Quotations out of the Books of ancient Divines whom more commonly then safely they call Fathers though the sentences be godly and pithy how much more will it be an unsanctified kind of prayer to make up not only many Petitions together but also a whole form of Prayer out of a book lesse ancient and much more offensive 4. Let me conclude with a fourth reason and adde no more in this place He that selecteth a few prayers which in themselves are free from offensive matter but of a book lyable in the whole bulke to many just exceptions and withall imposed by one Church upon another he doth really therein hold forth and professe his subjection not only to the irregular exercise of that authority whereby it is injoyned but also to the whole order of worship injoyned in that book as Paul in practising though but seldome a few ceremonies out of the book of the Law did therein hold forth and professe his orderly walking according to the whole Law and his prosessed subjection to the whole order of worship prescribed by the authority of the Law Acts 21.24.25 which had it not been warranted by God himself fora season he had doubtless thereby sinned against the second Commandement Since then the second Commandement is so many wayes violated by reading of a prayer-Prayer-book devised and prescribed by humane authority for the publique Prayers of the Church the Lord pardon all our provocations of his jealousie by our former ignorance in this point keep us blamelesse for after times for his holy names sake in Jesus Christ Amen You know the sinnes against this Commandement do more provoke the jealousie of the Lord against his people and that for many generations then the breach of any of the rest which is the reason why the Lord setteth before his people as a flaming sword his jealousie for a sanction and fence of this Commandement above the rest Eaeod 20.5 And shall we then provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger than he but let us proceed with our Discourse Disc They tell us say you God hath not ordained a set prescript worship he hath not indeed prescribed it as necessary but his Word doth warrant it to us as lawfull Answ First shew us but one Text of the word that doth warrant it as lawfull any word of precept or promise or pattern from the Scripture and we shall do as you offer to do sit down in silence Secondly if God hath not prescribed a set form as necessary why is such necessity put upon all the Churches for receiving of it hath the Church power to bind where God looseth Disc Touching the externall form of words in which we should profer our Petitions we know nothing precisely commanded by the Lord and therefore judge it a thing meerly indifferent whether our requests be read or uttered whether in a stinted or conceived form of words neither do we bring in any strange manner of Prayer for in substance the prayer read and conceived is all one Answ First touching the externall form of words in prayer we may know and must willingly know what the word hath taught us that the Lord hath commanded whether expressely or by just consequence all is one First that as in Preaching so consequently in Prayer we are to expresse our minds in such a frame of words not which mans wisdome teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2.13 Secondly that we are not to worship God after the precepts or patterns of men but do all things after the pattern in the mount Esay 29.13 Deut. 12.30 31 32. Heb. 8.5 Thirdly that we should not worship God in an Image devised by man and such are all set forms of Prayer devised helps of worship and prescribed to be read in the Church of Christ Answ 2. But suppose as the Discourse presumeth that it were a thing meerly indifferent whether our requests be read or uttered whether in a stinted or conceived form of words It seemeth to us a manifest transgression of the bounds both of Apostolicall authority and Christian liberty to bring in or take up a form of Prayer stinted and limitted by men which is left to us indifferent by God nor can we excuse a read prayer prescribed by men from a strange form of prayer seeing no such form is read or heard of in all the Scripture so great a difference is there betwixt a conceived and prescribed read prayer as is betwixt the fire from the Altar and the strange fire the one is an ordinance of God the other is an imagination of men CHAP. III. Wherein Answer is returned to Reason the second IF it be lawfull to use a prescript form of blessing prayer thanks-giving and baptising set down in the Word of God Then all prescript forms of Prayer or Liturgy are not to be condemned but the former appeareth from Numb 6.22 23. Psal 102.1 Hos 14.2 3. Joel 2.17 Deut. 5.10 Psal 92.1 Ezra 3.10 Rev. 15.3.2 Chron. 29.30 Isa 12.1 Math. 28.19 What answer do our Brethren return to this Argument Answ Our answer is ready and plain just and short we deny both the Major Proposition and the ground of the Minor for to speak first to the former it doth not follow that prescript form of prayer invented by men is lawfull because a form prescribed of God is good and allowable the Reason whereof is sound and evident though God forbid men to make themselves any Image or likenesse in his worship yet he hath not forbidden himselfe this power to prescribe any Image or form to us he appointed his people to make the Cherubims to worship him before them both in the Tabernacle and Temple but yet when Jeroboam made to himself the like form at Dan and Bethel and prescribed them to the people it was a manifest breach of the second Commandement what reply doth the Discourser return to this Disc A meer shift say you instead of an answer for the question is not of this or that form in particular but of a prescript form in it selfe considered the Lords Prayer was indited or prescribed by our Saviour himself and they yet deny the use thereof as a prayer and most of the Reasons which they bring do conclude against every set form of prayer as well as against any one thus they argue If a set form of Prayer be lawfull then a man may carry his prayers in his pocket buy them at the Book-binders shops c. and doth not this Reason disallow all penned and printed formes as well as ours Answ Thus with one sudden and blunt dash of a Pen a holy and divine truth confirmed by plentifull evidence of Scripture and applyed generally and frequently by our best Divines against Popish Images is at once blotted out and branded as a shift I say no more but this This is a speaking evill of the Law and condemning of the Law and that in a higher degree than that which is reproved by the Apostle
need to be shouldred speedily out of the Church than to be sheltered therein one day to an end And besides if such set forms be prescribed for the succour of ignorant Ministers then such Ministers as have received the gift of prayer have no need at any time nor use of prescribed and set forms of prayer at all Object And if it be said that it is not intended to make it lawfull at any time to tye or to be tyed to a set form of Prayer so as to offer up no more nor fewer Petitions than what are prescribed in the Book but only to warrant the lawfullnesse of some set forms of Prayer for some occasions Answ It may be justly demanded whether the same authority which tyeth to a set form of prayer for such or such occasions may not as well tye to a set form of prayer for all other occasions and if authority may tye the Church to any set form of prayer upon any occasion whether may not the same Authority by the same Rule forbid all other forms of prayers besides upon the same occasion Disc In Brief say you the controversie is whether it be not lawfull to read a Prayer upon a book or to make our desires known in a set form of words when the things we beg are allowable fit and necessary and when it is done with understanding feeling of our wants faith in Gods promises and reverence of his Majesty Which Question you spread forth into three branches Whether it be lawfull in private to use a set form of prayer or upon any occasion to read as prayer a prayer upon a Book Whether a set form of prayer sound and pertinent for the substance of the matter grave and simple for the order and manner not prejudising abridging or hindering by the length thereof the preaching of the Word may in any sort be tollerated in the Church or read by the Minister in the publique Congregation In case it should be unlawfull for the Minister or the Master of the Family to read a prescript form of prayer yet whether it should be unlawfull to be present at such assemblies Your Assertion is that a stinted form of prayer is lawfull to be used both in publique and private c. And though it should be sin in the Minister or in the Governour of the family yet may the people in the Congregation and the inferiour in the family be present at such prayers without sin or scruple of conscience Answ How far we go along with you in the Question thus stated and where we stick may be expressed in these particulars First We grant a Christian man whether Minister or of private place may by the gift of prayer which he hath received compile to himself a set form of prayer and may use the same for his prayer whether in publique or private according to his place yet so as not to limit himself to those words seeing he knoweth not what further occasion may be given him of inlarging his Petitions by new occurrences of matters from Gods providence and by the inlargement of the help of Gods Spirit nor so to limit himselfe as to stick long in any set form of prayer least it turn into a customary and empty form contrary to the watchfullnesse unto Prayer which must be Religiously kept of all growing Christians 2. A man may give unto another holy directions and rules for Prayer and may also set down some forms of prayer as examples of such rules but not to prescribe them as set forms to them to be used by them for their Prayers 3. A man that readeth a form of Prayer in a Book may be so affected with it as in the desires of his heart to go along with it and to use it for his present prayer as it may thus fall out in reading one of Calvins prayers printed after his Lectures or such other like 4. We deny not but a man that is affected with some Petitions in a Prayer devised by others he may lawfully make use of them and intersert them ordinarily into his own Prayers But not to take up an intire form of Prayer devised by another and to make it his own ordinary form of Prayer 5. We grant Magistrates or other Christians may commend some Heads or Petitions to the Church according to the present state of things which the Church as they see fit may present and commend to God in their Prayers Thus far we consent but farther we cannot go but do rather conceive it to be unlawfull 1. To set a part and take up a set form of Prayer and to use it as an ordinary prayer that which is devised by others whom God hath not called to be a mouth to me 2. We conceive it also to be unlawfull to bring in ordinarily any other Books into the publique worship of God in the Church besides the Book of God and therefore do see no more warrant to read out of a Prayer Book the publique Prayers of a Church then out of a book of Homilyes to read the publique Sermons of the Ministers of the Church 3. We account it alike if not more unlawfull for Ancestors to prescribe or injoyn set forms of Prayers to their posterity or for one Church to prescribe set forms of Prayer unto another 4. We hold it in like manner unlawfull for one Church to receive such set forms of Prayer from another and to use them for their own Prayers 5. We take it to be unlawfull also for the people of God to joyn in such prayers which are so divised and prescribed to be read unto them and to be offered up in their names as their prayers To apply these things more punctually to the particular branches of the Question as they are proposed and stated by you For your first branch we do not make it a controversie whether it be lawfull to make known our desires in a set form of words in such sence as we granted above in our first point of consent nor do we hold it unlawfull to read a prayer upon a book and therein to expresse our desires in such sort as we granted in our third point of consent But neverthelesse we do not discern it to be lawfull no not in private to use ordinarily a set form of prayer devised by others nor to read such a prayer out of a book for the ordinary prayer of a mans self much lesse of his Family For your second Branch though we neither deny the use of set form in private nor in publique so it be compiled by a mans own gists or by those whom God calleth to be his mouth Yet we dare not allow the reading of a set form of publique prayer out of a Book penned for the purpose and those prayers compiled by the members of one Congregation and imposed upon others 3. For your third Branch we for our parts cannot justifie it to be lawfull for to be present either in the family or in the
forms or manners of worship which are not instituted in his word Hence conformity to Idolaters in cutting their hair and beards is forbidden Levit. 19.27 Hence preaching in the wisdome of words or in carnall eloquence is forbidden as a painted Image against the second Commandement 1 Cor. 21. Hence Prayer towards the East falleth under the same reproof Hence the incense of Uzzia the strange fire of Nadab and Abihu the striking of the rock by Moses in the Wildernesse of Sin the Love-Feasts brought into the Lords Supper And many more such like forms and manners of Gods worship are forbidden in the Word as divers from the rule and pattern held forth in the second Commandement as it is opened and illustrated by these and such like examples in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles we are not ignorant that there is also a sinfull form and manner of worship which is forbidden in the third Commandement as when we worship God unreverently or droufily but that is rather Ro. modus colendus then modus cultus To apply then to this Rule and Commandement of God these set forms of Prayer devised by men and prescribed to be read out of a Book and so taken up by one Church from another as the forms of their worship and the helps of their devotion We find no Commandement nor Pattern for them in the Word nor any promise for their acceptance They are injoyned for helps and means of Gods worship which God hath not sanctified and for forms of worship which God hath not acknowledged and therefore we know not how to excuse them from sin against the true meaning of the second Commandement Object If it be said that it was granted before in stating the Question that in reading a Prayer penned by another man say one of Calvins Prayers after his Lectures a man may be so affected with it as that his heart going along therewith he may convey his own desires and Petitions to God in reading thereof and so make it his own Prayer though devised by another and read out of a Book Answ We grant that a man may make use of another mans penned Prayers read in private not only for an example or instruction how to pray but also occasionally for his present Prayer If he find the Petitions sutable to his present occasions Yea we grant further that in case one Church should send letters to another Church and in the end thereof should conclude with some Prayer suitable to the state of the Church to whom they write we doubt not but that the Church to whom the letters are sent finding the Petitions suitable to their condition may lawfully go along therewith in spirit and in the end say Amen thereto and so make it their own Prayer But yet here be two things different from the case in hand First They that penned such Prayers did not prescribe them as forms of Prayer for the brethren to use left them freely to their liberty 2. They that take them up occasionally for their present use and make them their Prayers they do not set them apart to be read for their ordinary Prayers either in publique or in private which seemeth to us a matter of weighty consideration and maketh a great difference in the cause in hand to clear it by a familiar instance A man passing through a burying place may see a dead mans scalp cast up and thereby take occasion from the present object to meditate for the present on his mortality and to prepare for like change but if he shall take up and keep that dead mans scalpe in his Closet or Bed chamber to be an ordinary help to him to put him in mind daily of his mortality Now in so doing he maketh an Image of it to himself by setting it a part to be an help to him in Gods worship which not being sanctified and set a part by God for that end it now becomes a sin to him against the second Commandement in the former case he took occasion to fall into a present good meditation of mortality by the present sight of an object of mortaliy as it was set before him occasionally by Gods providence wherein he did well according to the second Commandement not to passe by such a passage of Gods providence in vain But in the latter case in setting it a part to be an ordinary help to him in such meditations or injoyning the same to others He in so doing maketh it to him and them an Image it not being instituted or sanctified by God but devised and set apart by man for such a spirituall end which is forbidden in the second Commandement If it be said again when I read Prayer and sind some Petitions therein that sute well with my estate I may not only then use them for my present Prayer but may again and again ordinarily make use thereof in my own Prayers Answ We deny not that but it is one thing to take up a Petition or two or more and to insert them here and there into mine own Prayers and another thing to take up a whole intire prayer or form of prayer and use it ordinarily as mine own see the like in Preaching I may make use of a sentence or two or more here and there out of another mans Sermon and it may be inculcate the same again and again in many Sermons together of my own But I may not therefore take up a whole Sermon penned by another and preach it for mine own though it were never so fit for my Text and for mine own Congregation Whence also another reason and in our apprehension of just weight may be alledged against the ordinary use of set forms of Prayers devised by others If every Minister be to edifie the Church by the dispensation of his own tallents and gifts as well in prayer as in preaching Then he may not pray another mans penned prayer no more then preach another mans penned Sermon but the former is true 1 Cor. 12.7 Acts 6.4 Eph. 4.8.11 12 13. therefore the latter 3. Let me adde a third reason If I may worship God in the congregation with a set form of prayer read out of a book then I may bring into the Church another book besides the book of God to be read ordinarily for the publique edification of the Church But we know no warrant for the use of any book in the Church to be read ordinarily for the publique edification of the Church besides the book of God to bring into the Church any other book besides Gods is like the bringing in of another Altar into the Temple of the Lord and set it up besides the Altar of the Lord which did in time thrust the Altar of the Lord to stand behind and give place and at length to be laid aside 2 Kings 16.14 15. I need not apply it experience goeth far enough in applying of it If it be an unsanctified way of preaching to fill a Sermon with
why such a necessity as hath been opened of a set devised form of singing should excuse a set form of Psalms and yet not excuse a set form of prayer but rather excuse the people from joyning in it Answ Because there is no necessity at all of a devised set form of prayer unless it be through the sinfull defect of the Ministers gifts in Prayer which is such a necessity as God abhorreth both it and the Minister for it But the necessity of a set form of Psalms is such which God himself hath put for the Celebration of that service with one accord both in heart and voyce as hath been shewed and therefore you might well have forborn that confident expression Disc If Christians shall not exempt themselves from the stinted Prayers used in the Congregation untill a materiall difference be shewed in these particulars and that distinction of Arbitrary and necessary devised forms be approved by solid Reasons and holy Scriptures the world shall end I am confident before they shall separate For you see a materiall difference in these particulars between the necessity of a set form of Psalms and the necessity of a set forme of Prayer The necessity of the one is from Gods Ordinance and therefore warrantable The necessity of the other is from mans Ignorance and such ignorance as maketh him unfit for the Ministeriall Office and therefore sinfull As for the distinction of Arbitrary and necessary devised forms in your sence we neither use it nor approve it And therefore have no cause to bring either holy Scriptures or solid Reasons for the proof of it But in that sence wherein we use it the distinction is so manifest from what we have said already that we think your self will require no further proof of it CHAP. V. Answering to the fourth Reason Disc YOur fourth Reason may be thus contracted If the Spirit of God do work by means and if he stir up good desires yet giveth not ability to expresse our desires in fit and significant words Then it is lawfull for us to use all godly means to stir up the graces of God in us and to premeditate how to utter our Requests in such a form and manner as may best serve for our quickning and the edification of others and if the use of a premeditated form of words in prayer do not stint the Spirit a set form of Prayer cannot be injurious to the Spirit grant the one the other will follow Answ If the speech be of publique prayer the same spirit that giveth the Minister ability to deliver a Sermon in fit and significant tearms doth in like sort give ability to expresse his desires in Prayer in fit and significant tearms no man is called of God to be a Minister of his Church but he is as well apt to Pray as apt to Preach But if the speech be of private persons it is true many good souls have better desires than utterance In regard of which defect or without such defect we willingly condescend to you It is lawfull yea and necessary to him to use all godly means to stir up the graces of God in him and to premeditate how to utter his requests in such sort as best serves for his own quickning the edification of others But this we deny that the using of a prescript form of Prayer upon a book devised and imposed by one man upon another to be used as their Prayer is a godly means to stir up the graces of God in himselfe or to edifie others For that which the Holy Ghost hath not sanctified in his Word for the stirring up of the graces of God in a mans self or others that is not a godly means for such an end But throughout the Scriptures we cannot find any where that the Holy Ghost hath sanctified such a means to such an end And then it is but an Image which will rather teach a form of godlinesse than edifie to the power of it Disc Peradventure they would creep out by saying the Spirit of God is our only helper in the time of Prayer so that though at other times we might use helps to stir up the graces of the Spirit yet not in time of prayer But this distinction is not found in Scripture neither can be deduced by any sound reason from thence The Spirit of God is at all times the sole mover and enabler of us to pray and the use of lawfull means and such as sute with the nature of prayer are at no time unlawfull as it is fit we meditate and read before we pray so it is lawfull in prayer to kneel and lift up our hands and eyes to use the help of the voyce and the benefit of a Christian friend to stir up affection Therefore we may dispute for the lawfullnesse of book Prayer thus if it be lawfull to use externall helps in time of prayer the better to stir up affections then book prayer is not to be condemned Answ To creep out being a borrowed speech from worms It being put upon us holdeth us forth as worms and not as men yea worse than worms Serpents rather than Worms That being compassed in with truth are willing to creep out by any evasion rather than to submit to the authority of the truth But let our reverend and godly brother be intreated not to deal such measures to his Brethren Least the God and Father of us both be displeased and stir up others to returne like measure to you heaped up pressed down shaken together our plain and simple Answer without creeping or shifting Is this that it is lawfll to use any externall or internall helps either before Prayer to prepare us for it or in Prayer to quicken or inlarge us in it provided they be such means and helps as God hath sanctified to such an end at such a time As we readily grant the help of books and meditation before Prayer so we do grant also the help of holy and reverent gestures in Prayer as bowing down the knees and lifting up of the hands and eyes and voyce the presence and assistance of a Christian friend for all these God hath sanctified to help the inward affections of the heart in prayer do but shew that God hath sanctified Book-prayers imposed upon us for our prayers and that by the members of other Congregations and we will neither creep nor start away But willingly blesse the Lord for his goodnesse to you in this case as well as in many others like as Phineas and the Congregation of Israel blessed God for the Rubenites and Gadites that were able to give so good an account of their actions beyond the expectation of their brethren Jos 22. Disc In prayer penned by a godly and well experienced Christian the case of a distressed soul may more pithily and amply be deciphered and anatomized then he of himselfe is able to do it and in such a case to deny him this lawfull help is to take away