author quoted by our Casuist in
Hours Here is nothing else evidenced against him yet this was the whole Proof as recited by the Author of Foxes and Firebrands But it may be we shall meet with something afterward more Effectual Let us therefore proceed with the Story The aforesaid Author tells us that after this the Queen caused Commin to be called in and told him that If he would receive Orders and become of the Church of England he might otherwise he must not be permitted to Pray and Preach among Her Subjects How improbable a Story this is may be understood by any that understand that according to our English Discipline none once ordained by the Church of Rome is to be reordained and it is not likely the Queen would have put him more upon a Reordination than a Rebaptization His fault apparently was a Preaching without License and so much is imported by the Queens next Words if ever they were Hers. You have usurped over the Power both of Church and of State in doing contrary to the Order that We our Council and Parliament have agreed on unanimously by and with the Consent of the whole Clergy of my Realm Commin as the Tale is told desires Time to give the Queen an Answer The Queen requires Bond for his Appearance pretending other Examinations to be taken and Questions to be propounded How Preaching without Licence and Praying Two Hours in an Inn came to be a Council-Board Case deserveth thinking-Mens Deliberation for here is nothing else either confessed by him or objected or proved against him but not coming to the Prayers and not receiving ' the Sacrament for both which the Statute and Ecclesiastical Law was plain enough and in Cases where the Law hath provided the Council-Board useth not to concern themselves 〈…〉 The upshot of the Story is that one Bland and Twenty others were Commin's Security for his Appearance again at the Council-Table 12 April 1567. When they did appear but were put off till the next Day When as the Tale is told Commin did not appear his Bail was sent for but they were discharged being bound only for his Appearance 12 April when he did appear Commin if we may believe the Author of Foxes and Firebrands went away that Evening April 12. The same Author tells us p. 12. That Commin coming from the Council told his Followers that Her Majesty and the Council had acquitted him and that he was warned of God to go beyond the Sea to instruct the Protestants there and that ere long he would return to his Flock with better Success He told them that Spiritual Prayer was the chief Testimony of a true Protestant and that the fett Form in England was but the Mass Translated So after he had with a Multitude of Tears like a Crocodile first prayed an Ex tempore Prayer the better to prey upon the poor deluded People he took his leave of them telling he had not one Farthing to support him in his Journey yet being Gods Cause he would undertake it out of Charity and he was assured that the Lord would raise him up Friends where ever he travelled This Speech set most of the People on Weeping especially the Women who requested their Husbands to contribute towards his Necessities and it was made appear after his escape out of England that they Collected for him 130 l. besides what the compassionate Sex bestowed upon him unknown to their Husbands All this now is either True or False if it be all a Forgery and of the same Batch that the Letter which came out a little before this Pamphlet from the Jesuit in Paris to his Correspondent in London shewing the most Effectual Way to ruine the Government and Protestant Religion complain'd of in Parliament March 21 st 78. which the House of Commons was informed one Dr. Nelson was the Forger of March 26. 1679. and upon it that Day ordered him into Custody and for which he had upon his Knees a Reprimand May 2. 1679. it signifies nothing If any think it was true he should do well to consider how the Author of Foxes and Firecrands should know it to be so It is a Passage 116 Years Old and not likely as any will say that ever saw any Minutes of the Council-Board to be all entred there or so taken by the Secretary Cecil as to be so whole in his Papers It was not the product of any judicial Examination few I think will be so credulous as to believe such Romances Let us yet go on with the Story in the latter Part of which if any where must be the Proof of Commin's being a Popish Priest The Author of the Book aforesaid tells us there was no further Account of Commin till the 14. Sept. which was just five Months and no more from Commins going away Then One Baker factor of Queen 〈◊〉 for him a Shipmaster arrived at Portsmouth and told we know not who that he had seen Commin in the Low Countries and that coming to unlade some Goods at Amsterdam one Martin Van Daval a Merchant of that City hearing him talk of the said Commin told him that this Faithful Commin had been lately at Rome and that the Pope Pius Quintus had put him in Prison but that Commin writing to the Pope that he had something of Importance to communicate to him the Pope sent for him the next Day and assoon as he saw him said Sir I have heard how you have set forth me and my Predecessors among your Hereticks in England by reviling my Person and railing at my Church To whom Commin replied I confess my Lips have uttered that which my Heart never Thought but your Holiness little thinks I have done you a most consid erable Service notwithstanding I have spoken so much against you To which the Pope returned How in the Name of Iesus Mary and all the Saints hast thou done so Sir said Commin I Preached against set Forms of Prayer and I called the English Prayers English Mass and have perswaded several to pray spiritually and Ex tempore and this hath so much taken with the People that the Church of England is become as odious to that fort of People whom I instructed as Mass is to the Church of England and this will be a stumbling block to that Church while it is a Church upon which the Pope commended him and gave him a Reward of Two Thousand Ducats for his good Service Qui Bavium non odit amet tua Carmina Maevi Let those whom a Romance or notorious Forgery will tickle be pleased with this most inartificial One which hath as many Brands of such a thing as it is almost possible a Story should have 1. First Here is but five Months allowed for one to go in to Rome be there taken Notice of Imprisoned in the Inquisition delivered to come back into Holland for a Merchant in Holland to be informed of all these Transactions to tell them to a Ship-master unloading Goods for him again
read of any Liturgy they carried along with them or used 5. For what our Author further saith about the Calvinistical and Lutherane Churches there is enough said in the aforemention'd Books to Answer it It lies upon him to prove that the Churches in France and Holland generally impose the Use of Forms in all Parts of Publick Worship If any do voluntarily Use any Forms which are prescribed and left to a free Use we have nothing to do to Condemn them though we be of another Mind I have indeed heard That in the Administration of the Sacraments and Marriages The Ministers of the Reformed Churches in France and Holland generally keep to Forms Marrying Persons is no Ministerial Act by any Institution of Christ. It is a great and weighty Action and possibly what is fittest to be done by such whose Office it is to Exhort and to Pray for People As for the Sacraments the Ministration of them is indeed a Ministerial Act. If we cannot satisfie our selves in that Ministration by tying our selves to prescribed Forms We hope it is not a Thing of that Nature but we may without any great Danger differ in it from Persons and Churches which we Honour In the mean Time the Churches of Scotland and New England have hitherto been of our Minds so that we are not wholly alone we differ from the Lutherane Churches in far greater Things than this and further yet from the Popish Synagogues But as I have often said admit all here said as to Antiquity or Practice of other Churches were true which manifestly is not it were but a presumptive no concluding Argument In the mean time 1. We many of us as we have said and it hath appear'd by our Practice do not judge it sinful though we do not judge it under all Circumstances eligible to join by Communion in Prayer with Ministers who use the prescribed Forms or any other whose Matter is not sinful to be assented to or begg'd of God So that all our Question is about the Ministerial Use. 2. Nor as to that do we judge our selves so infallible as to condemn any Ministers that are satisfied so to perform their Publick Ministerial Acts in Prayer We only say we cannot and offer our Reasons in Vindication of our selves For what our Author saith p. 59 60. about Iesuits and Romish Preists introducing conceived Prayers into Publick Use we hope enough hath been said in our first Chapter to make him alter his Mind Indeed Forms of Prayer were of general Use in the Popish Worship many Hundred Years before there was a Jesuite in the World But we do not believe them so much as Canonically injoined before Pope Gregories Time but first by him Nor universally practised tell Charles the Great 's Time which was Eight Hundred Years after Christ. Nor do we see the least Colour of Proof for any such Thing Our Author thinks fit to propound but to speak very little to a Sixth Case viz. Case 6. Whether it be lawful to comply with the Use of Publick Forms when they are imposed Our Author I hope means Publick Forms containing no Matter but what God hath given us leave to pray for 2. With a Liberty also to Vse others in the Pulpit for I observe our Author hath all along pleaded for that This supposed The Term complying referreth to Ministerial Vse or to a Popular Vse whose Work is only to say Amen in Heart and with Faith and due Affection desiring those Things of God As to the latter it is not in Question betwixt us We are so far agreed That such Use though possibly under all Circumstances not eligible yet is not sinful So as the only Question is of Ministerial Use. This our Author knows many of us Iudge not lawful we have given him our Reasons Our Author hath pretended to Answer them We have now shewed him that his Answers appear to us insufficient and bottomed upon Mistakes So as yet sub judice lis est and the Question is not as our Author States it Whether a lawful thing when imposed may be lawfully complied with But whether what some Persons judge lawful may be done by others who verily believe it unlawful Yet were the Question as our Author stateth it Whether a Thing in the Worship of God lawful that is apparently neither commanded nor forbidden in Gods Word may be lawfully complied with if commanded by Men. It could not be determined affirmatively without determining That it is in the Power of Man to determine Things in Gods Worship which he hath left to Peoples Liberty and consequently when God had given his People a Liberty for a Peace Offering to offer of the Herd or of the Flock either Male or Female Lev. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6. Or a Goat It was yet lawful for Asa or Iehosaphat or Hezekiah or Iosiah or the Iewish Sanhedrim to have by an Humane Law restrained them to offer none but Bullocks or Sheep or Goats or of them none but Males or none but Females which as we read not was ever attempted so the lawfulness of such a Restriction or Compliance with it may deserve serious Thoughts For what our Author saith That if the Imposition of Prayer in Publick by Forms may not be lawfully complied with then neither may the Imposition of Prayer ex tempore We say who asketh any such Thing For my own Part I think it would be unreasonable surely those who plead for Liberty in this Thing cannot Plead for Imposition any way and therefore what our Author saith here seemeth to me wholly Impertinent FINIS