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

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47424	An enquiry into the constitution, discipline, unity & worship of the primitive church that flourished within the first three hundred years after Christ faithfully collected out of the extant writings of those ages / by an impartial hand.	King, Peter King, Lord, 1669-1734.	1691 (1691)	Wing K513; ESTC R6405	208,702	384

Judgment and Expression because it is not spoken of prescribed Words but of a prescribed Method of Prayer as if any one should desire me to inform him how or in what Method he must pray I tell him as Origen doth in this place that first he must begin with an Invocation of God by his Titles and Attributes then he must proced to praise God for his Mercies and Benefits confessing withal his Ingratitude and Unfruitfulness then beg pardon for past Sins strength against future and conclude all with praising God through Christ and that he must do all this according to the utmost of his Ability What could any one imagine that I should intend by this Advice of following this Method to the utmost of his Power but by the exerting of his own Abilities Understanding Memory Invention Expression and the like since I direct him not to any prescribed Words but only to the Observation of those General Heads and Parts of Prayer So that the Ministers Praying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or according to the utmost of his Ability imports the exerting his Gifts and Parts in suitable Matter and apt Expressions and that the Primitive Prayers were so appears yet farther from a Passage in Origen who thus explains that Verse in Matth. 6. But when ye pray use not vain Repetitions as the Heathens do But when we pray let us not Battologise that is use not vain Repetitions but Theologise But we Battologise when we do not strictly observe our Selves or the Words of Prayer which we express when we utter those things which are filthy either to do speak or think which are vile worthily reprovable and alienated from the Purity of the Lord. Surely this Caution had been needless of strictly observing the Words that they uttered and this Fear had been groundless of expressing themselves undecently or sinfully if they had had a Prayer-Book to recur to but that they had no such Prayer-Book appears yet more evidently from Tertullian who describing their Publick Prayers says that looking up to Heaven they spread abroad their Hands because innocent uncovered their Heads because not ashamed and without a Monitor because they prayed from the Heart Now what is to be understood by praying from the Heart will best appean from enquiring into what is opposed to it viz. The Praying by a Monitor Now the praying by a Monitor as is acknowledged by all was praying by a Book But thus Tertullian affirms the Primitive Christians prayed not We do not pray saith he with a Monitor reading our Prayers out of a Book No but on the contrary we pray de Pectore from the Heart our own Heart and Soul dictating to us what is most proper and fuitable to be asked having no need of any other Monitor besides Hence their Prayers were suited to their Emergencies and present Circumstances as Tertullian writes that having premised the Lord's Prayer we may offer up accidental Requests and Petitions of which occasional Requests we find some Instances as in the sixteenth Epistle of Cyprian where that Father assures Moses and Maximus two Roman Confessors That he remembred them in his Publick Prayers with his Congregation And in another Epistle where he congratulates Pope Lucius upon his Return from Banishment he assures him That he did not cease in his publick Prayers to bless God for so great a Mercy and to pray him that was perfect to keep and perfect in him the glorious Crown of his Confession And so when the Church of Carthage sent a Sum of Money to the Bishops of Numidia for the Redemption of some Christian Captives they desired those Bishops to remember them in their publick Prayers So that their Prayers could not be 〈◊〉 invariable Forms because they could add new Petitions as their Occasions and Circumstances did require Firmilian reports of an Exorcist Woman that being acted by the Devil she did wondrous Feats taking upon her to perform Ecclesiastical Administrations as to Baptize and Celebrate the Eucharist the Elements whereof she Consecrated with an Invocation not to be despised that is as seems to be most agreeable unto the Place and to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Justin Martyr The Matter Invention and Expression of that Prayer wherewith she consecrated the Elements was not mean of contemptible but indifferently well performed So that it seems evident that though the Method of their Prayers might in the main be the same yet every one was left to follow his own Fancy and Expression therein But that I may hasten to the Conclusion of this Section it is very unlikely that they were obliged to prescribed Forms because they never read a Syllable of their Prayers out of any Book whatsoever which is evident from their Posture of Prayer which was two-fold Either with their Hands and Eyes lifted up to Heaven or with their Eyes shut That they prayed with their Eyes and Hands lifted up to Heaven has been already shewn in the Third Section of this Chapter to which I shall only add this farther Observation that they stretched out their Hands in the Figure of a Cross. That they also prayed with their Eyes shut is evident from Origen who having explained what is meant by that Injunction of our Saviour in Matth. 6. 5. And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the Corners of the Streets that they may be seen of Men verily I say unto you they have their Rewards thus explains the following Verse But thou when thou prayest enter thou into thy Closet and when thou hast shut to thy Door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly But he that is no Hypocrite enters into the Closet of his Heart to the Riches that are treasured up there and shutting himself in amongst those Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge and not fixing his Eyes on external Objects as looking after any thing without and closing every Gate of the Senses lest he should be drawn aside by them and their Species or Fancies should creep into his Mind he prays the Father who never flies from or leaves such an one but together with the Son dwells in him So the same Father writes that a true Christian prays in every place closing the Eyes of his Senses but erecting those of his Mind Now let them have prayed iu either of these Postures and it is very evident that they could read in neither of them for it is very improbable that they could turn over the Leaves of a Book whilst their Hands were extended towards Heaven in the Form of a Cross or that they could read in a Book whilst their Eyes were lifted up or else quite shut and closed If therefore there had been prescribed and imposed Forms they must of necessity have remembred them which would have been an intolerable Load to the strongest

he makes concerning it in one of his Commentaries How is it possible saith he that a Question either in Ethicks Physicks or Divinity should be understood as it ought without Logick You shall hear no Absurdity from those who are skill'd in Logick and diligently search out the signification of words whereas many times thro' our ignorance in Logick we greatly err not distinguishing Homonymies Amphibolies the different Vsages Properties and Distinction of Words as some from the Ignorance of the Homonymy of the word World have sell into wicked Opinions touching its Maker not diseerning what that signifies in 1 John 5. 19. The World lies in wickedness where they understanding by the World the frame of Heaven and Earth and all Creatures therein blaspheme the Creator thereof by affirming that the Sun Moon and Stars which move in so exact an Order lie in Wickedness So also thro' the same Ignorance they know not the true Sense of that Text in 1 John 30. This is the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sins of the World Neither of that in 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself Wherefore if we would not err about the true sense of the Holy Scripture it is necessary that we understand Logick which art of Logick the foresaid Father thinks is recommended to us by Solomon in Prov. 10. 17. He that refuseth Reproof or Logick as he rendreth it erreth Clemens Alexandrinus also stifly asserts the Utility of Humane Learning where he says That it is profitable to Christianity for the clear and distinct Demonstrations of its Doctrine 1 in that it helps us to the more evident understanding of the Truth And in particular for Logick he gives it high Encomiums as that it is a hedge to defend the Truth from being prod down by Sophisters that it gives us great light duly to understand the Holy Scriptures that it is necessary to confute the Sophisms of Hereticks And in general for all sorts of Learning he tells us that it keeps the way of Life that we be not deceived or circumvented by those that endeavour to draw us into the way of sin So that he thinks Philosophy and the Liberal Arts came down from Heaven unto Men. But should I produce all the Passages in this Father concerning the Utility and Excellency of Humane Learning I must transcribe several Pages in Folio which if the Reader has a Curiosity to view he may especially take notice of these Places Stromat lib. 1. Pag. 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 and Stromat lib. 6. Pag. 471 472 473 474 475 476 477. § 10. It is true there were some in those days of whom Clemens 〈◊〉 complains who dreaded Philosophy lest it should deceive them as much as Children did Hobgoblins Because they saw by too lamentable experience that many Learned Mens Brains were so charmed or intoxicated with Philosophical Notions as that they laboured to transform them into Christian Verities and so thereby became Authors of most pestilent and damnable Heresies which is particularly observed by Tertullian with respect to the Hereticks of his time who in this account calls the Philosophers the Patriarchs of Hereticks Therefore they accused Philosophy it self as the Production of some evil Inventor introduced into the World for the ruin and destruction of Mankind Even Tertullian himself for this reason had an extream Pique against Philosophy and violently decry'd it especially Logick as inconsistent with true Christianity as may be seen at large in his Book De Prescriptione adversus Haereticos p. 70 71 But to this Objection Clemens Alexandrinus replies that if any Man had been deceived and misled by Philosophy that that proceeded not from Philosophy but from the wickedness of his Nature for whosoever has Wisdom enough to use it he is able thereby to make a larger and a more demonstrative Defence of the Faith than others And concerning Logick in particular he tells them that as for Eristick jangling Logick for impertinent and contentious Sophisms which he elegently calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Shadows of Reason he disliked it as much as they and frequently inveighs against it But as for the 〈◊〉 substantial part of it he could not but deem it profitable and advantagious since it helps us to find out the Truth enables us the better to understand the Scriptures and shews us how to refel the Sophisms and cunning arguments of the Hereticks But besides this sort of Objectors there were others of whom Clemens Alexandrinus speaks who condemned Learning on this account because it was humane unto whom that Father answers that was most unreasonable that Philosophy only should be condemned on this account and that the meanest Arts besides even those of a Smith and Shipwright which are as much Humane should be commended and approved that they did not rest here and go no farther but having got what was useful and profitable from it they ascended higher unto the true Philosophy making this humane Philosophy a Guide unto or a Preparatory for the true Philosophy These were the Sentiments of this Learned Father touching the Utility and Excellency of Humane Learning with respect to the Interpretation of Scripture the finding out and defending of the true Faith and Doctrine and such like things which were the very Heart and Soul of the Presbyters Function and Employ from whence we may rationally collect that it was needful amiable and profitable in a Presbyter I do not say that it was absolutely necessary for it is apparent that a great part of the ancient Presbyters were not skill'd in it but I say that it was very useful and advantageous and they prized and esteemed those Presbyters who were vers'd in it especially those of them who were Arch-Presbyters or Bishops who if possible were to be well read in those parts of Learning which were proper to confirm the Articles of Christianity and to confute the Enemies thereof This is plainly insinuated by Origen when he says That the Holy Scriptures exhort us to learn Logick in that place where it is said by Solomon He that refuseth reproof or Logick as he understandeth it erreth and that therefore he that instructeth others the Greek Word more particularly denotes the Bishop ought to be able to convince Gain-sayers § 11. Upon this Examination of the Candidates for the Ministry and their Approbation by the Presbytery the next thing that follow'd was their being declared capable of their desired Function to which they were very seldom presently advanced but first gave a Specimen of their Abilities in their discharge of other inferiour Ecclesiastick Offices and so proceeded by degrees to the Supreme Function of all as Cornelius Bishop of Rome did not presently leap into his Office but passing thro' all the Ecclesiastical Employments gradually ascended thereunto And as Aurelius a Member of the Church of Carthage