Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	form_n	prayer_n	prescribe_v	2,556	5	9.9248	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64635	Certain discourses, viz. of Babylon (Rev. 18. 4.) being the present See of Rome (with a sermon of Bishop Bedels upon the same words) of laying on of hands (Heb. 6. 2.) to be an ordained ministry, of the old form of words in ordination, of a set form of prayer : each being the judgment of the late Arch-bishop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland / published and enlarged by Nicholas Bernard ... : unto which is added a character of Bishop Bedel, and an answer to Mr. Pierces fifth letter concerning the late Primate.	Ussher, James, 1581-1656.; Bedell, William, 1571-1642.; Bernard, Nicholas, d. 1661.	1659 (1659)	Wing U161; ESTC R10033	109,687	392

expediencie 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 of grace besides some have been by custome more trained and exercised in this holy dutie then others c. which difference I have observed not onely in private Christians but also in some most reverend faithfull and worthy Ministers Some using both in their publick Ministerie and in their private families a stinted prayer and set form of words with little alteration at all except some extraordinarie occasion have happened and yet both sorts so furnished with pietie and learning as I could hardly prefer the one before the other Moreover whereas in respect of the place and company there be three sorts of prayer publick in the Church private in the family and secret by a man self greatest liberty may be taken in secret and solitarie prayer because we are sure that if there be a believeing humble upright heart God will not upbraid any man for his method order words or utterance Yet in private prayer we may not take so great a libertie c. and some well-affected have been somewhat faultie and offensive in this behalfe weak and tender Christians such as commonly are in a family are not so capable of that kind of prayer which is called conceived or extemporate varying every time in words and phrases manner and order though the matter and substance be the same But especially care must be had in the publick congregation that nothing be done in praying preaching or Administration of Sacraments but that which is decent and orderly because there many eyes do see us and many ears do hear us and therefore it is expedient for the most part to keep a constant form both of matter and words and yet without servile tying our selves to words and syllables but using herein such libertie and freedome as may stand with comelinesse c. And so he proceeds thus to direct men that though a Book may be used in private prayer yet that it is much better to get their prayer by heart commending the use of the Lords Prayer and the varietie of other formes of godly prayers in print penned by forreigne Divines as our own countreymen as Mr. Bradford that blessed Martyr Master Deering Mr. Hieron and divers others yet living whose printed prayers are nothing inferiour to the former And so because there ever have been and still are many Babes in the Church of God which have need of milk c. and some of bad memories and heavie spirits c. he frames divers formes of prayers to be used for Morning and Evening in case of sicknesse for the Lords day c. Thus much very excellently Mr. Egerton approved by Doctor Gouge Mr. Arthur Hildersham Preacher at Ashbie-delazouch in Leicester-shire upon the 51 Psalme p. 63. saith thus I dare not deny but a weak Christian may use the help of a good prayer-Prayer-book better to pray on a book then not to pray at all Certainly 't is a spirit of errour that hath taught the world otherwise First our blessed Saviour prescribed to his Disciples a Forme of prayer not only to be to them and his whole Church a rule and sampler according to which all our prayers should be framed as appears when he saith Matth. 6. 9. After this manner pray ye but even for them to say tying themselves to the very words of it as appeareth Luke 11. 2. when ye pray say our Father c. By which answer of our Saviour to his Disciples it may also appear that John taught his disciples to pray by giving them forms of prayer to say yea even in secret prayer Matth. 6. 6. 2. All the best reformed Churches do now and ever have used even in publick Liturgies prescript forms of prayer and have judged them of great use and necessitie for the edification of the Church And surely this argument is not to be contemned by any sober Christian as appeareth by the Apostles speech 1 Cor. 11. 16. If any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome neither the Churches of God So doth he again presse the example and practice of all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14. 33. 3. This is no stinting nor hinderance to the spirit of Prayer in any of Gods people no more then the singing of praise to the Lord in the words of David is now and was in Hezekiahs time 2 Chron. 29. 30. or the joining in heart with the words that another uttereth in conceived prayer Thus far Mr. Hildersham Doctor Preston who used a set Form of Prayer before Sermon in that Sermon of his preached before King Iames Text Iohn 1. 16. Of his fulnesse we have all received c. p. 22. saith thus That a set form is lawfull much need not be said the very newnesse of the contrary opinion is enough to shew the vanitie and falshood of it It is contrary to the approved judgement of approved Councells learned Fathers and the continual practice of the Church He instanceth in Tertullians time and Origen Saint Basil Ambrose Constantine the Great prescribed a set form of prayer to his souldiers and Calvine in his 83. Epist. to the Protectour of England saith that he doth greatly allow a set form of Ecclesiastical prayer which the Minister shall be bound to observe But as I said before of the lawfulnesse of it there is no Question How slight is that which is objected against the lawfulnesse of it to wit That the spirit is stinted when we are fetterd with words appointed I answer The freedome of the spirit stands not so much in the extent of words as in the intention of zeal wherein they are uttered And if a set form be lawfull then must a set form needs excell which is dictated by Christ himself and is therefore more frequently to be used and with all reverence both in mind and gesture nor doth this want the practice and approbation of the Antientest instancing in Saint Cyprian and Saint Augustine c. And for a further confirmation see the same affirmed by him again in his book called the Saints daily exercise set forth and approved by Doctor Sibbs who himself used a set Form of Prayer before Sermon Mr. Davenport p. 80. viz. Another case saith he is Whether we may use a set Forme of Prayer Answ. I need not say much to you for I think there is none here that doubts but that a set Form of Prayer may be used you know Christ prescribed a Form you know there were certain Psalmes that were prayers that were used constantly and therefore no doubt but a set Form may be used and in the Church at all times both in Primitive times and all along to the beginning of the Reformed times to Luther and Calvins time still in all times the Church had set Forms they used and I

ensuing which could not make served onely to declare men innocent p. 108. When any of ours ascribeth the work of remission to God and interprets the Priests sentence to be but a solemn declaration of that which God himselfe hath already performed they i. e. the Church of Rome scorne it And so after much to this purpofe he thus concludes p. 113. Let it suffice to have shewen how God alone doth truly give and private Ministerial absolution but declare remission of sinnes And thus I leave Mr. Hooker under Doctor Heylen ' s Censure who hath already concluded that forgivenesse of sins by the Priest onely declarativè doth not come up to the doctrine of the Church of England Though the reason he gives because it holds the Priest doth forgive sins authoritativè I do not see the force of The former supposing the latter for the Officer whose place it is solemnly to make Proclamation of the Kings pardon doth it authoritativè nay dares not do it unlesse he were authorized accordingly And so much for the Primates judgement of those words of Ordination Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins thou forgivest are forgiven whose sins thou retainest are retained The PRIMATES judgment of the Vse of a set Form of Prayer heretofore declared and now more fully enlarged and confirmed with the concurrence of the Votes of such eminent persons who are so esteemed by the contrary-minded THis Subject hath been so sufficiently discussed and determined by others that no new thing can be expected from me onely you have here the Iudgement and Approbation of this eminent Primate which being of so great esteem with all good men 't is possible now upon near an even scale of mens opinions in it his may be of that weight as to give satisfaction First that the Vse of a set Form of Prayer is not a setting up of any new doctrine as the Athenians judged of Saint Paul appeares in that 't is the practise of the Belgick Churches for which ye have the determination of the Divines of Leyden Polyander Rivetus Wala'us Thysius in their Synopsis Theologiae And the resolution of Mr. Aimes our countryman who lived and died a Professor of Divinity among them in his cases of conscience who saith 't is lawfull from the approved practice of the Saints in the Psalmes and other Formes of blessing in the Scripture nay profitable and necessary for some though it be read out of a book Then for the judgement and practice accordingly of the Reformed Church of France Ludovicus Capellus gives us a sufficient account of who is Professor of Divinity in the University of Somer in one of his Theses lately published de Liturgiae formulis conceptis or a set form of a Liturgie where after hee hath answered all the pretended arguments against it which it seemes he had gleaned up out of some of our English Writers of late he concludes that 't is very necessary both for the most learned Pastors and congregations as unlearned and the edification of both being used throughout the Christian world in all ages at least for these 1300 years and is still at this day in all places excepting only as he saith some of late with us in England whose censure of them ● is so severe that it would be offensive in me to repeat it And surely the general custome and practice of the reformed Churches which Saint Paul urgeth 1 Cor. 11. 16. cap. 14. 33. cannot be contemned by any sober Christian unto which may be added the judgement of diverse pious and eminent men of onr own nation and so esteemed by such as have asserted the contrary whose judgements being too large to be inserted here I shall deferre them till the last who do very fully concurre with the Primate in it Calvin was a wise and learned man now as Beza tells us it was his constant practice to use a set form of Praier before Sermon without alteration So was it his advice in his Epistle to the Protector of England in Edward the sixth's time which hath bin mentioned elsewhere for the establishing of a set form of a Liturgy here from which it might not be lawfull for pastors to depart both for the good of the more ignorant preventing of an affected novelty in others and the declaring of an unanimous consent in all the Churches For which practice and advice he had sufficient warrant from the President of the Ancient Fathers in the Primitive times which might be here also produced And doubtlesse the councell of Eliphaz is is good Iob 8. Enquire I pray thee of the former ages and prepare thy selfe for the search of their Fathers for we are but of yesterday and know nothing shall not they teach thee c. as that of the Prophet Ieremiah cap. 6. 19. aske for the old way and walk therein which may well rebuke the presumption of some who are so led by their own fancies that the Ancient Fathers are of no exemplary esteem with them Onely I may safely reprepresent this to the consideration of any ingenuous person that if it were the practice of the Church of God in all ages for 1500 or but 1300 yeares after Christ not only of the vulgar but of such as were glorious Martyrs and the most eminent Preachers of former and later yeares with whom the holy spirit did much abound doth not the assertion of the contrary condemn the generation of the just or at least argue a bold presumptuous censure of the spirits of just men now made perfect in heaven This only by way of preparative to the Readers attention that there is no singularity in it 2. See the warrants for it in the Scripture i. e. in the Old Testament Numb 6. 23. the Lord gives a form of words to Aaron and his sons to be continued as a perpetual Liturgy from age to age for the blessing the children of Israel saying unto them the Lord blesse thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace c. Numb 10. 35. Moses gives himself a set form at the rising and resting of the Ark. When the Ark set forward Moses said Rise up Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee And when it rested he said return O Lord unto the many thousands of Israel Continued by David at the removall of the Ark in his time Psal. 68. 1. In the 26. of Deut. ye have two set formes prescribed of God himself First to him that offers his first fruits verse 3. thou shalt say unto the Priest c. verse 5. thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God c. consisting chiefly of confession to the 11. verse and then to him that offers his third years tythes verse 13. when after a solemne protestation of bringing all the hollowed things paying his Tythes truly

words or which cannot without the help of a variety like those weak stomacks or distempered in their health that cannot relish one dish twice but must at each meale have the inventions of men imployed to give them various nay in danger of losing their stomack if they hear of them before they come suddenly before them Now in this I would not be understood to discourage any persons in exercising themselves this way and striving to perfection in this gift which I do much commend only as those that learn to swim have help at first of some supporters but afterward come to swim without them Children at first have their Copies their paper ruled their hands held but in time do it of themselves and so there is an expectation that you that are of ability should grow in knowledge and utterance this way but for the weaker sort is it not better they should use a staffe then slip and are not the Major part of this kind like men with weak sights needing the help of Spectacles To whom by denying them a set Form are we not injurious accordingly Though those we call weak may possibly by their fervency and ardency of affection be said of as Saint Paul of himself when I am weak then am I strong and Gods strength perfected in their weaknesse The prevalency of a prayer being not in the elegancy and loftinesse of the stile but in the sighes and groanes and inward workings of the heart like that of Nehemiah and Hanna though their voice were not heard In a word an Vniformity in the publick prayers of the Church to be observed in each congregation would tend much to the unity of hearts and spirits among us which Saint Paul commends as the more excellent way and the end of coveting all gifts whatsoever viz. a Composure of a Form for the publick service of God by the joynt assistance of the most learned and pious from which the most eminent gifted person might not depart more then the inferiour I speak not of prayer before Sermon and after when each may take their liberty though therein the Dutch and French Church are strict also but of some consent in the manner of Administration of Baptisme the communion and other offices in the publick that might be owned by us all in Common as the form of the Church of England which as it hath been a means to continue a unity in other reformed Churches at this day so I believe would be a means for the reducing it with us even a setled peace both in Church and State which ought to be the prayer and principall endeavour of every good Christian. So much for the declaring and confirming the Primates Iudgment of the use of a set form of prayer in the publick Now unto his for the more easie reception of it I shall here adde the votes of some whom the contrary minded at least the most pious of them will not gainsay I shall not mention the judgement and practice of the worthy Ministers and Martyrs in Queen Maries dayes some of whom were put to death for approving and using the ●orm which was then extant being one of the Articles put in against them Of these it will be said they walked according to the light then given them I shall therefore trouble the Reader onely with a few testimonies of godly and eminent men who lived within our own memory some of them reckoned among the Non-conformists or old Puritanes yet in this particular fully concurring with the Primate Mr. Richard Rogers Preacher at Walbersfield in Essex whom I well remember and have often seen his constant attendance at the publick prayers of the Church In his pio●s book entituled the seven Treatises In that Chapt. of publick prayers He thus beginneth If that mind be in us with the which we have been taught to come to all holy exercises and so to be prepared for them who doubteth but that we may receive much help by them yea and the better a man is the more he shall profit by them c. Some have thought all set forms of prayer are to be disliked and such onely to be offered up to God as by extemporary gift are conceived and uttered And that the Minister should use no set form of prayer but as they are moved by Gods spirit I answer It is a foul errour so to think For as there be necessary things to be prayed for of all men and alwayes and those are the most things which we are to pray to the Lord for so there may be a prescript form of prayer made concerning all such things which being so what letteth that in the reading of such forms either of confessing of sinnes request or thanksgiving what letteth I say that the ●earers hearts may not profitably go on with the same both to humble to quicken and to comfort For is the reading it self unpure when the Minister in his own behalf and the peoples uttereth them to God I speak not ye see of the matter of prayer but of reading it for if the matter be erroneus and naught the pronounceing of it maketh it not good any more then the reading doth and if it be good and pure being uttered or pronounced the reading cannot hurt it or make it evill And as the Church in the Scripture did and doth sing Psalmes upon a book to God and yet though it utter a prescript form of words I hope none will say that it is a sin to do so the heart being prepared In like manner to follow a prescript form of words in praying is no sinne and therefore ought not to be offensive to any c. And further they may know that in all Churches and the best reformed there is a prescript form of prayer used and therefore they who are of mind that it ought not to be must seperate themselves from all Churches Also if a set form of prayer were unlawful then neither were the Lords prayer which is a form of prayer prescribed by our Saviour himself to be used And so he proceeds to perswade all good Christians to lay aside contention and endlesse and needlesse questions about this matter and with well order'd hearts and minds to attend unto and apply to themselves the prayers which either before Sermon or after Sermon are uttered or the other which through the whole action of Gods worship are read in their hearing c. So much Mr. Rogers Now this book of the seven Treatises hath been since epitomized by Mr. Egerton and entituled the practice of Christianitie which hath an Epistle of Doctor Gouge before it in a high commendation of it Now at the conclusion of that he hath added Certain Advertisements concerning prayer in which his or both their judgements in this subject are declared accordingly viz. That it is lawfull and in some cases expedient to use a set form of prayer Question saith he is made by many of the lawfulnesse or at least of the