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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	call_v	holy_a	word_n	2,845	5	3.9924	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59765	The irregularitie of a private prayer in a publick congregation in a letter to a friend.	Sherlock, R. (Richard), 1612-1689.	1674 (1674)	Wing S3241; ESTC R25624	14,535	24

when they are perswaded by these Enthusiasts that Common-Prayer and all the Ceremonies in that celebration are taken out of the Mass-book that they are but a dead letter and the invention of man whereas the private conceived Prayer is no less than the immediate influence of the holy Spirit of God Object At least they say That Prayers read in a Book have not that quickning vigour in them like to the Prayer Memoriter and without book The one savours of the deadness of the Letter the other of the quickning Spirit Answ But in holy Prayer it is not the words said whether written or not written whether said within or without Book but the affectionate Zeal of him that prays that gives vigor and efficacy to this holy Duty and where this is wanting the fault is not in the Prayers themselves but in the Persons that profanely slight and undervalue them the deadness they talk of lies in their own hearts which are not touched with the quickening spirit of devotion in the use of those holy and good Prayers And whosoever is more affected with a conceived than a written Prayer thinks sure That the one is more immediately by inspiration from Heaven than the other Orationis sublimitas ex parte orantis non ex sublimitate vel subtilitate verborum sed humilitate devotionis affectu ejus qui oratpensanda est Jac. Alvar. de inquis pac and so smells strong of the Heresie of Enthusiasm I am sure To speak foolishly and impertinently hath been usually accounted and called speaking without Book Object Object 3 3. There be many Episcopal Persons and such who both use and are zealous for the Liturgie of the Church do yet use Privat Prayer of their own before Sermon the which surely they would never do if they conceived it unlawful Answ Answ This is done 't is confest by many Persons of known worth and integritie some with good intentions to win upon such Persons whom no other kind of Prayers will please some that their Private Prayer may be a Pattern whereby their People may learn to pray in Private and for these reasons I conceive this practice hath been and is still over-look'd by Ecclesiastical Superiors But in the general this custom is continued through inadvertency in not considering and deeply weighing the equity or iniquity fitness or unfitness thereof Nor can the practise of this or any other custom prove the same to be lawful There is a great difference betwixt consuetudo and corruptela the one is laudable the other unlawful many persons also that are eminent in knowledge and Pietie in the general may through long custom and many examples fail in some particulars through inconsideration Object 4 Many also are induced thereunto conceiving that variety of expressions and change of Forms in Prayer do more work upon the Affections of the People and stir up their Devotions than one and the same constant standing Form Answ 1. Answ 1 This doth more tickle the itching ears of the People indeed and the itching of the ears comes from the corruption of the heart And surely their Devotion is very cold that must be warmed by variety of expressions the which in preaching may be commendable but not in praying except by way of privat ejaculations it being one design of exhortations and moving admonitions in Sermons to excite the Affections to what is taught and exhorted unto whereas holy Prayer is not the cause but the effect and issue of devout Affections and 't is then only acceptable to God when it comes from a heart replete with humility compunction fervor and divine love which do necessarily infer foreknowledg of the Prayers we use that they be such as whereby our devout Affections may be ●xpressed Answ 2. Answ 2 It is generally observed by the Masters of Mystical Theology and Spiritual Life That there is a sensible Devotion which begins in the sensitive nature producing tenderness of spirit drawing often sighs from the bosome and tears from the eyes and begets a secret delectation and sweetness in the soul with which many persons are much taken and transported as conceiving such pleasing delights in Prayer to be no other than the influences of the holy Spirit of God And yet this exterior pleasure of a sensible Devotion is not always a sign of a sound and right temper of holiness in the soul Jac. Alha de inquis pac lib. 2. par 3. cap. 3. Sancti Soph. Treat 3. serm 2. c. 5. Because First many wicked irregenerate persons may and have enjoyed the same Secondly It may proceed from the natural temper Thirdly From the vehement intention of the minde Fourthly From the mournful tone cadence of words and power of language And such sensible delights even in Prayer are sometimes the insinuations and illusions of the Evil Spirit to puff up the soul with self-love vain-glory presumption in God's favour and comempt of others I deny not but such sensible consolations are often the influences of the holy and true Spirit given us for our encouragement in holy divine Offices in the love of God and obedience but there is great discretion and humility also required in the use we make of them neither are we over-highly to esteem of them as the Casuist (a) Consolationes sensibiles quamvis non sunt despiciendae non sunt tamen supra modum aestimandae quia nec verae virtutes nec solidarum virtutum effectus nec necessaria profectus instrumenta sine quibus plurimi admagnum virtutem ac mentis puritatem ascendunt Jac. Alv. ibid. observes Because they are neither true virtues nor necessary effects of solid virtues neither are they necessary instruments of proficiency in true devotion For without such sensible consolations many holy persons have ascended to a great height of virtue and purity of minde The strongest Devotions and most effectual Prayers are seldomest attended with these sensible consolations and sweetnesses which flow in upon variety of taking expressions for a great Devotion is like a great Grief which is not so expressive in words as a less moderate passion a lesser Grief also is wasted away by tears and complaints whilst the greater is both more silent and more lasting so the less and more weak Devotion of the Soul is breathed out and wasted in variety of language not the solid strong and lasting fervor Such was the prevailing devotion of Moses when he fell down before the (b) Deut. 9.18 25. Lord and that of Hannah also when she prayed in the (c) 1 Sam. 1.10 11. Temple Their words in their prayers were few and low unheard but their desires and affections strong and prevalent as being not wasted by much speaking And such was that Devotion of our Lord in the Garden and on the Cross when he poured out his Soul in Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and (d) Heb. 5.7 tears His words were few but his devotion great and prevailing mightily which devotion

in the margin quotes another to the same purpose Prov. 10.19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise 3ly From the custome of the Heathen as it follows Vse not vain repetitions as the Heathen do It was the maner of the Heathen saith the ordinarie Gloss out of Cyprian to endeavour rather to be eloquent than devout in their Prayers and to be lowd and clamorous rather than fervent and zealous An example whereof we have 1 Kings 18.27 Where Elijah mocks the Preists of Baal calling upon their Pagan Deities Crie alowd for he is a God either he is talking or he is pursuing or he is in a journey or peradventure he is asleep and must be awaked And accordingly they cried alowd thinking as our Saviour here saith that they should be heard for their much speaking And therefore as it follows v. 18. Be not like unto them It is a shame for Christians in the Worship of the True God to be like the Heathen in the worship of their Fals and feigned Dieties Our Duty is to endeavour more for humility purity and fervency in heart than for glib nimble and voluble tongues to pray not with multitude of words and varietie of phrases but with pertinent and pithy expressions with ardency and godly zeal and the reason follows For Your heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask him He is every where present and knoweth all things even the secret of all hearts and therefore to court him with long and lowd Prayers implies our ignorance or misbelief of his perfections Against such extravagancy in Prayers our Lord prescribes us a Form with command saying After this manner pray yee vers 9. i. e. as from the context is manifest not after the maner of the Heathen who think to be heard for their much speaking but after this manner i. e. in few words and such as are pithy and to purpose And That 't is the meaning of our Lord in this place That all our Prayers should be short and not much exceeding the length of the Pattern he hath given us is manifest 1. Not only from the Context impartially weigh'd and understood but 2. From the Practice of Christs Church which is undeniably the best and surest Interpreter of Christs meaning in his words And all the Prayers of the Church of Christ are and ever were such in all ages in all places amongst all persons that are called Christians their Liturgies or Publick Prayers are short and pithy called therefore Collects as being so many Collections of much matter in few words 3. Such are all the Prayers of the Holy and True Spirit of God which stand upon record in Holy Writ both for use and imitation viz. the whole Book of Psalms with many more all which though some of them be long as to the whole Psalm or Hymn yet they are divided by Verses into so many shorter Prayers 4. Long Prayers are not only forbidden by our Lord as the custom of the Heathen but also frequently reproved by him as the practice of Hypocrites Matth. 23.14 Mark 12.40 Luke 12.47 5. By long and manifold sad experience 't is well known and hath been often observed That all long conceived Prayers have been guilty of manifold infirmities light vain and unseemly expressions not fitting to be offered up to the All-wise All-glorious Majesty of Heaven yea many falshoods many impieties and profanations have been uttered in such kind of Prayers and what have been contradictory to the Religious Duties we owe to God and men 6. If it be here said How can we be too long in our Prayers since our Lord continued all night in Prayer Luke 6.12 and saith also That we ought alwais to pray and not to faint Luke 18.1 and his Apostle commands Continus in prayers and watch Col. 4.2 and Pray without ceasing 1 Thess 5.17 and how can these Commands be obey'd without long Prayers Answ To this I answer That there is a great difference between long Prayers and praying long The one is unlawful because forbidden and reprov'd by our Lord the other is a Religious Duty because both commanded and practic'd by him and therefore St. Augustin saith Oratio plus gemitibus quam sermonibus agitur plus fletu quam afflatu And 't is thus The Spirit helpeth our infirmities by quickning our Devotions and enflaming our Desires he maketh intercession for us i. e. as the same Father secretly inclining our hearts to intercede for us with groanings that cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 From which Text it is apparent quite contrary to the Enthusiasts sense thereof That 't is inward groanings not outward bellowings the internal fervent desires of the Soul not multitude of words which is the Proper work of the Holy Spirit in Prayer The Ordinary Gloss out of St. Chrysostom asks the same Question If we must not use many words in our Prayers how shall we pray without ceasing as 't is commanded And answers out of the same Father That both are to be observ'd in our Religious Devotions viz. 1. That our Prayers be short And 2ly Frequent and cominued So Christ hath both commanded and also exemplified in his Personal Prayers And St. Paul also That our Prayers be short but often renewed in few words but with great devotion ending briefly and beginning afresh leaving some intervals or spaces of time for the reinquickning and enkindling the fire of fervor and holy zeal in the Soul And 't is added out of Cassianus The Fathers conceived it most useful to use short but frequent Prayers To be frequent that our Souls may cleave the more stedfastly unto God by often addresses to his Majesty To be short that we may quench the fiery darts of the Devil who is most busie to tempt us to dulness and deadness of heart in our Prayers which he very easily effects when the Prayers we say or hear are long and continued without any intermission 'T is recorded of those Primitive Christians in Egypt who were most famous for their transcendent Devotions and great Austerities in the exercise of Religious Duties That their Prayers were many and often night and day continued and yet That they were short also not only in their solemn Assemblies and publick Offices of Devotion but also That their private Prayers were as so many Raptures and Ejaculations or Desires darted up into Heaven For as the Father saith hereupon Absit ab Oratione multa locutio sed non desit multa precatio si fervens perseveret intentio Let not our Devotions be accompanied with much speaking but much praying so long as we can hold out in attention and fervency FINIS