and through Jesus Christ To God onely as the chief best and most perfect good through Christ as our Mediatour in whom we have accesse to the throne of grace Prayer is not a work of nature but of grace The principall authour thereof is the holy Ghost Man indeed doth poure out his soul unto the Lord but he is first taught moved and enabled thereunto by the Spirit of grace so that prayer is Gods gift and mans act The matter of our prayer is diverse according to the sundry occasions which happen in this life but ever it must be agreeable to the word and will of God Understanding faith humilitie reverence fervencie holinesse and love are required to that prayer which is acceptable unto God and doth procure audience In prayer with others especially in publick prayer where the minister is the mouth of the people the use of the voice is necessarie for the edification of the hearers for they cannot joyn in supplication and yield their consent unlesse they heare and understand what is prayed for In solitary prayer the voice and words are very usefull but not necessary usefull to stirre up affection and prevent rovings not necessary because it is the soul only that doth animate prayer A man may pray fervently and speak never a word but words be of no worth if the heart be absent Prayer endited by the Spirit and poured out by a sanctified soul is ever sweet and pleasant melodie in the eares of God though the tongue keep silence and the phrase of speech be rough and unpolished But let the outward frame of words be never so smooth and well set together the prayer is not pleasing unto God if therein we crave things unlawfull and impertinent if it be read or uttered without intention of heart understanding faith c. Neverthelesse in prayer with others specially in the publick assemblie words and decent phrase must not be neglected because all things must be done gravely and to edification To place devotion in words is superstition to hunt after quaint terms is foolish vanity but to neglect a decent and comely manner of speech is barbarousnesse Seeing then the use of the voice is not of the essence of prayer no man of understanding will deny that to be an holy and acceptable prayer which proceedeth from a sincere and upright heart feeling its own or others wants and craving supply thereof according to Gods will whether the petitions be put up in the self-same or in other words And yet because the ordinances of God must be kept from contempt in the publick assembly it is good neither to be over-neat nor over-homely but to use such a mean as doth most tend to the glory of God and good of Gods people Here a question is moved Whether a stinted Liturgie or set form of prayer publick or private be lawfull in the deviser or user A penned or stinted prayer I call Prayer in respect of the matter and externall form because the matter is delivered in form of a prayer or supplication tendred to God though properly it is not a prayer as it is penned or printed but as it is rehearsed as our prayer with understanding feeling of our wants humilitie confidence c. The controversie is not of this or that prescript form in particular much lesse of one faulty or erroneous but of a prescript form in generall Whether it be lawfull especially in the publick assembly to appoint any prescript or set form of prayer though for matter never so sound and allowable For if the exception be against this or that form in respect of the matter or maner of imposing then the question should be Whether this prayer for matter or manner of imposing be erroneous not Whether a stinted form of prayer or Liturgie be lawfull It is not questioned whether a man may ask things unlawfull or impertinent in prayer for the matter of our prayer must be agreeable to the word of God and our present occasions A prayer for matter and externall form holy and fit may by accident be sinfull in the user viz. when it is repeated without understanding or intention of the heart Of this there is no doubt It is granted also that no one prescript and stinted form of prayer or Liturgie is simply necessary either in publick or private for then our Saviour Christ who would not be wanting to his church in things necessarie would by his Apostles expressely have set down one to be an exact and unchangeable rule to all Christians and churches to the worlds end both for matter and form words and method whereunto they should have been tied and that alwayes But seeing our Saviour hath commanded no such unchangeable form it is not the Necessity but the Lawfulnesse of a stinted Liturgie or set form of prayer that is pleaded for and that as a matter of order not of religion or substantiall means of worship For in this sense there is no means of worship expedient which is not necessary by commandment It was never held that a man should so tie himself or be tied alwayes to a set form without variation that he should never offer up any prayer unto God as occasion is offered and necessitie requireth but what he findeth in his book Such use of a set and stinted form of prayer we do not acknowledge nor seek to perswade But to reade prayer as a prayer upon a book or to make known unto God the desires of our heart in a set form of words devised by others or our selves when the things we beg are allowable fit and necessary and when it is done with right affection is contrary to no precept or commandment directly or by lawfull consequence Amongst them that oppose a set form of prayer we may observe differences in opinion The ancient brethren of the Separation as M r Smith calleth them for distinction condemn all stinted forms of prayer to be used as a prayer Thus they dispute against set or stinted forms of prayer that it is a devise of man an idole-Idole-prayer a stinting of the Spirit the substituting of a book in the room and stead of the holy Ghost a drawing nigh to God with the lips when the heart is removed farre from him That if set forms be lawfull then one may make anothers prayer buy his prayers at a book-binders shop carry them about in his pocket with many the like Which arguments whatsoever their weight be strike at all set forms and not at this or that onely prescribed in this or that manner M r Robinson hideth the matter as much as well he may by such like additions as these of matter and manner The thing saith he you should have endeavoured to prove is That your Divine service-book framed by man and by man imposed to be used without addition or alteration as the solemn worship of your church is that true and spirituall manner of
heart and move affections and when this may be done better by the help of a book in prayer then of our selves how can the use thereof be accused as the quenching of the Spirit It is the Spirit indeed that doth help us in our infirmities but we must use means to stirre up the graces of the Spirit in us He quencheth not the Spirit who laboureth to blow the coals of grace and useth all helps afforded in most ample and particular manner to unburden his heart before the Lord. He doth not substitute his Christian friends in the place of the word and Spirit who not able to lift up his own soul by reason of griâ—vous straitnesse and pressure of heart doth crave his help and assistance in prayer And may not a godly book supply the lack of Christian companion When we are dull and out of order we may joyn with others in prayer for our relief and quickning why then should it be intolerable to make this benefit of a godly book A set form of prayer may be committed to memory and uttered from it doth that also quench the Spirit It is not safe they say for a minister to limit himself alwayes to one form of prayer though devised by himself But if it be a quenching of the Spirit an humane invention forbidden in the second commandment if it cannot be made by the Spirit if it be not that true and spirituall worship which God requireth it is not lawfull ordinarily nor once for minister or private christian in publick or private in case of distresse or otherwise for the objection is generall That all stinted forms of prayer do quench the Spirit and these mitigations of safe alwayes and for a minister are a plain concession there is no force in the reason These stinted forms do quench the Spirit of prayer in that they deprive the church and minister of that libertie of the Spirit of prayer which God would have them use stinting the minister yea all the ministers of the kingdome to the same measure of the Spirit not onely one with another but all of them with him that is dead and rotten Nothing is here objected against our stinted form which may not with like truth be alledged against the reading of a prescribed and set translation the use of the Lords prayer a set form of blessing singing of psalms and baptizing in these precise words I baptize thee c. For in these things it may be said The minister yea all the ministers in the kingdome are stinted to the same measure of the Spirit c. And if in those particulars that form of reasoning be of no weight in this it is but an empty sound A stinted form depriveth not the minister or church of that libertie of the Spirit which God would have them use seeing they may use that notwithstanding as the severall occasions of the church or people shall require If all ministers throughout the Christian world should put up the same holy and just petitions to God in the same phrase of speech as in the words of the Lords prayer they should neither stint the Spirit to one measure nor deprive the church of the liberty of the Spirit seeing the measure of the Spirit standeth not in words and forms but in fervent sighs and groans and they have time and libertie to pray besides as God shall enable them and the present occasions of the assembly require And if it must needs be that in a stinted form the Spirit is stinted to one measure then all stinting of the Spirit is not quenching of the Spirit For the minister doth not quench the Spirit if he stint it in respect of time and occasions Suppose sundry private Christians in the assembly do excell their pastour in the gift of prayer the wife excell the husband the child or servant excell the master or governour is the Spirit quenched in them when it is stinted for the time to their measure in prayer Suppose divers Christians meeting upon occasion the weakest in gifts be put to pray for the rest is the Spirit in them quenched because it is stinted to his measure The question is not of prayer devised by a mans self or of limiting the Spirit in the people but of prayer devised by others and imposed and of limiting the Spirit of the minister the first is lawfull the second sinfull The question is of a publick stinted form of prayer or Liturgie Whether it quench the Spirit in the minister or the people and Whether it quench the Spirit because it stinteth it Whether the form be devised by others or by a mans self imposed or voluntarily taken up that is nothing to the matter in hand but Whether it quench the Spirit because for the time it is limited to that form of words And if we look into the matter it self the Spirit of God may be quenched in a mans self no lesse by the rude customary use of a form devised by a mans self then by a form imposed by others and it may be as prejudiciall to the comfort of Gods people And if we consult the scripture where shall we find this distinction of limiting the Spirit by prayer devised by a mans self or devised of others of stinting the Spirit in respect of time occasion form of prayer uttered out of memory or read upon a book But the distinction it self hath been confuted already together with the assertion That a stinted prayer doth quench the Spirit It cannot properly be said saith one that the Spirit is limited by his own ordinance but when the Spirit of the minister is straitned by forms prescribed to him by men without Gods ordinance and appointment then the Spirit is limited and stinted indeed But this is a bare repetition of what was said before without proof or reason and besides a strange description of limiting the Spirit is nothing but a proof of one thing by the same And here I desire two things may be noted First though many reasons in shew be brought against the use of stinted prayer yet when the matter cometh to the upshot they are barely one and that nakedly affirmed Stinted prayer is unlawfull because in reading book â—prayer he doth not exercise his own but another mans gifts Is this reason good No for in reading scripture out of a translation he exerciseth another mans gifts But stinted prayer is the devise of man A child of twelve or thirteen yeares old may reade a stinted prayer as well as the minister The same may be said of reading the Scriptures But stinted prayer is the devise of man It is unlawfull to stint the Spirit Yet this is done in praying with others But stinted prayer is the devise of man So that all hangeth upon this string for the confirmation whereof nothing is alledged Secondly they take that for granted evermore which should be proved or prove the same by the same as Stinted prayer doth
which assembled every day the word was preached every day And in the congregations which assembled every Lords day after the reading of the lessons psalmes and evangelists the word was preached constantly before they were dismissed The time specially appointed or taken for the sermon was the morning after the reading of the prophets and psalmes and evangelists In the afternoon as assemblies so sermons were frequent and two or more sermons were made in one and the same congregation sometimes by one sometimes by divers ministers After the sermon ended followed the prayers of the congregation as the testimonies before alledged plentifully confirm Clemen Constit lib. 2. cap. 57. After the exhortation of the Presbyter and the Bishop all pray unto God Justin Apol. 2. ad Anton. Then we rise all and pray together sc after the exhortation ended Origen Hom. 3. in Isa Idcirco surgentes oremus Deum Hom. 36. in Luc. Surgamus precemúrque Deum Chrysost Hom. 50. ad cap. 14. Matth. But now it is time to conclude our speech with prayer orate igitur universi nobiscum In all which we see the wisdome of the church so moderated the length of the Liturgie that each ordinance of God had its proper season that reading and prayer did not thrust out preaching nor preaching eat up prayer that the weak were not tired and burdened nor the sluggish fostered in their securitie And if a Liturgie be onely burdensome for length it is not altogether to be cast off For the thing it self is thereby justified as good and allowable that which burdeneth being taken away And it is much better to wrestle against bodily tirednesse with spirituall fervour then deprive themselves of the comfort and profit which is to be had in the ordinances of God The worship of God by that stinted form whereof our question is is the devise of Antichrist it being never prescribed or used in the primitive churches planted by the apostles and recorded in scripture But as the mystery wrought to a greater height in declining times of the church it was received by little and little till at last it came to be completely framed strictly enjoyned and every where used in the papacy as serving to maintein superstition and a dumbe idole-reading ministery and to nourish people in ignorance of the nature and right use of prayer The Masse-book is in Latine this Liturgie-book is in English the Masse-book hath all the prayers this Liturgie hath and some more other differences I know not between them Therefore king Edward the sixth in his letter to the Devonshire-men to convince them that their Liturgie was our service telleth them that it was no other but the old and the self-same words in English which were in Latine save a few things taken out which were so fond that it was a shame to heare them in English And king James in a speech of his in Scotland said that their English Liturgie was an ill-said Masse Pope Pius the fourth sending Vincentio Parpatia Abbat of S. Saviour to Qu. Elisabeth offered to confirm the English Liturgie by his authoritie if she would yield to him in some other things Indeed this Liturgie pleased them so well that for the first eleven years of Qu. Elizabeth Papists came to the English churches and service as the Lord Cook sheweth And when the Popes intelligencers had seen service solemnly sung and said in Canterbury and London with all their pomp and procession they wondred that their master would be so unadvised as to interdict a Prince or State whose service and ceremonies so symbolized with his own The whole form then of the church-service a few grosse things taken out is borrowed from the Papists culled and picked out of that popish dung-hill the Portuis and vile masse-Masse-book But that form of prayer by which God is worshipped after the manner that idolaters worship their Gods swerveth from a rule of prayer prescribed in scripture Deut. 12. 3 4. 30. 31 32. And this is made the first of the exceptions against the common-prayer-common-prayer-book which were briefly added to in the Abbridgement That it appointed a Liturgie which in the whole matter and form thereof is too like unto the masse-Masse-book The main challenge in this objection which I have set down more at large because it is much insisted upon against our communion-book is That it was taken out of the masse-book But in the manner of propounding there be divers great mistakes to say no more It is a great fault that they put no difference betwixt the substance of worship and the externall form or order of celebration The substance of worship in that stinted form of prayer is That we call upon God in the mediation of Jesus Christ according to his will Is this the devise of Antichrist because the form of words was taken out of the masse-masse-book Suppose a minister of the Gospel should borrow some expressions or phrases of speech from heathen authours is his sermon forthwith the invention or devise of an heathen It is as far wide that they say Not onely the form of it taken from the church of Antichrist but surely the matter also For the matter of our Liturgie is the reading of the scriptures in a known tongue the calling upon God in the mediation of Jesus Christ and not upon angels or saints departed for the living and not for the dead the right administration of the sacraments for substance and singing of psalmes are these the devises of Antichrist Is the administration of the Lords supper in both kinds in remembrance of Christs death and passion who by one oblation of himself once offered hath made a full perfect and sufficient oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world is this taken from the church of Antichrist These imputations are not so grosse as their reasons weak upon which they are built If our stinted Liturgy be the devise of Antichrist because it is not prescribed by the apostles or recorded in scripture then every stinted Liturgie must fall under the same censure for none other is prescribed in scripture or recorded by the apostles And so either every stinted Liturgie is part of that mystery of iniquitie which began to work in the apostles dayes or our Liturgy is not Antichristian because it was not prescribed or used in the primitive churches planted by the apostles If it was received by little and little till at last it came to be completely framed then the first beginning of it was no more from Antichrist then was the beginning of other Liturgies Antichrist sitteth in the Temple of God and antichristianisme is a filthy and lothsome leprosie which by degrees did infect the pure worship of God If therefore our Liturgie was sowred in after-times with that old leaven it might be pure and free in its first originall Is it for matter taken from the church of Antichrist
A FRIENDLY TRIALL OF THE GROUNDS TENDING TO SEPARATION In a plain and modest Dispute touching the Lawfulnesse of a stinted Liturgie and set form of Prayer Communion in mixed assemblies and the Primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keyes Tending to satisfie the doubtfull recall the wandring and to strengthen the weak By JOHN BALL ISAIAH 8. 20. To the law and to the testimonie if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them PSAL. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path ¶ Printed by Roger Daniel printer to the Universitie of Cambridge For Edward Brewster and are to be sold at his shop at the Bible on Fleet-bridge 1640. To the Christian Reader sound judgement the spirit of wisdome uprightnesse of heart and sweet communion with GOD. Christian READER IT is commonly professed though not so well known and observed as it ought that Satan is alwayes busie to solicite and our own deceitfull hearts ready to turn aside from the wayes of peace and comfort either to the right hand or to the left To say nothing of the lamentable state of heathen Infidels Turks and Jews who know not God nor believe the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST Amongst them that professe Christianity some are so deeply plunged into superstition that the truth of God and the ordinances of grace are not prized in comparison of their own vain and fruitlesse traditions And others on the contrary do so farre distast all inventions whatsoever as they speak in Gods worship as they reject that which beareth the stamp and image of God and might be greatly profitable to their souls Many come profanely to the Lords table and pollute the holy things of God to their own destruction Others through groundlesse fears of defilement do withdraw themselves from ordinances Divine and the society of the godly because some unworthy are not debarred To satisfie this latter sort who offend out of weaknesse misguided judgement not of stubbornesse and contempt and to settle them that are staggering I have penned this poore rude treatise nothing doubting but the truth will be able to maintein it self and that the beauty thereof will procure favour and acceptance though it come arayed in a very homely garment A stinted form of prayer hath been challenged as an image forbidden in the second commandment a forged and devised worship unlawfull both in them that use it and those that joyn therein To remove this scruple I have shewed the use of a stinted Liturgie lawfull and allowable by the word of God of ancient use in the churches of Christ approved by all reformed churches at this day Upon which occasion many things are disputed touching the meaning of the second commandment the nature of true and false worship and what it is to pray by the Spirit Many are the objections which are made against set forms of prayer and particularly against our book of common prayer all which I have endeavoured to answer severally and not because they are of so great weight but because I desired fully to satisfie every doubt and roll away every stone I met withall If one and the same thing be oft repeated I desire it may be considered that one and the same objection for substance is often brought forth though perhaps in new aray and every plain-hearted Reader for whose use I principally intend this labour is not able to apply an answer once given to sundry objections in colour diverse though for substance the same And I suppose the prudent will think it more reasonable that the wise in heart be burdened with over-much then that the weak should remain unsatisfied through some defect Some stagger at this that ignorant profane notorious offenders are admitted to the Lords table and conceive that communicating with such in the ordinances of religion they are partakers of their sinne And sure it is a thing to be lamented with tears of bloud that the body and bloud of our Saviour CHRIST should be profaned the house and church of God defiled the name of the Lord dishonoured religion blasphemed and the blind notorious profane permitted to rush upon their own perdition But it is not for private persons to take that upon them which belongeth not unto their place nor being invited by CHRIST to excommunicate themselves because such as are notoriously wicked be not admonished kept back or censured The main ground of the former doubt and all others tending to Separation seemeth to be this That the power of the keyes is primitively given to the community of the faithfull as the first receptacle For then they conceive that it perteineth to them to censure offenders or else to separate from them Then likewise it will more probably be concluded as they think That that society which hath not the power of CHRISTS keyes is not the true church of CHRIST Therefore to raze the foundation of Separation and at once to overthrow their main objections this question is more largely disputed wherein is shewed by evidence of Scripture That the power of the keyes is given by Jesus Christ the Lord and King of his church and great Shepherd of his sheep to the church-governours whom he hath appointed to rule and feed his flock in his name and to whom they must give account If any man shall think these things are small and not to be insisted upon he may please to consider How small soever the things in themselves seem to be the evil consequences that follow thereupon be both many and great It is no small matter to bury that under the condemnation of false worship which the Lord the authour of all truth the determiner of his true pleasing and acceptable worship doth allow in his service It is no small offense to forsake the prayers of the congregation to depart from the table of the Lord when he calleth to feast with himself and to break off society and communion with the churches of Christ where he doth cause his flock to rest at noon to fill the hearts of weak Christians with doubts and distractions as not knowing what to do or which way to take to spend time in reasonings and disputations of this kind which might much more profitably be employed in the practice of repentance and holy obedience to expose religion to contempt and the truth of God to reproch amongst them that delight to speak evil These are sad effects of this Separation which is here opposed Is it not lamentable to see poore Christians who sincerely thirst after the waters of life and long to meet the Lord in his holy ordinances cast into doubts and fears about the things which so nearly concern their comfortable walking with God and salvation of their souls May not this tend to the discouragement of divers that are coming on and turn them who are halting clean out of the way The rents and divisions which have been in the
worshipping God which he hath appointed Again That these stinted and devised forms do quench the spirit of prayer which God would have them use stinting the minister yea all the ministers of the kingdome to the same measure of the spirit not onely one with another but all of them with him that is dead and rotten and so stinting the spirit which the Lord giveth to his ministers for his church and that so strictly as till the stint be out it may not suggest one thought or word otherwise or when it is out one more then is prescribed Neverthelesse his drift is plainly to disprove all stinted forms as it is evident by that he writeth in answer to some objections For Grant saith he that these words of Christ PRAY AFTER THIS MANNER AND VVHEN YE PRAY SAY are to be interprâ—ted as these men would have it yet do I except against their service-service-book in a double respect The first is That the reading of prayers upon a book hath no justification from them If it be said that to commit a certain form of words to memory and from it to utter them and to reade them upon a book be all one I deny the consequence and though I approve not the former yet is the latter farre worse And in another place You speak not properly no nor truly in saying you Pray stinted prayers for you Read them and who will say Reading is Praying or if you so say or do is it agreeable either to his ordinance or common reason And in the page cited last before He that readeth hath another speaking to him as it were even him whose writing he readeth and himself speaketh not to God but to the people Thus also he speaketh concerning the Lords prayer We may use a petition two or more or all in or of it even word for word if so the holy Ghost by whose immediate teachings and suggestions all our requests must be put up do direct us and that we apply the same words to our needs And in the same section So neither is the reading of this prescript or repeating it by memory praying Now let the indifferent consider and give sentence whether this be not to condemn all set forms of prayer to be used as prayer And if more then down-weight be required his fourth reason against the stinted form of service in use in our church will put this beyond all exception For thus he disputeth As it were a ridiculous thing for a child when he would ask of his father bread fish or any other thing he wanted to reade it to him out of a paper so it is for the children of God especially for the ministers of the Gospell in their publick ministrations to reade unto God their requests for their own and the churches wants out of a service-book wherein they are also stinted to words and syllables So that all other respects and considerations laid aside for what advantage soever alleadged the simple use of a stinted Liturgie or form of prayer to be used as a prayer is disallowed of them And if this be once accorded the other respects will easily be wiped away at least in regard of the users and them that joyn in prayer and participation of the sacraments In the copie of a letter lately published against stinted Liturgies the Authour willeth us to consider That the Liturgie he excepteth against was devised by men viz. other men whom God hath not called to such a work as to invent forms of prayers which should be used by all the churches in the land for their prayers and That it is imposed upon the minister and the people of necessity That it is stinted both in matter and words to be used without variation and That the service is read out of a book many wayes faulty and corrupt But look to most of the reasons brought to shew the justnesse of this exception and they make against all sorts of stinted forms used as prayers and not against a form corrupt and faulty imposed in such or such a manner as namely these God did never command to use nor promise to accept such a worship in which respect it is the manifest breach of the second commandment God hath appointed other helps for prayer which are sufficient without this Publick prayers offered up by the minister in church-assemblies must be framed according to the present and severall occasions of the church and people of God as also mens private prayers ought to be ordered which cannot be done when men are stinted to forms If you draw any conclusion from these premises it must be That all stinted forms are unlawfull not That a form corrupt and faulty is to be disallowed But if the foresaid cautions be added by way of distinction or limitation as if all stinted Liturgies were not disliked but such onely as be imposed as necessary to be used without variation and for matter or form corrupt and faulty then the reasons fight directly with the conclusion and hang no otherwise together then if a man should thus dispute All stinted forms of prayer are not to be disliked but corrupt onely imposed as necessary because God did never command nor promise to accept any stinted service or devised worship For what purpose therefore these cautions were added let others judge whether by way of aggravation onely or to set the greater lustre upon the position or for some other advantage Some others professe That they oppose not all nor any set form simply as such but are perswaded in many cases there is a lawfull use to be made of them but such a set form as is prescribed amongst us for matter and manner they affirm to be against the second commandment and a sin in the maker and deviser of it to such an use and a sin in the user of it according to that devise or making But the lawfull use of such forms publick or private they allow onely in some case of necessity which cannot fall out in a minister of the Gospel or any man else who deserveth the name of a strong Christian For they suppose abilities in all ministers and in every man else who hath his wits exercised to discern good and evil and deserveth to be esteemed a strong man in Jesus Christ Their words be these Set forms have their proper place and lawfull use onely where abilities are not as a naturall means and help to further some branch or other of that we call Prayer or conceived prayer as to supply defect of invention memory utterance or the like So the lawfulnesse of it lieth onely in a case of some necessity The difference then betwixt them so farre as I can gather standeth in this one thing That these latter allow some lawfull use of a stinted private form of prayer in some cases of necessity which the others altogether condemned But whether they dissent in any other particulars or no it is needlesse to enquire
further or whether the latter take away again what they seem to grant In these things they consent First that all publick Liturgies and stinted forms of prayer be unlawfull a breach of the second commandment both in the deviser and user Secondly that private forms of prayer if lawfull for weak Christians and babes in Christ are unlawfull for strong men in Christ or Christians that have received some growth in godlinesse Thirdly that a Christian weak or strong may not lawfully be present at the prayers of the congregation read or rehearsed out of a stinted Liturgie nor at the sacraments administred in a stinted form of Liturgie as it is with us The Question then hath three branches First whether a set form of prayer sound and pertinent for substance of matter grave and simple for the order and manner not prejudicing abbridging or hindring by the length thereof the preaching of the word and prayer fitted to the speciall occasions may in any sort be tolerated in the church or read by the minister of the word in the publick assembly and congregation of Saints Secondly whether it be lawfull specially for a strong Christian to use a set form of prayer as prayer or upon any occasion to reade as prayer a prayer upon a book Thirdly in case it should be unlawfull for the minister or master of the family to reade or use a prescript form of prayer whether it should be unlawfull also for the people children or servants to be present at such assemblies where the said prayer is read or used To these a fourth may be added to prevent all exceptions whether it be lawfull for a Christian to be present at that service which is read out of a book in somethings faulty either for matter or form In the affirmative the assertion is That a stinted Liturgie or form of prayer both publick and private is lawfull and in some respects necessary both in the congregation family and closet That a minister godly learned and faithfull may sometimes stand in need of the help of a publick Liturgie or stinted form of prayer in publick and may make use of a stinted form at other times when it is not necessarie in respect of inabilitie or indisposition That though it should be unlawfull for the minister or governour of the family to use such stinted forms yet may the people in the congregation and inferiours in the family be present at such prayers without sinne or scruple of conscience yea though the prayers be read out of a book in somethings questionable for matter or form So that voluntarie and willing Separation from the prayers of the congregation and ordinances of worship for that cause onely is sinfull in many respects Thus I have laboured plainly to state the question that I might neither be misled my self nor lead others into any by-path whiles they take their aim amisse And these particulars I purpose to discusse in the fear of God with the spirit of meeknesse according to the scriptures and trust by plain sincere and upright dealing to make it evident that I seek nothing but the maintenance of the truth the puritie of Gods worship the increase and exercise of all holy gifts and grace in his servants and the peace and comfort of his people CHAP. II. All things essentiall to prayer may be observed in a prescript form THe two former points may be confirmed joyntly and severally by these reasons following 1. That is a lawfull prayer wherein the desires of our hearts are lifted up or poured out unto God for Divine blessing according to his will in the name of Jesus Christ by the help of the Spirit of grace But in a set or stinted form of prayer the desires of the heart may be lifted up or poured out unto God according to his will c. Or That form of prayer is just and lawfull wherein all things essentiall to prayer or necessarily required in the word of God may be observed But all things essentiall to prayer or necessarily required in the word of God may be observed in a prescript form or read prayer What is required in holy prayer more then this That the matter be allowable and fit the manner holy reverent fervent and faithfull our wants laid open and petitions forced with as strong or stronger reasons and arguments then we are able of our selves to presse them with And may not a prayer holy and meet for the matter thereof be read or uttered with humility feeling of our wants earnestnesse of desire holinesse of affection and faith in Gods promises In reading the scripture the eye doth lead the heart and yet it may be read with judgement reverence meeknesse and joy why may not the same affections be moved in a prescript form and read prayer What necessitie is there that the heart and eye should be at variance in this duty when they may be conjoyned in the other Asaph and his brethren could praise God in a form of words set down by the prophet David And if a prescript form of words may be allowed in Thanksgiving which is one part of prayer it cannot be condemned in Petition The matter of our requests must fit the occasion so must the matter of our thanks and praise The Spirit of grace teacheth us to pray and the same Spirit moveth us to return praise for benefits received We must pray with the spirit and we must praise with the heart In the dedication of the temple Solomon used the very words of the psalme which David vowed to use at the bringing in of the Ark into his house Jehoshaphat in that excellent thanksgiving which he made appointed the priests and Levites to use a prescript form of words So did Hezekiah Zerubbabel and Jehushua And if we may sing psalmes with the spirit and with understanding with feeling and joy of heart as it is commanded in a form of words stinted and prescribed it cannot be thought a thing impossible to pray with affection in a stinted and prescribed form The differences which some put between Praysing God with a psalme and Calling upon Gods name are little to the purpose do not at all touch the force of the argument For thus the reason standeth In singing psalmes penned by the prophet David or other holy men of God the eye doth lead the heart no lesse then it doth in a stinted form of prayer and yet they may be sung after an holy manner with grace in the heart therefore a stinted form of prayer may be read or said without book with that affection of heart which God requireth in prayer And let the differences be as broad as they will in other things in this they do agree This reason may be drawn into another form thus Whatsoever hath the true matter and form of prayer that is truly and properly a prayer For where the true matter and form of a
thing is found there follow all necessarie requisites to the true and complete being thereof But a prescript from of prayer sound and fit for matter grave for the manner of penning and read or uttered as our prayer with knowledge faith reverence and fervencie of affection hath the true matter and form of prayer For the matter of our prayers are those common blessings and speciall good things which according to the will and pleasure of God we are to beg of him for our selves and others The true form of prayer I speak of prayer uttered with the voice is the outward disposition and frame of words and the inward elevation and lifting up of the heart to God by the holy Ghost Will any man say that all these things cannot be observed in a stinted form of prayer common experience will confute him Who knoweth not the matter of many prescript forms of prayer to be good and necessary for all men All our wants and particular occasions are not mentioned or laid open in the prayers conceived by the minister or governour of the family and yet no man judgeth them for that cause unlawfull though imperfect It is not then prejudiciall to the lawfull use of a prescript form that many particulars which we stand in need of are not therein mentioned Can it not be read or uttered with right disposition of heart how then can we sing with joy or praise God with cheerfulnesse in a stinted or set form of words Is it not easier to cry for what we need with feeling then to return praise with love and joyfulnesse for what we have obteined He that will confesse it possible to give thanks aright in a set form of words devised by others or invented of himself cannot deny the same in prayer with any shew of truth or colour of reason Men may read it viz. the Lords prayer and humane liturgies with understanding and feelling saith M r Ainsworth Again If in the ordinary use of the Lords prayer publick and private without addition or variation all things required in prayer by the word of God may be observed then a stinted form of prayer may have the true matter and form of prayer or all things required in prayer may be observed in a stinted form But in the ordinary use of the Lords prayer publick and private without addition or variation all things required in prayer by the word of God may be observed For the matter there is no word in the Lords prayer which doth not ordinarily in great measure and in the main alwayes concern every Christian mans estate though he cannot reach unto all things comprehended in this prayer And all our wants are conteined within the compasse of the Lords prayer and may be deduced thence though they be not in â—lat terms expressed Infinite things are included in the Lords prayer which the weak and imperfect faith of the godly cannot reach unto but such and so much reach the weak faith hath that the child of God doth and may with comfort and profit use the Lords prayer as a prayer The Lords prayer is both the foundation of our godly prayers and the prayer of prayers Some weights and measures may be as rules to others and used as weights and measures themselves Concupiscence is both sin and the cause of sin Of ancient times the Lords prayer was used in all publick Liturgies and was of frequent use among private Christians Tertullian fitly calleth it The law of prayer and breviary of the Gospel Calvine The rule That it may be used with right disposition and affection of soul is confessed by them that dislike all stinted forms and testified by the experience of all Christians Therefore the Lords prayer may lawfully be used as a prayer both in publick and private by ministers and people weak and strong But first we are willed to note That the forms mentioned in scriptures of the old Testament are but for some speciall occasions and commanded to the church not from every ordinary church-officer priests and Levites but onely from the Prophets who had an extraordinary immediate calling from God who might as well deliver for scripture-oracles the truth of God taught by them as any forms of prayers and praises This we have observed and do acknowledge the forms of psalmes prayers and praises given by the Prophets immediately called and chosen of God to be parts of the sacred Canon to which it is not lawfull for particular churches or the whole church in generall to adde the least jot or tittle But this is not to the point in hand For we do not reason thus That seeing the Prophets by extraodinary and immediate calling gave speciall forms of prayer or praises to the church upon speciall occasion which are parts of the Canon therefore the church may do the like But thus we conclude and that according to the truth That seeing holy men have prescribed and the faithfull have used these forms not by extraordinary inspiration or speciall prerogative but upon grounds common to them and us the like forms may be prescribed and used without speciall commandment And seeing the Prophets and holy men of God by inspiration gave certain psalmes or forms of prayer and praise unto the church to be use upon speciall occasion which have the true matter and form of prayer and praise when they be used as a prayer or thanksgiving in faith reverence humility c. according to the present occasion therefore prayer uttered in a stinted form of words or read upon a book as a prayer may come from the spirit and be tendred to God with right affection A man may reade when he prayeth and the eye may guide the heart when the holy Ghost doth lift up and make it able to poure forth its desires unto the Lord. And if those forms of prayers and praises which are parts of the scripture may have the true nature matter form of prayer c. when they be used in faith and by the power of the holy Ghost enabling us to pray or praise the Lord in that form other forms of prayers or praises fit for matter may have the true matter form of prayer or praise when they be used in faith by the power of the holy Ghost as occasion requireth For the prayers recorded in holy scripture have not the true nature and form of prayer in respect of us because they are recorded in scripture but as they are used by us in holy manner upon fitting occasion and other forms fit for the matter used in such manner as God commandeth in faith humility reverence c. by the quickening power of the Spirit have the true matter and form of prayer as well as they But those forms are not the devise of man as be the other True as they be part of holy scripture they are of God both in respect of matter and form but as
cannot be performed Particular duties affirmative against a generall negative commandment must have expresse warrant by way of prerogative and derogation from the generall commandment wherein we must not go one jot beyond signed commission Thus Abraham was commanded to offer up his son Isaac which otherwise had been against the sixth commandment Thus the sacraments are commanded to the church which for the church to devise of her self is against the second commandment and therefore it is unlawfull to institute other sacraments then God hath appointed or adde sacramentall signes to them which the Lord hath instituted But to affirm the same of devised words in prayer preaching administration of the sacraments and reading of the scriptures sc that they were instituted of God by particular warrant and by speciall prerogative and derogation would be exceeding strange Signes religious then are of two sorts 1. Vocall if they may be called signes metaphysicall under which I comprehend naturall gestures as they are expressions of the inward affection and these are not simply forbidden or commanded in the second commandment nor do simply pertein to the second commandment but to the precept rather which requireth the inward affection it self 2. Reall and such as in common nature use and end be one with the positive ordinances of God and these are the images forbidden in the second precept And seeing for the affirmative part positive worship as it is to be approved mainteined and exercised purely according to the institution is the object of that commandment it seemeth that prayer as it is directed unto God onely in the mediation of Jesus whether inward or outward conceived in heart or declared by word or gesture cannot be referred as a branch of positive worship to the second commandment When men pray to idols or saints departed inwardly or outwardly they sinne against the first commandment If with carnall imaginations before an image they break the second if lightly vainly irreverently with the lips alone they sinne against the third But the method words or phrase of speech as such is neither condemned in the second commandment nor doth belong unto it Mens inventions in Gods worship are forbidden in the second commandment But stinted prayer is the invention of man never instituted nor approved of Christ in his Testament Must this go for currant without limitation proof or explication That all inventions of men in Gods worship are forbidden in the second commandment What then shall we say to all devised words and phrases used in Gods service What to all set forms of catechismes studied sermons interpretations of the scriptures the contents of chapters the titles of sundry books of scripture What to the divisions of thē into sections chapters and verses the interlineary glosses divers readings marginall references the reading of one part this week another the next What of the building and ordering of synagogues for the sanctification of the sabbaths the fashion of gathering for the repair of the temple in Joash his time the swearing to the covenant under Asia the ordination of holy feasts and fasts upon occasion What of the forms and gestures used in oathes of conceived prayer it self of set forms of worship studied before and kept in memory as some distinguish in the same form and with like truth we may argue against them mens inventions in the worship of God are forbidden by the second commandment But set forms of catechismes studied sermons interpretations of the scripture c. are mens inventions The conclusion that followeth from these premisses is evidently false therefore some one of them if not both is false also For of truth nothing but truth can follow And what they can answer to the premisses of this latter argument the same will be sufficient to overthrow the other Catechizing is Gods ordinance but this or that form of catechisme in respect of method and phrase of speech is the collection and composition of man Reading the scripture is allowed of God but the division of the law into fiftie three or fiftie foure greater sections and the subdivision of these into lesser sections the partitions of severall books into chapters and the division of them into verses the appointing of this or that portion of the law the prophets and the evangelists to be read ordinarily upon this or that day is the invention or devise of man Preaching is commanded of God so is the interpretation of the scripture but the phrase and method of sermons is of men The matter of scripture is the immediate truth of God but the words and phrases which are as vessels to convey this truth unto us I speak of translations not of the originall text are humane and not of God by immediate inspiration God commandeth us to call upon his name both in publick and private but the words wherein we expresse our desires are our own both in conceived and stinted prayer These are humane in respect of the word and form Divine in respect of the matter And here it must be observed that positive worship or means for these two in this sense are all one opposed to humane inventions is that which must be warranted by particular institution and not by the light of reason according to the generall rules of scripture As for example the sacraments are positive worship or means of worship and they have particular expresse institution but the form or manner of administration as it respecteth decency order and edification is not positive worship or means thereof in the sense before mentioned and therein it sufficeth if all things be done according to the generall rules of scripture the light of reason directing in particulars what is decent and to edification So then devised worship is unlawfull but it is lawfull to worship God in a form of words devised for the form is not worship but the prayer tendred in that form Mens inventions in Gods worship that be of the same nature and use with true worship or means of worship ordained of God be unlawfull but method order phrase of speech devised by man was never judged an invention unlawfull book-Book-prayer in an image or similitude of spirituall prayer which indeed it is not and the book as idoles supplyeth the place of the world and spirit The accusation is grievous but if we crave a reason thereof we shall find them as farre to seek as forward to accuse Is it onely a similitude of prayer because it hath onely the externall form of prayer but wanteth the soul and life thereof They might easily answer themselves As it is penned or printed it hath onely the externall form and so it is not properly a prayer but as it is rehearsed with understanding affiance of heart and fervency it hath the true and whole nature of prayer And by what reason can a book-prayer be called an image of true prayer which will not agree to prayer first conceived and then uttered For
that dislike a stinted form of prayer will not allow of the conclusion which M r Smith would inferre As for the reason it self whatsoever can be truly spoken of the excellency profit and use of conceived prayer we freely and willingly admit but betwixt it and stinted prayer there is no such disagreement that if the one be praised the other must needs be cast out of doores if the one be allowed the other must needs be a breach of the second commandment Nature teacheth that from the abundance of the heart the mouth should speak and in the use of a stinted form repeated by memory or read upon a book the mouth speaketh from the abundance of the heart else in the stinted use of psalms prayers or prayses the saints of God recorded in scripture spake not from the heart If no example of any holy man since Christ be recorded in scripture who hath tendered his prayers to God in a stinted form of words or read them out of a book is this any thing against that practice Is not the approved practice of the church of the Jews grounded upon reasons common to them and us and of perpetuall equity sufficient to justifie an act or order though no example can be brought for it out of the new testament I have not heard nor read of such an exception in a matter of this nature in any writer old or new Popish or Protestant and consider I pray what dangerous consequences would follow thereupon I will not presse them because upon second thoughts I make no question it will appear farre amisse If in that particular of stinted prayer we find not example will it not suffice if from grounds of scripture we can prove it lawfull and that all things required in prayer may be observed in a stinted form If in that particular there be none examples will it not suffice that analogicall examples of things of the same nature and kind may be produced And then it will not be hard to find examples since Christ for the use of stinted prayer as we shall shew hereafter But what if none example could be produced of that or the like practice The scripture doth not descend to give particular commandment or example for every thing perteining to order or manner of administration of Divine things It is sufficient that there be generall rules found for that purpose according to which particulars must be directed Nay which is more sundry things are not onely lawfull but necessary for which you can bring no example out of the word of God neither before nor since Christ I will spare to mention particulars because I would not teach profane men to wrangle God may have as much honour or more in our publick assemblies if a stinted form were not used And this is a certain truth That whatsoever the worship and service of God may spare without detriment either to the honour of God or edification of Saints is superfluous and so but a vain invention If all this be granted it will not follow that a stinted form is against the second commandment of the same common nature with an image For in publick administration of Gods service in the outward order method and phrase many things are laid aside by the most and might be spared by all men which are against no commandment And the like may be said of sundry observations The custome of godfathers and godmothers in baptisme of calling an assembly by the sound of a bell of buriall in church-yards might be spared and yet not against the second commandment When there be many wayes or means whereby a thing may be atteined it is not an idle invention ordinarily to choose the one or other as seemeth expedient M r Robinson disputeth thus against our stinted form of prayer It cannot be an ordinance of Christ because the church may perfectly and entirely worship God without it with all the parts of holy and spirituall worship as did the apostolick churches for many yeares before such Liturgie was devised or imposed I should think both these reasons carry the same sense sc That that may be spared without which the church may perfectly and entirely worship God with all parts of holy and spirituall worship And if that be the meaning then I deny that to be a superfluous or vain invention which might be spared without detriment either to the honour of God or edification of Saints For set forms of blessing catechismes administration of the sacraments be not superfluous and vain inventions and yet all parts of Gods spirituall worship may perfectly and entirely be performed without them The use of a set translation of holy scripture to be read in the congregation by such or such portions or sections is no vain invention the distribution of it into chapters and verses the quotation of chapter and verse the marginall references are no superfluous devises and yet the church may perform all parts of Gods worship entirely and perfectly without these as did the apostolick churches The prescribing of a set form of psalmes to be sung by all the people jointly together is no superfluous devise and yet it may be spared without detriment either to the honour of God or edification of the people as it was in the apostolick churches for many years Of which more in the next chapter Set forms of confessions of churches set forms of professions of faith to be used in the publick worship of God be not vain inventions and yet you may say of them as you do of stinted forms of prayer They may be spared There is no example for them in scripture since Christ The word consubstantiall is not necessary as without which the doctrine of that truth of the Divinity of our Saviour Christ cannot be mainteined for that were to accuse the holy pen-men of scripture yet was it not an idle or superfluous invention In some reformed churches before preaching-time the church assembled hath the scriptures read in such order that the whole canon thereof is oftentimes in one yeare run through In others there is no such order of simple reading but besides their set sermons two chapters are paraphrastically expounded with the principall points thereof taken and applyed unto their auditours Neither of these simply necessary nor yet superfluous inventions To kneel in prayer yea to prescribe that men shall ordinarily kneel in publick prayer if with conveniency they may is not an idle invention and yet men may pray sitting standing falling upon the face Men may meet together to worship God at fit time in convenient place observe due order method moderation in length according to the abilities and necessities of the people without rules and prescriptions for that purpose and yet rules prescriptions and precedents are not idle inventions And though it be possible to worship God aright and further the edification of his Saints as much without as with a set form yet a set form of prayer devised
derogatorie to the honour fruit and benefit of Christs ascension Christ ascending up on high hath given gifts unto men for the work of the ministery as well for prayer as for doctrine and preaching added also for baptizing administration of the Lords supper catechizing blessing confession and profession of faith and singing of psalmes And if a stinted form of prayer be derogatory to the honour of Christs ascension for the same reason a stinted form in all or any of these is derogatory likewise Christ hath given gifts unto men for doctrine or preaching is it therefore unlawfull for the minister of the Gospel to make use of translations commentaries linguists controversie-writers c. to help and furnish him the better in this work is this to derogate from the fruit and benefit of Christs ascension Ability to preach is a gift which Christ bestoweth upon his servants but I hope they will not say he is unmeet to be a minister of Christ that doth penne his sermons and ordinarily deliver them in that method and stinted phrase which he hath premeditated or that his so doing is dishonourable to the fruit and benefit of Christs ascension And it will be a difficult thing to give a substantiall reason why a stinted prayer and not a penned sermon should be so challenged Christ hath given to his ministers ability to pray in their measure but not in such measure as they should need no help nor such abilities of speech or utterance as that every minister should be so enabled to pray in fitting words according to present occasions as not to need some help studie and meditation yea to digest his meditations into a stinted form of words And this stinted form delivered upon premeditation out of memory is a prescript form in the judgement of our brethren But let us grant what can never be proved that every minister hath the gift of speech and utterance that he needeth no help or furtherance upon any suddain occasion what will follow If they be so endued it will be said there is no warrant for others to prescribe nor for themselves to reade over such stinted prayers What not An able minister hath discretion and wisdome to know what portion of scripture is meet to be read and how much hath the church no warrant then to appoint what books chapters or sections shall ordinarily be read nor the minister warrant to observe that appointment A learned Grecian or Hebrician is able to translate a book or chapter in the Old or New Testament as well peradventure better then it is in our ordinary translations may not the church then ordain one translation usually to be read Let me intreat our brethren to view the strength of this reason in another of the same form which I certainly perswade my self they will not allow and it is this Reading of translations in the worship of God is unlawfull because it doth contradict the gifts bestowed by Christ upon the church for the work of the ministery and derogateth from the vertue of Christs ascension and dignity of his kingdome and blemisheth Christs bounty to and care of his church and may be performed by a child perfectly well For it may be said If Christ hath given gifts unto men for the work of the ministery he hath given ability also to translate the scriptures or else translations are not necessary And if Christ hath given gifts to his servants to translate the scriptures or translations be not necessary then they have no warrant to reade nor others authority to prescribe any set translation It may also be added That God will be worshipped with our own not with another mans with that which cost us something not with that which cost us nothing with our own gifts not with other mens But for one ignorant of the originals to reade the translations is to offer unto God that which cost him nothing to serve God with other mens not with his own gifts The conclusion our brethren will not acknowledge but whatsoever they can soundly answer to the premisses will with the same labour untie the knot of their own argument God is to be served with the best But a minister is enabled to pray better according to the occasion then possibly he can be in a stinted form Cursed be the deceiver which hath a male in his flock and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing If these ministers then and others have a better sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving then their service-service-book as their own practice both publick and private when they have liberty sheweth they have and that so themselves judge let them learn to fear him that is a great King and whose name is terrible even the Lord of hosts The Lord will be worshipped with the best we have and he is accursed that having a male for sacrifice doth offer a corrupt thing to the Lord Mal. 1 14. If this be granted that every minister is enabled to pray better according to the present occasion then possibly he can be directed in a stinted form which can never be proved by text of scripture or sound reason drawn from thence in like manner a man may and some have argued against the reading of translations God will be served with the best we have but there is no one translation the best we have for a minister may be able to render a chapter sentence or verse more significantly then the translation hath it And yet I suppose no minister will refuse to use a sound and good translation though it be here and there lesse significant nor take liberty in reading to alter it at pleasure lest liberty herein should teach gracelesse and ungodly people to wrangle against the scriptures themselves In preaching and disputing men may and do note the significancy of the phrase which cannot so fully be expressed in a translation and more fully interpret what is not so plain and full as might be desired but in reading the scriptures in the congregation great warinesse is to be used lest boldnesse to correct occasion doubts in the weak and embolden the ungodly to carp against religion And if a minister may be tyed to the use of a sound good translation though not in every jot or tittle the best that may be this reason hath lost its sinews Universall propositions duly limited may be of great use whereas if extended too farre they are dangerous in application It is true if we speak of Gods incomprehensible goodnesse excellency glory and dominion that more love and service is due to God then he requireth in his word or possibly can be given by men or Angels It is true we are bound to whatsoever duty the Lord requireth in his law for matter manner and measure to whatsoever he obligeth us unto upon speciall occasion or inciteth us unto by the heroicall motions of his Spirit which must not be resisted It is also most true that the creature cannot
particular sinnes against the law of God the state of man by nature and the condition of the Saints and of the church as also to think upon the works of Gods providence and how he is pleased to deal with his people in all places 2. The better to stirre up confidence and affection and to furnish himself with words and matter it is not unlawfull nor unprofitable to reade the prayers of the godly registred in holy scripture or published in other godly books to observe the matter of their prayer their ferventnesse in praying and the arguments wherewith they pressed their suits and contended for audience 3. After a man hath collected matter for prayer by meditation and reading he may studie to digest it into due order and method and to expresse his requests in fit and decent speech and the same so conceived he may utter as a prayer according as occasion shall offer it self The reason may be thus contracted If the Spirit of God doth work by means and stir up good desires but giveth not abilitie to expresse our desires in fitting significant words 〈◊〉 it is lawfull for us to use all godly means to stirr up the graces of God in us and premediate how we may utter our requests in such 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 in a sinfull manner a set form of prayer cannot be condemned as injurious to the Spirit The Spirit of God is the onely sufficient help which God giveth us to help our infirmities in the time of prayer Rom. 8. 26. Gal. 4. 6. Zech. 12. 10. We confesse most willingly that prayer is not a work of nature wit or learning but of the Spirit of grace True desire or abilitie to pray is not bred in us by nature nor procured and gotten by our study and industry but proceedeth onely from the holy Ghost as the authour and efficient and this is proved by the places quoted But ability to pray standeth in the lifting up of the soul unto God not in the ample expression of our desires according to the various occasions in fit words and pressing them with forcible arguments Prayer is the immediate work of the Spirit But no text of scripture doth in such sense make the holy Ghost the authour of prayer or helper of our infirmities as that it should be unlawfull to make use of outward means to furnish the soul with matter stirre up the graces of God in the heart and blow the coals of the spirit For then we must not reade the scriptures nor other godly books we may not meditate or conferre the better to fit us for prayer Peradventure it will be said the Spirit of God is our onely helper in the time of prayer so that at other times we may use helps to stirre up the graces of the Spirit but not in the time of prayer And if this distinction be found in scripture or by sound reason may be deduced out of scripture we must hearken unto it but if it be of our selves whiles we pleade against the devises of men we maintein devises The Spirit of grace is at all times the sole mover and enabler of us to pray and the use of lawfull helps and such as suite with the nature of prayer are at no time unlawfull As it is fit to meditate and reade before we pray so in prayer it is lawfull to kneel lift up the eyes and hands use the help of the voyce and the benefit of a Christian friend to stirre up affection Therefore for the lawfulnesse of book-prayer we may dispute thus If it be lawfull to use externall helps in time of prayer the better to stirre up affection then book-prayer is not to be condemned for this that the Spirit of God is the onely or sufficient help that God giveth to help our infirmities in the time of prayer But it is lawfull to use externall helps in time of prayer The Spirit alone either immediately or by means sanctified and ordained by himself maketh requests for us yea it is by the immediate teachings and suggestions of the Spirit that all our requests must be put up no other helps are mentioned or can be collected in the present action of prayer I will not stand to enquire how these things can agree together what is meant by the immediate teachings of the Spirit or how the Spirit maketh requests either immediately or by means The Spirit alone and that immediately is the authour of prayer but by means he ministreth varietie of matter order and words But what are we to understand by means sanctified and ordained by himself If means ordained by speciall institution it is too strait and hard to conceive what they be If means allowed by God as those whereby we may furnish our selves with words and matter for prayer as reading godly books conference meditation on the works of God c. a stinted form of prayer is a means sanctified And here I desire it may be noted in what sense a form of prayer is called a means or furtherance not as a means or form of worship properly so called but as in fit words and phrases it presenteth to our minds or memories what we ought to beg agreeable to the word of God as the frame of words and matter kept in memory may be called and is reputed a stinted form A stinted form of prayer quencheth the Spirit It is a quenching of the Spirit to reade another mans prayer upon a book That quencheth the Spirit which is as water to cool or allay or exstinguish the heat of that holy fire which cannot be imputed to a set form of prayer either by authoritie of scripture or sound reason Reading godly books is an exercise profitable to stirre up the graces of Gods Spirit in us were it not a wonder if reading a godly prayer should produce the contrary effect As in the ministery of the word the corruption of mans heart and the hainousnesse of sinne may more lively and fully be discovered for his humiliation then he is able of himself to set it forth so in prayer penned by a goldy andwell experienced Christian the case of a distressed soul may more pithily and amply be deciphred and anatomized then he of himself is able to lay it open And in such case to deny this lawfull help is to take away a crutch from the lame and bread from the hungry In the very act of prayer it is lawfull to use outward helps whereby we may be enabled to pray better and shall it not be lawfull for a burdened soul perplexed with doubtings overwhelmed with bitter anguish to use the help of a book that he might the better unfold and lay open his misery into the bosome of his loving Father The ample and particular laying open of our necessities doth ease the
first receive a stinted form of prayer and the councels themselves take order touching the reading of the scripture and the singing of psalmes and other things which pertein to a stinted Liturgie So that those Fathers churches had not learned that the same reasons which silence the Apocrypha in the congregation will silence all stinted forms of Liturgie as well and as much As it were a ridiculous thing for a child when he would ask of his father bread c. to reade it to him out of a paper so it is for the children of God especially for the ministers of the Gospel in their publick ministrations to reade unto God their requests for their own and the churches wants out of a service-book wherein they are stinted to words and syllables It is a common saying Similitudes agree not in all things and a rule as generall That to argue from a bare similitude is the loosest kind of reasoning which may be applyed to cover or countenance any errour or abuse whatsoever Therefore this objection might well have been passed over as it is omitted by the most that have written of this subject that I have seen but that colours and shadows do often take more with some then that which is substantiall If a man would set himself to plead for superstitious abuses and idolatrous practices errours and unwritten traditions is it not an easie matter by some similitude to cast a fair glosse upon them And it is a strange thing that such as with so much earnestnesse set themselves against all humane inventions and devises in Gods worship should by their form of reasoning open the floud-gates wide for all superstitious idolatrous antichristian devises and impieties as this reason doth I need not instance every man that knoweth what is principally alledged in defense of any popish vain unprofitable superstitious or idolatrous practice or custome or will take pains to look must needs see this to be so But to look upon the objection it self If a child being to ask many particulars of his father for himself and others should write them in a paper for the help of memory or some other reason and having committed them to memory as they are registred in his paper should in that form of words digested and written down present his requests before his father without addition or alteration what morall evil or incivility should be committed in this case why should this be esteemed a thing ridiculous And if similitudes do please so well may we not say with more reason and upon better ground That as a learned oratour being to make an oration in an honourable presence about divers matters of weight and importance will not onely study and digest but penne his speech and deliver it word for word as it is contrived and penned so the minister of the Lord of hosts in his publick ministration is not onely to consider what requests he is to make to God in his own and the peoples behalf but to digest them into fit method and to penne or write them down and to utter them in the congregation as he hath contrived them Let the indifferent judge whether of these two be the most reasonable Book-prayer is generally laid aside in the families of best Christians And in all reformed churches generally the use of a book by every able and godly minister is left off and at home it is accounted and complained of as a burden by the better sort of them that use it Many things are disused and that by the best Christians which are not unlawfull Where there be many wayes to the wood ordinarily men may make choice of one or two not disallowing the other It is lawfull for Christians when they pray in their families dayly to reade the ten commandments the profession of faith c. which is generally laid aside without sinne Many things also may be decent in the congregation which are not so expedient and requisite in the family And in one congregation a thing may be lawfull and of use which is disused in another without sin where yet it would not be unprofitable The deacons in Chrysostomes and Basils time used to call upon the people with these words Oremus Attendamus Let us pray Let us give eare The deacon at the holy mysteries stood up and thus spake unto the people Oremus pariter omnes The manner was that before every lesson or chapter the minister should say unto the people Let us attend If this custome be disused either in the congregation or Christian families at this day it doth not argue the thing it self to be indecent or unprofitable And if by Book-prayers all stinted forms whether read or repeated by help of memory be understood they are not so generally rejected in the families of the best Christians nor in the ministery of the most able and godly ministers as the objection importeth Let us heare the testimony of a godly learned and well experienced minister now at rest with the Lord When as saith he the question is made by many of the lawfulnesse or at least of the expediency of praying by the help of a book or of using a prescript and set form of prayer it is to be considered that there be divers degrees and measures of gifts both naturall as wit memory utterance as also of grace as knowledge faith zeal given to divers men besides that some have been more trained and exercised in this holy duty then others Now they that are better gifted either by nature or else by grace and custome may use the more liberty Which difference I have observed not onely in divers private Christians but also in some most reverend faithfull and worthy ministers some using both in their publick ministery and in their private families a stinted prayer and set form of words with little alteration at all except some extraordinary occasion have happend and yet both sorts so furnished with pietie and learning as I could hardly preferre one before the other And a little after For the publick congregation for the most part it is expedient to keep a constant form both of matter and also of words and yet without servile tying of our selves to words and syllables If the judgement of reformed churches abroad or of the godly faithfull learned and reverend at home be of any weight they are so farre from complaining of a stinted form as burdensome that in many cases they judge it expedient A set form of prayer and administration of the sacraments not onely devised by the minister himself but agreed upon by the churches is approved by generall consent Is there any reformed church established which hath not their book of common prayer The ministers at home to whom the use of common prayer hath been thought most burdensome have from time to time professed their liking and approbation of a stinted Liturgy That they like well enough of
that councel that forbad vulgar psalmes in the service of God and those forms of service which are not antea probata in concilio vcl cum prudentioribus collata lest haply some things against faith either through ignorance or want of consideration should be composed That they never sought a razing of the communion-communion-book but a filing of it after the pattern of that care which former examples set them wherein they thought some things reteined which might well have been spared They have evermore condemned voluntary Separation from the congregations and assemblies or negligent frequenting of those publick prayers They have ordinarily and constantly used the communion-book in their publick administrations and still mainteined unitie peace and love with them who in some particulars have been of another judgement All this is so notoriously known that it is wast labour to produce testimonies herein As for the reading of a stinted form it may be it is not constant in all reformed churches exacted of every minister at all times but that it is not used at all is more then I can credit and if they exact not the use of the same form continually the thing it self they greatly approve If any man desire an instance of their doings let him compare the prayer which Beza constantly used before and after sermon with the geneva-Geneva-book of common prayer And if they impose not their forms upon all congregations to be used of necessitie but leave it free to use them or some other in substance one and the same yet this is certain they disallow their opinion who condemn all stinted forms and Liturgies as vain superfluous humane inventions a strange worship and breach of the second commandment CHAP. VIII The people may lawfully be present at those prayers which are put up unto God in a stinted form of words and partake in divine ordinances administred in a stinted Liturgie THe authour of the Letter formerly cited telleth us That against our prayer-prayer-book divers men have pleaded after a different manner First some arguments saith he are proper to the Separatists quà tales viz. 1. That it is offered up in a false church 2. With a false ministery 3. In the behalf of the subjects of the kingdome of Antichrist These are properly theirs being the grounds whereupon they make a totall Separation from all the churches in this land as no churches of Christ These I approve not yet note them that you may see upon how different grounds the same position is mainteined by severall persons and that you may be delivered from the prejudice which hindreth many from receiving those truthes because they fear the reproch of Brownisme Secondly there are other grounds which are common to all that plead for the puritie of Christs ordinance and which do not necessarily inferre such Separation but onely serve to shew the unlawfulnesse of that practice and of communicating therein Thus farre the Letter Wherein to let passe other things we may take notice of a twofold Separation from the worship of God amongst us acknowledged the one totall as from a false church false ministery and subjects of the kingdome of Antichrist the other partiall from the stinted Liturgie and ordinances of worship dispensed in a stinted form And this latter onely is approved by this authour but not the former of which we make no question But whereas he saith his grounds upon which he buildeth his last Separation are common to all that plead for the puritie of Christs ordinances therein he is much mistaken For his grounds are one and the very same with the Brownists whereby they condemn all stinted Liturgies acknowledged by no reformed church in the world nor by particular pastours in any church but themselves And if they take not themselves to be the onely pleaders for the purity of Christs ordinances they cannot shew that these reasons have been approved or positions allowed by any pleaders for reformation in any time or age of the church The reasons brought to confirm the unlawfulnesse of communicating in the ordinances of worship amongst us administred in a stinted Liturgie are of two sorts Some condemne all stinted forms and Liturgies devised by men others concern our book of common prayer more particularly as it is charged with sundry faults and corruptions The first as they concern the ministers who make use of a stinted Liturgy have been examined already Now I come to examine them both as they concern the people and therefore lay down this proposition That in case it should be unlawfull in some respects for the minister of the Gospel or governour of the family to reade or pronounce without book a prescript form of prayer devised by another yet no reason can be shewed why it should be unwarrantable for the people child servant wife to be present at such prayers in the congregation or family I speak not of prayer for the matter erroneous and naught but stinted and read For if the matter be faultie the prayer is not good because conceived and if good and pure it is not made evil and hurtfull to the hearers because it is read First what letteth why the hearers heart may not follow a prescript form of words holy and good either in confession of sinnes request or thanksgiving What letteth I say that the hearers hearts may not profitably go with the same both to humble quicken and comfort The people child servant are commanded to examine and prepare themselves before they draw nigh into the presence of the Lord But where are they commanded to look whether the minister or governour do pray by the Spirit immediately or out of his memory in a set form of words conceived beforehand or suggested without premeditation in the same form of words ordinarily with little or no variation unlesse it be upon speciall occasion or in different order method and phrase euery day whether he reade his prayer or pronounce it onely And if God have laid no charge upon their conscience to inquire into these and such like particulars before they joyn in prayer voluntarily to withdraw our selves from the ordinances of worship in these respects what is it but to adde unto his word When things agreeable to the will of God are begged of God every day in the same form of words as the things begged are the same it is not either the stinted form of words or the presenting of requests by reading them upon a book that can make the prayer unprofitable much lesse abomination in respect of him that joyneth If the minister in that case pray coldly or without affection his sinne cannot hinder the blessing of God from the people If the governour be weak in naturall gifts as memory or utterance or spirituall as knowledge c the lawfull use of a stinted form in that case is not denyed by some as a needfull help to supply defect And if the governour to help his weaknesse make use of a stinted form whether
may the servant child or wife who conceit they need no such furtherance joyn with him in prayer or no If not I desire to know by what authoritie they may withdraw themselves If they may joyn then the heart prepared may follow a prescript form of words devised by others To reade our prayers out of a book is to draw nigh unto God with the lips when the heart is removed farre from him because it is not to draw and poure forth our prayers out of the heart by the holy Ghost A man may both reade his prayers out of a book and poure them forth out of his heart as hath been formerly proved and is confessed by them that allow a prescript form in case of need For they will not say It is lawfull to draw nigh unto God with the lips when the heart must needs be removed from him But if this be granted for the present which is most false I demand whether it be a drawing nigh with the lips onely in respect of him alone that readeth the stinted form or of all present Not of all present For how can it be said that their hearts are removed from God who in sincerity and truth of heart desire the obteining of what is prayed for agreeable to the will of God Hypocrisie hath lost its ancient nature if it be hypocrisie to draw nigh to the throne of grace in the name of Christ with understanding confidence and uprightnesse If it be a lip-labour in respect of him that readeth it onely it can be no sufficient ground of Separation in others For in conceived prayer the minister or governour may pray with the lips and voice when the heart is absent and they that joyn may pray in truth when the prayer is uttered or pronounced in a prescribed form An hypocrite cannot call upon God in uprightnesse at any time and yet they will not say it is unlawfull to joyn in prayer with such a man Put case a particular man did know his minister to be an hypocrite by more certain evidence then possibly he can know read prayer to be lip-labour yet he is bound in conscience not to separate from the publick prayers or ordinances of grace administred by such a man For Christ hath commanded us to come unto him hath promised to be present with them that assemble together in his name to heare them that in truth call upon his name and though an hypocrite shall not be heard for himself he may be heard for others A minister he is not for his own goods but his administration is effectuall to the heirs of salvation Formally as some speak he hath not pardon of sinne for the comfort of his own soul but ministerially instrumentally he hath it for the benefit of others that is hee possesseth not the promise of pardon for his own comfort but he bringeth it for the good of others A Christian may not absent himself from the publick prayers of the congregation and ordinances of grace unlesse Christ hath given him leave or commandment so to do but when he may call upon God purely and sincerely he hath not given a Christian leave to separate or withdraw himself because he conceiteth the minister to be an hypocrite But of this more hereafter Let us then imagine if fansie can be so strong that the use of a stinted prayer is but lip-labour in the minister or governour what else can follow but that the service is lawfull the lip-labour being corrected which is done not by Separation but by conjoyning the service and affection of the heart and inward man with the exercise of the outward Reading is not prayer For in prayer we poure out desires and supplications from the heart in reading we let into the heart the things that are read A blind man may pray but he cannot reade He that readeth speaketh not to God but to the people To reade is not to pray but in reading a man may pray agreeable to the ordinance with right affection of soul As to pronounce is not to pray because a dumbe man may pray who cannot speak but when a man uttereth his prayer for the edification of others he himself may and doth speak unto God But if this be presupposed that a man cannot both reade a prayer and pray himself what hindreth that others cannot lift up their hearts unto God and joyn in requests according to the prescript form of words Is not the matter fit because it is prescribed cannot the heart desire or lift up it self because the requests are read doth the very act of reading pollute the whole action If all things essentially required in prayer may be observed of them that joyn in prayer with such as reade them then the simple act of reading is not sufficient cause why Christians should withdraw themselves But all things essentiall to prayer may be observed of them that joyn in prayer with such as reade the matter may be fit sound and holy the affections goods and so the work acceptable unto the Lord. The monuments of antiquity shew that the Jews used a stinted form of Liturgie and prayer in their synagogues and at the celebration of the passeover before the dayes of our Saviour Christ But our Saviour Christ never taught the people to absent themselves from the prayers of the synagogues or from the passeover rather he commanded them to frequent the assemblies and observe the passeover wherein he himself did give example ordinarily resorting to the synagogues upon the sabbaths and observing the passeover at the time appointed It is not certain that the Jews had or used a stinted form of Liturgie or prayer in their synagogues or the celebration of the passeover It is not certain by certainty of Divine faith for it is not testified in the holy scripture but by humane testimony it is so probable that even such as deny all lawfull use of a stinted form do give their assent hereunto as hath been shewed before The Jews did not prescribe and set apart their prayers for publick use as our Liturgie is neither were they tied to them as we are but left to use or not use them as they saw most fit for edification Bring this answer to the light and it yieldeth the cause as fully as can be desired For if the Jews had or used a stinted Liturgie in their synagogues and celebration of the passeover devised by others when the faithfull did lawfully resort to the synagogues and observe the passeover administred according to that form then the faithfull may and ought to joyn in prayer or participation of Divine ordinances though administred in a stinted Liturgie devised by others It is to no purpose to alledge that that form was not set apart for publick use nor they necessarily tied unto it when the simple use of such a stinted form devised by others is condemned as unlawfull in respect of minister and
congregation simply because a stinted form is used is causelesse separation from the externall communion of the church Weigh all the reasons brought to prove it lawfull and they will be found too light If we look to our guide and captain Christ doth not goe before us therein Dare any man affirm that they be not met together in the name of Christ or that he is not present in the midst of them that joyn together in a stinted Liturgie Is there any duty publick or private which God requireth of people holding communion together in ordinances of worship which may not be performed of each to other when a stinted form of prayer is used without Separation But by that unwarrantable course of voluntary separation they make an unlawfull rent in the church deprive themselves of the comfort of Gods ordinances weaken the faith of many cause divisions among brethren and advantage the adversaries of true religion CHAP. IX It is lawfull for a Christian to be present at that service which is read out of a book in some things faultie both for form and matter ONe reason alledged to prove the lawfulnesse and necessity of Separation from our publick service in particular is this That the prayer-prayer-book in question is corrupt in many things which is thus amplified The matter of some petitions is such as we cannot say Amen to it in faith as in the collect on the XII sunday after Trinitie it is prayed that God would forgive us those things whereof our consciences are afraid and give unto us that our prayers dare not presume to ask c. To omit divers others the very â—itting of Collects to certain dayes for holy fasts and feasts not sanctified by God savour of superstition as speciall prayers for Lent serving to countenance the keeping of it as a religious fast c. the manner of praying vain repetitions as the often repeating of the Lords prayer and GLORY TO THE FATHER and LORD HAVE MERCY UPON US c. disorderly responsories the clerk taking part of the prayer out of the ministers mouth c. Moreover the book perverteth the right use of the scriptures dismembreth and misapplieth them for making of gospels epistles lessons and collects appointed for feasts of mens devising and derived from the Papists and it reteineth a corrupt translation of the psalmes and bringeth into the church Apocrypha writings and the errours conteined in them To them that look at all humane Liturgies as images forbidden by the second commandment this objection is of small force because the thing it self and not the corruption cleaving to the Liturgie is disallowed But lest this accusation should breed scruple in the minds of some not altogether disaffected to stinted forms of prayer or Liturgies I will examine not the qualitie of the exceptions whether justly or unjustly taken but the weight of the reason if the particulars should be granted For this objection it self doth free the Liturgie from grosse errours either fundamentall or such as border thereupon respecting faith or practice in the prayers themselves or that which concerneth the administration of the sacraments For the corruptions objected are Misapplication of some text si of scripture Frequent repetitions of the same things Disordered responsories and Breaking petitions asunder c. and these not dispersed throughout the whole book but in some passages onely which concern not the main grounds and chief heads of Christian religion but are such faults or slips as may peaceably be tolerated amongst brethren Therefore not to insist upon any particulars mentioned I lay down this proposition That a Christian may lawfully and with good conscience be present at such service and prayers which are read out of a book though somethings therein are or may be supposed to be faultie for form or matter in things not fundamentall nor bordering thereupon not pernicious or noxious but such as may be tolerated amongst brethren these not dispersed through the whole body of the book but in some passages onely It is one thing to allow corruption another to be present at the service of God where something is done corruptly For the Lord chargeth us to keep our selves free from all pollution but alloweth not to separate from abuses unlesse he be pleased to go before and as he goeth before us It is one thing to approve of abuses in a Liturgie another to tolerate what we cannot reform For a Liturgie should be framed so not that things may be construed well but that they cannot be construed amisse But many things may be suffered which are not so well ordained when it is not in our power to redresse them The Lord needeth not mans lie neither doth he allow us to do evil that good may come thereof and therefore I must not subscribe to an errour against conscience though never so innocent nor professe approbation of that which in conscience I cannot allow though never so small to the intent I might enjoy externall communion with the church of God in the ordinances of worship But I must tolerate many things for the maintenance of peace and unitie and the preservation of Gods worship For if there be not mutuall toleration and forbearance but each man will rigidly stand upon his own opinion and presse others to be of his mind and follow his practice in all things and every tittle of necessitie all things must fall into confusion and the church be rent almost into as many pieces as there be men The proposition is proved first Because they that alledge the foresaid faults or corruptions against communicating with us in our publick Liturgie or stinted prayers do themselves put small strength or none at all in this reason For suppose a chapter be somewhat unfitly divided and break off in the midst of the matter or now and then separate verses which should go together or a verse be ill distinguished or the preacher misalledge a text of scripture or something be found amisse in his prayer when he exerciseth his own gifts must I of necessitie separate from that ordinance of God or reject the good for that which is amisse Hereunto this answer is returned When the minister exerciseth his own gift Gods ordinance is observed wherewith I may communicate in praying as well as preaching notwithstanding his infirmities in either which are but personall and in such cases the rule warranteth men to trie all things and to hold that which is good 1. Thess 5. 21. But when the Liturgie is read an ordinance which is not of God but of man is introduced into Gods worship contrary to the second commandment and therefore I must reject it and have no communion with it Is not this in plain terms to grant that the corruptions alledged can be no cause of Separation but this onely Because it is the devise of man The corruptions alledged are not the cause because they may be found in translations the distinction of chapters and verses the preaching
his good pleasure If their ministery was true in some respects and false in others then the ministery is not absolutely false which in some respect is not pure as it ought and is to be desired then also it is no sin to communicate in a false ministery in some respect so farre to wit as it hath truth in it and doth carry the stamp of God The priests scribes and Pharisees were of the tribe of Levi which was set apart for the ministery yet might they be strangers thieves robbers murderers which the sheep of Christ will not heare that is follow or be led by them For the ministers whom our Saviour chargeth as thieves and murderers were of continuall succession of Levi and Aaron especially and it is to be understood of them who teach false doctrine and not of them who enter without a lawfull outward calling And to enter by Christ the doore teaching him alone to be the onely Saviour and Mediatour is the note of a good shepherd To heare them is not simply to communicate with them in the ordinances of God which the godly and faithfull among the Jews might not refuse to do with the Scribes and Pharisees who were thieves and robbers but to receive their doctrine and embrace their errours which was evermore unlawfull The thieves and murderers in the church of the Jews sprung up with them and continued amongst them and neither departed themselves nor were cast out by others that had authority In the Christian church divers false teachers ravening wolves Antichrists rose up not from among the Heathen or Jews but in and from themselves whereof some went out from the church and separated themselves others were cast out by excommunication and delivered up unto Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme others were tolerated in the church either because their heresies were not so pernicious at the first or the better side had not power to cast them out or they preached fundamentall truths but of evil minds These in respect of outward order were lawfully chosen or called and yet false prophets discovered by their doctrine not by their calling and some of them continuing in the church the faithfull are warned to beware of their errours that they be not infected by them but not forbidden to partake at the ordinances of worship because they are present And if we look into the Scriptures of the old and new Testament we shall never find the prophets called true or false in respect of their outward calling but in respect of their doctrine A man may have a lawfull outward calling to the ministery and yet be a false prophet because he preacheth the lying visions of his own heart But we shall never find him called a false prophet who teacheth the truth as he hath received it of God because in some particular his calling might be excepted against And seeing he that speaketh the truth to edification exhortation rebuke and comfort of Gods people according to the command of God is a true prophet he that speaketh the dreams of his own heart is a false prophet It were good if they in whose mouthes the chalenge of false prophets is rifest would better weigh how they themselves expound and apply the scriptures in their writings or prophesyings lest notwithstanding any outward church-state or calling as they pretend they be deeper wounded by the rebound of their accusations this way then their adversaries For whosoever will be pleased to trie and examine the matter unpartially shall find their quotations of scripture to be many impertinent forced wrested miserably abused without all fear or reverence Let no man therefore be dismayed at their great confidence big words multitude of scripture-proofs or pretended grounds from others whose principles they put in practice for if they be particularly examined they will either disclaim the cause or put weapons into thy hands truly to fight against and put them to flight But for the present I forbear to enter into particulars because I desire the satisfaction of the more moderate sort who though they scruple communion in some particulars above handled do yet dislike that totall Separation which others make and that bitternesse of spirit wherewith they prosecute their cause The Lord in tender mercy look down upon his church make up the breaches which sinne hath made remove the stumbling-blocks and occasions of offense recall such as are gone astray cause his truth to shine more and more in our hearts and teach them that fear his name to walk in love and by an holy unblamable conversation in all things to approve the soundnesse of their faith and sincerity of their religion before all men for the comfort of their souls the edification of others and the glory of his great name through Jesus Christ our Lord. FINIS The generall heads conteined in this Book CHAP. I. OF a stinted form of prayer pag. 1. CHAP. II. All things essentiall to prayer may be observed in a prescript form pag. 12. CHAP. III. A stinted Liturgie or publick form of prayer is no breach of the second commandment pag. 23. CHAP. IIII. It is as lawfull to pray unto God in a form of words devised by others as to sing psalmes to the praise of God in a stinted form of words prescribed by others pag. 54. CHAP. V. A stinted form of prayer doth not quench the Spirit pag. 83. CHAP. VI. In scripture there be prescript forms of blessing prayers salutations c. which may lawfully be used pag. 97. CHAP. VII The churches of God have both used and approved a stinted Liturgie pag. 106. CHAP. VIII The people may lawfully be present at those prayers which are put up unto God in a stinted form of words and partake in Divine ordinances administred in a stinted Liturgie pag. 122. CHAP. IX It is lawfull for a Christian to be present at that service which is read out of a book in some things faultie both for form and matter pag. 157. CHAP. X. It is lawfull to communicate in a mixt congregation where ignorant and prophane persons be admitted to the sacrament pag. 187. CHAP. XI Of holding communion with that assembly in the worship of God where we cannot perform all duties mentioned Matth. 18. 15 16 17. pag. 216. CHAP. XII The community of the faithfull much lesse two or three separated from the world and gathered together into the name of Christ by a covenant are not the proper and immediate subject of power ecclesiasticall pag. 231. CHAP. XIII An examination of sundry positions laid down by M r Jacob in his Exposition of the second commandment tending to Separation pag. 282. FINIS Octob. 9. 1639. Imprimatur Cantabrigiae Ra. Brownrigg Procan Psal 50. 15. 1. Tim. 2. 5. John 10. 23. Ephes 2. 18. Rom. 8. 26. 1 Cor. 14. 16 28. Orig. contra Celsum lib. 8. Ambr. in 1 Cor. 14. Hieron ad Heliodor Epitaph Nepotian August De Magist lib. 1 Idem De
catechiz rudib cap. 9. Justinian De Ecclesiast divers capitul Constit 123. Concil Lateran sub Innoc. III. c. 9. Innoc III. Extravag de offic Judic ordinar Quoniam in plerisque Decret Gregor l. 1. tit 31. cap. 14. Matth. 26. 44. Greenw Against Giff. pag. 8 9. I onely laboured to shew all men this errour of reading mens writings in stead of praying that they might learn how to converse c. Smith Differences of the Separation Epist Johns Against Carpent They communicate together in a false and idolatrous outward worship of God which is polluted with the writings of men viz stâ—nted prayers homilies catechismes c. Robinson Against Bern. pag. 456. The stinting imposing mens writings upon publick assemblies to have them read over by number and stint or any other way as a worship of God instead of true invocation is a mere device of man and so carnall worship as also all other reading of mens writings publickly or privately in this abuse for praying to God Greenw Answer to Gifford Robinson Justif against Bern. pag 424. Idem pag. 419. Idem pag. 473. Idem pag. 425. Pag. 472. Id. pag. 478. Copie of a letter pag. 5. Pag 5. Pag. 13. Pag. 21. Publick Prayer is not made with understanding and in faith unlesse it be in a known tongue Nor can a man pray in saith and purely lift up his soul to God who prayeth before or unto an Image Psal 25. 1 2. Mark 11. 24 25. Joh. 14. 1â— Jam. 5. 15. Psal 145. 18. 1. Chron. 16. 8. 1 Sam. 2. 1 2. Jon. 2. 1 2. 1. Cor. 14 15. 2. Chron. 6. 41 42. Psal 132. 9. 2. Chron. 7. 6. 2. Chron. 20. 21 22. 2. Chr. 20. 30. Ezra 3. 10 11. 1. Coâ— 14. 15. Ephes 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. If in the administration of Baptisme no errour be committed against the matter or form inward or outward the worship it self or substantiall means of worship is approved of God and acceptable 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 usâ— it for his present prayer As it may thus fall out in reading one of Calvines prayers printed after his Lectures or the like Ainsworth touching the use of the Lords prayer See Mr Paget his Arrow against Separ chap. 3. pag. 63. Coronidis vice omnibus orationibus oratio Dominica adâ—cienda quae omnium rerum precandarum Epiâ—ome à Cypriano rectè appellatur Heâ—â—sâ—ach Orandi formula Hierom affirmeth that Christ taught his Apostles to consecrate the sacrament of the Eucharist by the Lords prayer Lib. 3. cont Pelâ—g cap. 5. Greg. l 7. epist 63 B. Rhen. in Tertull. De corona militis Dominica oratio habetur in omnibus Liturgiis Cyprian De orat Dom. August Enchâ—rid cap. 71. call it quotidianam In Constitut Apost lib. 7. cap. 25. Monentur Christiani omnes ter quolibet die orationem â—anc fundere Chemnit Exam. par 2. tit De Can. Miss De Miss Pontif. pag. 273. Object 1. Copy of a letter c. pag. 5. How fond and corrupt is the reasoning of these men from Gods example and authority unto their own practised power c. Why do not these men also plead that God gave a law by Moses therefore there may be a law given likewise by the Bishops Ainsw Against Bern. pag. 237. Answ Object 2. Answ Grâ—enwood Against Gifford pag. 6. 19. Johnson Qu. 〈◊〉 precib lit pag. 24 25. Robins Justis against Bern. pag. 470 471 472. Copy of a Letter pag. 18. Deut. 5. 29 32 33 12. 32. Quod praecipitur imperatur quod imperatur necesse est fieri Tert. ad uxor l 2. Ubi praeceptum necessitas est serviâ—ntis Ibid. Copie of a â—etter pag. 1â— 2. Argument 1. John 3. 4. Gal. 3. 10. All use of images is not condemned in the second commandment for carving and cutting is the gift of God and therefore a lawfull use thereof may be made c. Memorative signes or monuments of Gods mercies are not unlawfull All images simply forbidden must not as I conceive be referred to that coÌ„mandment Deut. 4. 15. but images made to be worshipped or ad cultum And if the speciall and the generall be of the same common nature not all inventions but fained worship or service is forbidden Semper specialia generalibus insunt Pandect lib. 50. tit 17. reg 147. Object 1. See Copy of a Letter pag 5. 32. Answ See Calvin Inst l. 4. c. 10. § 14 30 31. Jun. Animad 〈◊〉 Bellar. contr 3. l. 4. cap. 16. not 86 87. cap. 17. not m 10 11 12. Zinch De Redempt l. 1. De cult 4. propos Carâ—wr Answ to the Rheâ— Matth. 15. § 4. Whittak De Pontif. Rom. Qu. 7. pag. 851. 852 853. Calvin opuse De verâ— reform necessiâ— reformat Calvin Epist 259. Zeppâ—r De sacraments lib. 3. cap 12 13. In times of persecution it is probable that the Deacon gave notice to the faithfull when and where the assembly was to be held Ignat. ad â—â—olycarp ad Hieron or appointed it at the present assembly Walafrid De reb eccles c. 5. Rut in times of peace by the sound of a bell which invention some attribute to Sabinian the Pope anno Dom. 604. Polydor. Virg. de Javent l. 6. cap. 12. Others to Paulinus Bishop of Nola contemporarie to Hierome because Hierome mementioneth this use Hieron De regul monach cap. 33. 39. Object 2. Answ Smith Differ chap. 6. In toto juâ—e generi per speciem derogatur illud potissimum habetur quod ad speciem directum est Pandect lib. 50. tit 17. reg 80. Cypr. lib. 1. epist 8. Adulterum est impium est sacrilegum est quodcunque humano furore instituitur ut dispoâ—â—io divina violetur Ambr. in 1. Cor. 11. Indignus est Domino qui aliter mysterium celebrat quam à Christo traditum est Non enim potest devotus esse qui aliter presumit quà m datum est ab Autore Object 3. Johnson ubi suprà pag. 33. Greenwood Against Gifford pag. 8. 18. Answ Jun. Animad in Bellaâ—m contr 5. l. 2. cap. 16. not 18. Rivet Catholic orth tract 2. qu. 37. Humane inventions forbidden in the second commandment are for common nature and use one with the positive worship of God unlawfull because they be not in particular instituted and commanded of God and in that respect matters of order method and phrase in themselves allowed and warranted if done as parts of positive worship are in that respect unlawfull Act. 15. 21. 13. 27. See Jun. Annot. in Act. 13. 15. Buxtorf Com. Masoret cap. 8. Mercer in Gen. c. 1. v. 6. pag. 16. in Gen. 6. 8. pag. 149. cap. 50. 26. pag. 747. Sixt. Senens Biblioth lib. 3. meth 4. Rainold de Idololatr Admonit ad lectorem Ainsworth on Gen. 6. 8. The Jewes under Antiochus devised to reade
because it was culled and picked out of the popish dunghill the popish and vile masse-book full of all abominations Who knoweth not that many pretious truths may be culled and picked out of the masse-book Good gold may have some drosse and amongst an heap of drosse it is possible to find some good gold A true mans goods may be found in a thieves den or cave and the goods of the church in the possession of Antichrist Antichrist hath either by violence broken in upon or by secret insinuation before his cunning was spied gotten the rich treasures of the church into his hand which the right heirs may lawfully require and take back again not as borrowed from him but as due to them I scarce know how a man should more honour Antichrist or wrong the true church of God then to grant that all the good things that Antichrist doth usurp do of right belong unto him and are borrowed from him For they are the rich legacies which Christ hath bequeathed unto his church to whom properly they pertein The matter then of our stinted form may be from God and proper to the church though picked and culled out of the masse-Masse-book If therefore our stinted Liturgie be Antichristian it is so either in respect of the matter or of the form Not of the matter for that which properly belonged to Antichrist the soul and grosse errours are purged out Not of the form for order and phrase of speech is not properly Antichristian of which more hereafter The Papists cannot sincerely approve our publick service but they must condemn and detest their own their prayers in an unknown tongue their praying to saints departed much more to feigned saints their receiving in one kind their unbloudy sacrifice their reall presence their satisfaction for veniall sinnes and temporall punishment of mortall sinnes their blotting out of the second commandment or at least confounding it with the first with others the like And if for the first eleven yeares of Qu. Elisabeth the Papists came to our churches and service what can we think but that the hand of the Lord was with us at that time for good when without division we sought him and he was pleased so to honour us that our adversaries should at least feignedly submit themselves The Lord grant all estates and conditions wisely to consider the true cause why they are fallen from our assemblies since that time and hardned in their perversenesse every day more and more But to come to the thing it self objected to wit That our book of common prayer is wholly taken out of the Masse-book we are here to note that the Masse in former times did signifie the worship of God which consisted in publick prayers thanksgivings confession of faith singing of psalmes reading and interpretation of the holy scriptures and receiving the sacrament of the Lords supper and so the ancient Masse and Liturgie were the same But now the Romane Masse is put for the unbloudy sacrifice of the body of Christ which the priest doth offer up for the quick and dead And in this sense the word is to be taken when they say our service-book is taken out of the Masse-book But it should rather be said that the Masse was in time added to our communion-book and by the purging out of the Masse it is restored to its former puritie Popery is as a scab or leprosie that cleaveth to the church and the Masse an abomination annexed to the Liturgie Before ever the Masse was heard of in the world or began to be hatched there were stinted Liturgies in the church for substance much-what the same with ours and these at first more pure after stained with more corruption as the times grew worse and worse The Eastern churches as it should seem had their stinted Liturgies first and the Western borrowed many things from them but as the times declined they brought in more and more drosse into the church untill the canon of the Masse was completely framed The ancient Liturgies attributed to James Basil Chrysostom c. are counterfeit as our Divines have largely proved and the Papists cannot deny But divers things conteined in those Liturgies were in use in the primitive church without question In the primitive times they had their appointed lessons out of the Law and the Prophets and the Psalmes and the Evangelists their stinted prayers and forms of celebration with some variety but in substance all one in a manner This is evident if we compare the genuine writings of the Fathers with those counterfeit Liturgies before mentioned whereof some particular instances are given in the chapter following The stinted forms at first were more brief afterwards they were enlarged and as often it falleth out by enlargement corrupted and defiled Corruption by this means as a disease cleaving to the Liturgie it is necessary it should be corrected and thereby recovered to its first integrity or foundnesse Thus Cardinal Quignonius by the commandment of Clement the seventh so changed the Romane Breviarie that for a great part it was more like the English book of prayers than the Romane Breviarie And the English Liturgie gathered according to the module of the Ancients the purest of them is not a collection out of the Masse-book but a refining of that Liturgie which heretofore had been stained with the Masse And if those things were unjustly added to the Liturgie they might be and were justly cast out If it was wholly taken out of the Masse-book I should desire further to know how the Masse-book came to have those things in which are found in the book of Common prayers sound and holy for matter and directly contrary to Antichristianisme If these things were in the book before then all things therein were not of Antichrist but he had usurped them and it is lawfull for the true man to lay claim to his goods whereever he find them If they were not in the Masse-book then all things are not taken out of it but somethings restored out of purer Antiquity which the man of sinne had wickedly expunged The ministers of Lincoln never judged the use of the Book unlawfull never thought it lawfull to separate from the prayers of the congregation never refused to use the book though in some things they desired to be excused The churches of God have been evermore taught to prize and esteem these main and fundamentall truths and ordinances of worship at an higher rate then that some petty dislike of this or that in the externall form when the matter is sound and good should cause Separation The conclusion in brief is That our service-Service-book is not a translation of the Masse but a restitution of the ancient Liturgie wherein sundry prayers are inserted used by the Fathers agreeable to the scriptures Causelesse separation from the externall communion with any true church of Christ is the sinne of schisme But to separate from the prayers of the
formula deflectere non liceat Object 3. Johnson p. 14. Greenw pag. 14 15. Copy of a Letter pag. 8 9 17. Robinson Against Bern. pag. 473. Answ Object 4. Answ Object 5. Answ 6. Argum. See Paul Burgens in Psal 112. Joseph Scalig. De emendat tempor l. 6. Beze Annot. maâ—or in Matth. 26. â—0 Drus Praeterit lib. 1. in Matth. 26. 30. Answ Annot in Exod. 12. v. 8. Muscul in Psal 95. Apparet hunc psalmum ecclesiasticae congregationi praesertim frequentiori destinatum qualis erat apud Judaeos die Sabbaâ— Moller in Psalm 95. 1. Apparet autem ex verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 psalmum hunc non in privatum usum scriptum sed sacris couventibus destinatum fuisse quando populus frequens ad templum conveniebat Fulc in 1. Cor. 14. §. 12. It is not certain whether they had any set form of Liturgieâ— and if they had any the same ought to have been in one tongue ordinarily Fulc 1. Cor. 11. §. 10. Petrus Diaconus and the rest that were sent from the East to Rome in their book to Fulgentius and other Bishops of Africk cap 8. do rehearse a prayer of Basils Liturgie which they say almost the whole â—ast frequented These words LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS and WE LIFT THEM UP UNTO THE LORD were anciently in use if not from the age of the apostles Clem. lib. 8. Constitut apost cap. 16. Object 1. Copy of a Letter p. 5 12. Answ Deut. 31. 9 10 11. Act. 15. 21. Psal 74. 8. Synagogas id est domoâ— conventuum sacrorum ubi legebatur lex Pisc scholas synagogas quae passim in uâ—bibus erant constitutae Moll Herisbach Object 2. Answ Object 3. Answ Object 4. Copie of a Letter pag. 21. Shall I in your heat be pressed with the multitude of churches Greenwood pag. 17. then heare what the Lord saith Thou shalt not follow a multitude c. Answ Acts 15. 22 28. 1. Cor. 11. 16. 14. 33. Object 5. Copy of a Letter ibid. Robinson Against Bern. pag. 474. Answ At the first preaching and publishing of the Gospel certain barbarous nations received the faith of Christ had neither books nor letters Iren. lib. 3. Advers â—aer cap. 4 Jewel Against Hard. art 15. div 4. Arias Montan in Isa 28. 20. Quae oratio ut clariùs exponatur observationem postulat consuetudinis Judaeorum qui breves artes sive catechismos conscribere consuevere quibus tota Legis summa in sexcenta sex praecepta breviter divisa continebatur Quorum libellorum exempla adhuc exstant Erat ut videre etiam atque expetiri licebit in libellis istis verbum frequens Tsau quod non ratò apud Mosen invenitur Hoc voluit Esa populum illum in nudis brevibus atque jejunis elementis rudimentis haerentem c. The Prophets and the Apostles are not found to prescribe set words for the minister to teach or the people to answer being examined Ainsworth pag. 238. See Calvin Opusc Praefat. Catechism Object 6. See Robinson pag. 476. Answ Copy of a Letter pag. 18. Mr Greenwood perceiving the weaknesse of this objection frameth it thus No Apocrypha must be brought into the publick assemblies for there onely Gods word lively voice of his own graces must be heard Greenwood pag. 10. But this limitation is groundlesse propounded without warrant of â—â—ripture and may be rejected as 〈…〉 devise For the phrase of speech in 〈◊〉 prayer professions of faith 〈◊〉 of psalmes is of man as well as in stinted prayers devised by others and 〈…〉 may not be heard in the congregation neither may the other be uttered or 〈…〉 most certain it is that neither the one nor the other is to be received as the undoubted rule of faith or manners Concil Laodic can 59. Concil Carthag 3. can 47. Concil Hippon can 38. See Jewel Def. Apol part 5. cap. 3. div 10. Coâ—cil Laodicen can 15 16 59. Concil Carthag 3. can 23. Jewel art 3. dit 2. Object 7. Robinson Against Bern. pag. 475. Answ Object 8. Rovins ibid. Answ Chrysost hom 3. in 2. ad Thess Quandâ— enim qui lectutus est surgens dicit Haec DICIT DOMINUS diaconus 〈◊〉 omnes indicto silentio compescit Chrys hom 3. in Epist ad Ephel Jewel Def. art 3. divis 16. Chrys in Act. hom 19. Stat minister communis minister altâ voce clamar Post illam vocem incipit lector prophetiam Esaiae Isidor Hispalens l. 1. De eccles offic c. 10. l. 2. c â— St. Egèrton Practic of Christ Certain advertisements touching prayer c. Synops turior Theolog. disp 3â— thes 33. Quaeri hîc soler utrùm conceptis precationum formulis publicè aut privatim uti liceat Nos si modò cum debita animi attentione pronuncientur non tantùm licitas sed valde utiles esse contendm us quia novas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concipere cuivis Christiano datum non est attentio auditorum in magnis conventibus per usitatas formulas non parùm juvatur c. Imò Christus ipse in cruce pendens deprecationis formâ a Davide tanquam typo antea observatâ usus est Matth. 27. 46. Raine in 2. Tim. c. 1. vers 13. It is good to have a set form of doctrine God gave this summe to Adam The seed of the woman c. The ten commandments the propheticall sermons abbridged Heb. 6. 1. They had the principles of the doctrine of Christ And when religion was restored new forms institutions catechismes were appointed in the church Concil Laodit can 59. Concil Carthagin 3. can 23. Concil Milâ—vitan can 12. African can 70. See Regers 7. Treatis 3. treat chap. 4. See Zepper De polit eccles lib. 2. cap. 4. Calvin Opusc Precum ecclesiâ—st formula Beza in Cantic Hom. 1. Copy of a Letter pag. 4. Argum. Object 1. Johnson ubi supra pag. 35. Answ Object 2. Johnson ubi suprà Robinson Against Bern. pag. 425 473. Greenwood Answ to Gifford pag. 2. Answ 2 Argum. See Paulus Fagiâ—â— in Chald. Paraphr Lev. 16. Idemin Chald. Paraphr Deut. 8. Fr. Jun. Annot. in Act. 13. 15. Luke 4. 16 31. 13. 10. Mark 1. 21 23. Object 1. Answ See Gerhard Harm in Matth. 26. cap. 1. Object 2. Answ The word in scripture signifieth I. in a large 〈◊〉 to separate or set apart to some use lawfull but naturall or civill 1. Tim. 4. 5. 1. Cor. 7. 14. Isa 13. 3. II. To prepare appoint proclaim Exod. 19. 10. Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Targ. praepara Jer. 12. 〈…〉 51. 27. 2. Reg. 10. 20. Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joel 1. 14. Jer. 6. 4. Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 10. 36. III. To set apart to an holy use as God is said to sanctifie persons things and times by his institution and appointment Jer. 1. 5. Gal. 1. 15. Gen. 1. 3. and that either to sanctifie but not to