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	use_v	4,815	5	5.9954	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23668	A perswasive to peace & unity among Christians, notwithstanding their different apprehensions in lesser things	Allen, William, d. 1686.	1672 (1672)	Wing A1068; ESTC R38421	62,276	166

determined to whom we shall pray and in whose Name and for what and in what manner but not in what external mode as whether in a set Form or without either of them may be Lawful For the reason doubtless why God hath not restrained Prayer either to the one mode or the other is that either may be made use of as occasion serves or circumstances require For if he had not intended to have left Men at more Liberty in this then he hath in the object matter and manner of prayer he would have been as particular in determining in what mode he would be sought to as in what Name and for what It is in this duty of Prayer in reference to the mode much as it is in the duty of singing of Psalms the duty of singing them is expresly enjoyned in the New Testament as well as the Old but what Psalms in particular and whether such as are indited by them that sing or by some others for them or whether in Prose or in Meeter or whether by all the Congregation joyntly or by a part only are circumstances not determined particularly in the New Testament And why are they not But that there might be a Liberty left to vary in these particulars as circumstances should render it most convenient Some indeed have made such ill use of this as that because the Scripture hath not determined all these particulars they will not make use of any and so wholly neglect the duty it self to the dishonour of him who hath made it a duty as if he had been defective in not determining those circumstances when as Men were purposely left at Liberty herein for their greater edification And doubtless for the same reason is the external mode of Prayer left so much undetermined as it is By these things we may see how impertinently some use to object against the Lyturgical mode of Worship the sin of Nadab and Abihu in offering strange fire before the Lord and of Jeroboam's keeping the Passeover on the fifteenth day of the eighth Moneth and the like For if the offering of Incense had been commanded but with what fire not determined it would not have been their sin to have offered with any fire that had been conveniently useful for that purpose And so if the keeping of the Passeover had been commanded and neither time nor place determined it would have been no sin to have kept it on the fifteenth day of the eighth Moneth and in Bethel provided it had been to the Lord only So we say when Prayer is commanded but the mode not determined any are lawful as Circumstances shall render them convenient God had appointed with what fire Incense should be offered as well as that Incense it self should be offered viz. with fire from off the Altar And so he had in what Moneth and on what day of the Moneth the Passeover should be kept as well as that it should be kept at all and in varying from these was the sin of those Men. If God had limitted Prayer by his command to that mode which we call extemporary praying then these instances would have been pertinently alledged against the Lyturgy but this is not the case and therefore they and all other of like Nature are impertinently alledged against modes of Worship not determined in Scripture either one way or other And such is the allegation of those Scriptures also in this case which are against adding to the Word Deut. 12.32 against Sacrificing to Idol-gods which God saith he commanded not Jer. 7.31 and 19.5 Deut. 17.3 against making false representations of God by Images as in the second Commandment which because they do so are therefore called a lye all which refer to false Worship in the substance of it as being contrary to God's express Command and not unto such circumstances relating to the substance of Commanded Worship which are neither Commanded nor forbidden but left to the prudence of God's People to order themselves in by general Rules for which cause the allegation of them in this business is wholly impertinent and irrelative to the question And yet this way of misapplying Scripture hath been I think I may say the only way of upholding unlawful separations in the Church But the plain truth is if that would satisfie Men that the Scripture is so far from forbidding the use of a set Form in Prayer in any case as that there is much in the Scripture to countenance it God Commanded a Form to be used by the Priests in Blessing the People Numb 6.23 Hezekiah the King and the Princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the Seer 2 Chron. 29.30 What are many of the Psalms but so many set Forms of Prayer and Thanksgiving The Title of the 102 Psalm is A Prayer for the afflicted when he is over-whelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. The 72 Psalm concludes thus The prayers of David the Son of Jesse are ended The Title of the 90 Psalm is a Prayer of Moses the man of God Our Saviour taught his Disciples a Forme of Prayer as John the Baptist had before taught his and commanded them saying when ye Pray savour Father c. And is it not strange then that any of his Disciples should say when ye pray say not our Father c. Again do not they who sing Psalms pray to God and praise God in a set Form Nay is not the Prayer of every Minister a Form to all the People that joyn with him how extemporary soever it may be to him himself For they are as much confined in this case as if he read it out of a Book and every time he varies it is still but a new Form to the People So that they that are most against Forms are necessitated to use some themselves And so I have done with shewing my reason why the Prayers of the Lyturgie cannot be proved unlawful in respect of its being a set Form 2. They cannot prove it unlawful to joyn in the Prayers made according to the Lyturgie upon account of its being such a set Form as it is Neither 1. In respect of the object to whom nor of the Mediator by whom the Prayer is made Nor 2. In respect of the matter of it of which it doth consist Nor 3. In respect of the words and phrase significant of the matter Nor 4. In respect of the method the repetitions the abruptions the responses or popular conclamations thereby used nor because read out of a Book Nor 5. Though they should be able to prove the fore-mentioned repetitions abruptions responses and conclamations or the like to be real defects in that mode of Worship and that a better is desirable and that another might be more useful 1. They cannot prove Communion in those Prayers unlawful in respect of him to whom they are made nor in respect of him in whose Name they are made For they are made

true is no good Argument against the due use of it in propagating the true He is the Minister of God to thee for good saith the Scripture and as long as he doth that which tends to publick good he is not out of his way to be sure Rom. 13.4 Every Christian is bound to promote the interest of Religion according to his capacity he that is head of a Family as such is bound to do it and so he that is head of a Kingdome as such is bound to do it likewise every one is under an obligation to do it according to their Talents and several abilities It 's true indeed that since all such as are the Higher Powers are Ministers of God for good to the People and have no power from God to do any thing against the Truth but for the Truth It is greatly to be wished and fervently to be prayed for in behalf of all Christian Princes and Governours that God would give them Wisdome that nothing may be imposed upon their People by them in the Worship of God but what hath a plain and apt tendency one way or other to further Edification or to help their Devotion And that such wayes and methods of promoting these ends may be made use of as are least lyable to exception or disputation thereby to cut off as much as may be all occasion of Division and pretence of dissatisfaction that so Peace Love and Unity may be recovered and the happy effects of them obtained Yet when all is done that can be done there will in all National settlements of this Nature be place for the Exercise of humane prudence And indeed I know no Sect or party but though they decry humane prudence about the Worship of God never so much yet do make use of it themselves in their Administration of Holy things and are necessitated so to do if they will Worship God publickly at all The Ordinances of Baptism Lord's Supper Word and Prayer as touching the matter and substance of them are particularly and expresly determined in Scripture But many particulars about the Administration of these are left to the guidance and direction of general Rules for Edification It is not determined in particular what Prayers shall be made either before or after the Administration of Baptism or the Lord's Supper or what exhortation shall be made to the People upon the occasion of them It is not determined in particular how or in what way or method the Word and Prayer shall be used in Church-Assemblies As how much and what part of the Scripture shall be read at one meeting or how or what way the Minister shall improve the Word by Preaching as whether by what occurrs to his present thoughts upon occasion of what is then read or by uttering what he hath prepared by painful studies otherwise or whether he shall do this with or without the help of Notes Nor is it particularly determined whether all or part or none of the publick Prayers shall be in a prescribed Form except the Lord's Prayer or whether any of it shall or shall not be read out of a Book or whether Prayer shall be made both before and after Sermon Now in this case those to whom it belongs to take order for the setling of God's publick Worship in a Nation with the best advice they can take will necessarily be put upon considering whether it is best to leave all these things wholly to each Minister's Liberty and choyce or wholly to limit them or whether to leave them partly at Liberty as in the Pulpit and partly to limit them And while they deliberate on these things several circumstances will come under consideration As the different abilities and various tempers of the Ministers and the various capacities and tempers of the People as whether that which may be best for some may be best for all or whether somewhat of a middle Nature may not best accommodate all and what hath anciently been practised in the Church of God and what is practised in other Reformed Churches and which way is most likely to preserve Truth and Peace in the Church and the like And when Men have only general Rules to guide and govern themselves by in determining such things as these it must be remembred that it is a thing incident to the holiest and wisest Men to differ in their application of particular cases to general Rules when a great variety of Circumstances are to be taken in to make a right judgment in the case their different measures of light if not of Interests too exposing them thereunto Their late differences under a greater Liberty in this kind then can now be expected is a sufficient proof of this And when things of this Nature are done determined upon the best terms as is thought by them into whose hands the Providence of God hath cast it though it should be otherwise not only in the thoughts of many others but also really in it self yet if nothing be thereby imposed as a Condition of Communion but what Circumstances considered is Lawful the reasons formerly given may I conceive well sway with all sober and peaceable-minded Christians rather to make the best use they can of the present settlement then to chuse to separate because it is not in all things to their mind For if there should not be a bearing with one another in such lesser differences for general Edification sake and the interest of Religion in the main and for the maintenance of Peace and Love till by discreet sober and peaceable means those that differ can work themselves or those that differ from them into a nearer agreement how should it ever be expected that Christians should maintain such fellowship upon their agreement in the substantials of Christianity notwithstanding circumstantial differences as for which the Scripture is far more express then it is for such particular modes of Worship as those are about which they differ If differences in judgment about Circumstances whereby the substance of Religion is not in danger should be a sufficient ground of separation its probable there would be almost as many separations as Churches in the World Having now done with what I had to say to take Men off from those Dividing Principles which are chiefly considerable I shall pursue my Directions for endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace no further considering what plentiful provision there is already made for Direction in the Cure of Church-divisions as by others so especially by that laborious Servant of the Lord Mr. Baxter I shall therefore conclude this Discourse with a few motives to perswade the several parties which are Divided to Unite again and to endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace And that all on all hands would manifest themselves to be such hearty lovers of Peace Unity and Charity as for the sake thereof those that are uppermost would count it no