the BIDDING PRAYER OXFORD Printed by L. Lichfield Printed to the University for Richard Sherlock Bookseller In the Year 1684. These are the words of his Inscription near the place where he was interr'd in France MEMORIAE RICHARDI STEWARD DECANI WESTMONASTER ET SACELLI REGII IN ANGLIA Qui hoc tantum Monumento suo inscribi voluit Epitaphium Hic jacet R. STEVVARD QVI Assiduè oravit pro pace ECCLESLAE Obiit 14o. Novemb. 1652. AETAT LVIIIo. THat it is not lawful for any Person that hath received holy Orders in the Church of England to use any extemporary or premeditated Prayers of his own private composure either before or after Sermon or in the Church in the publick Worship and Service of God but only the Liturgy set forth and allowed First Because it is directly against his own solemn promise made to the Church when he came to be ordained and that Promise is set down under his hand when he subscribed the three Articles contained in Canon 36. the second whereof runs thus That he will use the service-Service-Book prescribed in Publick prayer and no other Secondly Because the use of such Prayers is directly against an Act of Parliament viz. that for the Vniformity of Common Prayers which enjoyns peremptorily under sharp punishments that no man shall use any other open Prayers than are mentioned and set forth in the said Book Thirdly No man is to presume to exercise any Office in the Church except he be called to it as it was in Aaron Seeing therefore both the Church and State have expresly enjoyn'd us to use no Publick prayers but the Liturgy except his Majesty give leave upon extraordinary Occasion for the drawing up of Forms which leave hath ground de Jure communi both Ecclesiastical and Civil it followeth that neither Church nor State have given power to any to vent themselves in such open Prayers in the Church because they expresly forbid it To presume then to use such Prayers contains in it a complication of several Sins 1. The Sin of Falshood or the breach of solemn Promise confirm'd by subscription of the Church 2. T is an act of Disobedience to the Higher Powers and so it is an express sin against the Fifth Commandement 3. T is an act of Injury and Usurpation offered to the Church in presuming to thrust themselves into a sacred Office which such men are not to be in trusted with nor thought fit at all to execute for many many be able to discourse unto men since if they chance there to fail in point of truth or congruity the matter is of less consequence but the Church will but trust but few that shall lead Men when they speak to God because there a Falshood may prove an abomination in Speech an Incongruity may soon amount to a Blasphemy I would glanly demand of any prudent person whether he conceive that when the Church of England was in her greatest glory she had ever in it 9500 Persons answerable to the 9500 Parishes that were able to lead the people in prayer Sad experience tells us the contrary and informs us loudly enough of the Soloecisms and Blasphemies and the same experience tells us that their Directory helps them not at this dead lift nay it may often prove the greatest impediment since were some weak men allowed as well their Matter as Words they might perhaps come off with some tolerable approbation but being forced to confine themselves to matter which either they well understand not or are not so well us'd to speak of their Prayers are oftentimes vain and ridiculous or which is worse erroneous and blasphemous The licentiousness of Devotion that each private Priest durst adventure to lead others in Publick prayer breeding great disturbance in the Primitive Church brought the Fathers to decree thus in the second Council of Milevis where St. Austin sate as appears by the Subscription That no Publick Prayers should be offered up to God that had not been approv'd of in a Council or least agreed upon by the more discreet sort of men Ne fortè aliquid contra fidem vel per ignorantiam vel per minus studium sit compositum Lest either through ignorance or want of good pains the publick Faith might receive hurt by such Prayers Now besides other hurts which the Church of England hath received by this unlawful course all know that she hath received one remarkable mischief in the neglect and scorn of her Liturgy For when Cartwright the Puritan Incendiary saw he wanted Power either to extirpate or to alter our established Book of Common Prayer he was the first durst boldly use this forbidden Knell of Devotion and those that followed him improved it to so great an height by posting over our Liturgy with so much carelesness and scorn and by giving all the Advantages to those Forms of their own both of the Voice and of the Eyes and of the Hand that the People began e're long to think that the reading of the Liturgy was but an useless task impos'd by the Church on the Priests but that they compleatly served God if they came when the Psalms were singing because besides that they served God and had the benefit of a Sermon they heard a long Prayer also set out with all the Devotion and all the advantage that it could possibly receive from the Art or from the natural good parts of the person who compos'd it So that he who will needs continue the use of these forbidden prayers in the Pulpit takes the readiest course as much as in him lies for the rooting out the publick Liturgy I suppose that these men do not at all like the course which the Independants now use in Prayer who permit this extemporary or voluntary way not only to the Priests but to the Soldiers and to the Mechanicks and I imagine a main cause of their mistakes to be because such an Office is intruded on by those men who have not just authority to perform it But then if they would consider things well they would easily find that this use of forbidden Prayer hath metamorphos'd them into independants since they have no more authority to compose such Forms from that Apostolical Church that ordained them than either that person hath who is now imployed to make Shoes or that other Ecclesiastick whose Formalities are a Belt and a Buff Jerkin It may be said perhaps that many Churchmen both of great knowledge and great place have themselves us'd these forms of Prayer and upon that ground why may not they Truly if to argue thus were concluding it might soon free us not only from the ties of many English laws but from the obligation of the Decalogue it self which without all doubt is broken often enough not only by those of the common sort but by men of great Place and Knowledge But we must distinguish between Consuetudo and Corruptela and so learn that Usages taken up against press-written Laws are Corruptions
elevation of eyes hands and no marvel then that the one be so much applauded by the vulgar and the other slighted especially when they are perswaded by these Enthusiasts that Common-prayer and all the Ceremonies in that celebration are taken out of the Mass-book that they are but a dead letter and the invention of man whereas the private conceived Prayer is no less than the immediate influence of the holy Spirit of God. Object At least they say That Prayers read in a Book have not that quickning vigour in them like to the prayer memoriter and without book the one savours of the deadness of the Letter the other of the quickning Spirit Answ But in holy prayer it is not the words said whether written or not written whether said within or without book but the affectionate Zeal of him that prays That gives vigor and efficacy to this holy Duty and where this is wanting the fault is not in the Prayers themselves but in the persons that profanely slight and undervalue them the deadness they talk of lies in their own hearts which are not touched with the quickning spirit of devotion in the use of those holy and good prayers And whosoever ls more affected with a conceived than a written prayer thinks sure that the one is more immediately by inspiration from Heaven than the other and so smels strong of the Heresie of Enthusiasm Orationis sublimitas ex parte orantis non ex sublimitate vel subtilitate verborum sed humilitate devotionis affectu ejus qui orat pensanda est Jac. Alvar. de inquis pac I am sure to speak foolishly and impertinently hath been usually accounted and called speaking without Book Object 3. There be many Episcopal persons and such who both use and are zealous for the Liturgy of the Church do yet use private prayer of their own before Sermon the which surely they would never do if they conceived it unlawful Answ This is done t is confest by many persons of known worth and integrity some with good intentions to win upon such persons whom no other kind of prayers will please some that their private prayer may be a Pattern whereby their people may learn to pray in private and for these reasons I conceive this practice hath been and is still overlook'd by Ecclesiastical Superiors But in the general this custom is continued through inadvertency in nor considering and deeply weighing the equity or iniquity fitness or unfitness thereof nor can the practice of this or any other custom prove the same to be lawful There is a great difference betwixt a custom founded upon the principles of truth and equity Versat nos praecipitat traditus per manus error alienisque perimus exemplis sanabimur si modo separe mur à caetu Seneca de vita beata and such a custom as is contrary hereunto how plausible soever Many persons also that are eminent in knowledge and piety in the general may through long custom and many examples fail in some particulars through inconsideration Object 4. T is observable by experience that variety of expressions and change of Forms in prayer do more work upon the Affections of the People and stir up their Devotions than one and the same constant standing Form. Answ 1. This doth more tickle the itching ears of the people indeed and the itching of the ears comes from the corruption of the heart And surely their devotion is very cold that must be warmed by variety of expressions the which in preaching may be commendable but not in praying except by way of private ejaculations it being one great design of Exhortations and moving ing admonitions in Sermons to excite their Affections to what is taught and exhorted unto whereas holy Prayer is not the cause but the effect and issue of devout Affections and t is then only acceptable unto God when it comes from a heart replete with humility compunction fervor and Divine love which do necessarily infer foreknowledge of the Prayers we use that they be such as whereby our devout Affections may be expressed Answ 2. It is generally observed by the Masters of Mystical Theology and Spiritual Life that there is a sensible Devotion which begins in the sensitive Nature producing tenderness of spirit drawing often sighs from the bosome and tears from the eyes and begets a secret delectation and sweetness in the soul with which many persons are much taken and transported as conceiving such pleasing delights in Prayer to be no other than the influences of the holy Spirit of God. And yet this exterior pleasure of a sensible Devotion is not always a sign of a * Jac. Alba. de inquis pac lib. 2. par 3. cap. 3. Sanct. Soph. Tract 3. serm 2. c. 5. sound and right temper of holiness in the soul Because First many wicked irregenerate persons may and have enjoyed the same Secondly it may proceed from the natural temper Thirdly from the vehement intention of the mind Fourthly from the mournful tone cadence of words and power of language And such sensible delights even in Prayer are sometimes the insinuations and illusions of the Evil spirit to puff up the soul with self-love vain-glory presumption in Gods favour and contempt of others I deny not but such sensible consolations are often the influences of the holy and true Spirit given us for our encouragement in holy and divine Offices in the love of God and obediener But there is great discretion and humility also required in the use we make of them neither are we over-highly to esteem of them as the Casuist * Consolationes sensibiles quumvis non sunt despiciendae non sunt tamen supra modum aestimandae quia nec verae virtutes nec solidarum virtutum effectus nec necessaria prâ—fectûs instrumenta sine quibus plurimi ad magnam virtutem ac mentis puritatem ascendunt Jac. Alv. ibid. observes Because they are neither true virtues neither are they neeessary instruments of proficiency in true devotion for without such sensible consolations many holy persons have ascended to a great height of virtue and purity of mind The strongest Devotions and most effectual Prayers are seldomest attended with these sensible consolations and sweetnesses which flow in upon variety of taking expressions for a great Devotion is like a great Grief which is not so expressive in words as a less moderate passion a lesser Grief also is wasted away by tears and complaints whilst the greater is both more silent and more lasting so the less and more weak devotion of the Soul is breathed out and wasted in variety of language but not the solid strong and lasting servor Such was the prevailing devotion of Moses when he fell down before the Lord Deut. 9.18.25 and that of Hannah when she prayed in the Temple 1 Sam. 1.10 11. Their words in their prayers were few and low unheard but their desires and affections strong and prevalent as being not
of Common Prayer and promised that he himself will use the same and no other in publick subscribing with his own hand this attestation and promise so that the contrary practice in the use of any private prayer by any Minister of this Church is a breach of Fidelity to the Church and to the Reverend Bishop that Ordained him Fiftly T is also a transgression of the Common Law of the Land which in the Acts of Parliament for Uniformity in Common-prayer both old and new enjoyns peremptotily under severe penalties That no man shall use any prayers openly or in publick but such as are set forth in the said book so that both in this and in the former respects t is an act of Disobedience to the higher Powers and breach of the fifth Commandment I might adde in the last place the Non conformity of this practice with all other Protestant Communicants beyond the Seas their Ministers being neither fond of it themselves nor permitted such a liberty by their Governors Object But to solve all these particulars t is said A private prayer before Sermon is allowed nay enjoyned by the 55th Canon of the Church which is called indeed a Form of Prayer but therein the Minister is not bound up to the use of the same words but may pray to that effect Answ First But surely there is no man that understandeth sense and is not blinded with prejudice will say That the form prescribed in the Canons is a Form of prayer but an Exhortation only to move the people to joyn in prayer for Christ's Holy Catholick Church for the King's Majesty for and t is most properly called a bidding of Prayer And 't was Mr. Cartwright that Ring-leader of the Puritan Faction in the time of Q. Elizabeth who first turned this Bidding prayer into a long prayer of his own head and 't was the very Engine whereby he and his followers undermined the Common Prayers of the Church Secondly Because the observance of this Canon was obnoxious to the censure and exceptions of many who desired an absolute Prayer in stead of that bidding Form it was proposed at the Convocation held An. 1640. that it might be so ordered and accordingly there was a short Prayer drawn up comprising all the heads of the Canon the which notwithstanding the confidence some had of its universal reception was rejected by the most Reverend Archbishop who judged it neither safe nor fittng to alter that Canon which was founded on the Injunctions of Queen Elizabeth and King Edward the Sixth at the first Reformation which sufficiently evinceth the said Canon to be no Prayer nor yet lawfully to be altered audused Prayer-wise Thirdly T is a presumptuous usurpation and affront upon the Church of Christ for any man to thrust himself upon such a Ministerial Office as he is not by the Authority of the Church intrusted withall and whosoever acts the Presbyterian in this particular becomes Independants the one having no more just Authority derived from the Church that ordained him to use such a private Prayer of his own in publick than the other hath either to preach or pray in publick being not admitted into holy Orders nor lawfully called thereunto Fourthly T is an Innovation in Religion a new up start practice brought into the Church not above 70 years ago and may therefore be reckoned inter profanas vocum novitates which the Apostle admonished to avoid even all profane and vain bablings 1 Tim. 6.20 canting language new words and new ways such as are contrary to those old paths and those good ways which the Lord commands us to enquire after and to walk therein Jer. 16.16 And such New ways are fitly called profane quasi procul à fano saith the Commentator Lyra in loc because far from the Temple or different from the words and ways of Christ's Church and contrary to the Apostles Depositum tene in the following words hold fast that which is committed to thee 1 Tim. 6. i. e. saith the Father quod tibi creditum non quod à te inventum what the Church whereby thou art admitted to the Ministerial Function hath committed to thy trust and commanded thee to observe hold fast that keep close to that not following thine own fancy and invention to bring in what is New which ever undermines the Old and true way of Divine worship Fifthly If a Call or command from God be herein pretended though not allowed by the Church yet in this particular they are at a loss except they pretend immediate Revelation with the Enthusiasts for there is neither command nor example in holy Writ to justifie this Private prayer in Publick We have many Sermons of the Apostles upon record but no Prayer before any of them so that this is an act of usurpation upon the Publick Divine Worship a presumption to do that which God hath no where commanded nor the Church of Christ allowed Sixthly Liberty being permitted for any person of what perswasion soever to vent his private conceptions by way of Prayer in publick opens a gap to Heresy and Schism in the Church to Sedition and Rebellion in the Kingdom For their private errors and designs being inserted in their prayers do insinuate into the Affections and more mightily inflame the People than by any other way of perswasion whatsoever Old Truths being undermined by New ways of Worship and vain bablings the constant Parents of errors in the Faith. 1 Tim. 6.20 21. Seventhly Thus Separations and Divisions both amongst Ministers and People are bred and nourished for whilst one Minister or gifted man as such are called prays thus and thus and and another in a way and with words divers from him one sort and sect of men likes this mans way method and language tone and gesture another sort is taken more with anothers way Hence One saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo and another I of Cephas 1 Cor. 1.12 which is the life and being of Schism the remedy whereof is to obey that most pathetical exhortation Now I beseech you Brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing That there be no divisions among you 1 Cor. 1.10 To speak the same thing and to use the same words in the publick worship of God or as the same Apostle to glorifie God with one mind and with one mouth is the way to avoid divisions and to take off the people from their partiality and fondness in preferring one Minister before another merely for their less or more eminencies in this unwarrantable way of praying Eighthly By this Private prayer the Publick prayers of the Church are implied to be imperfect and deficient are slighted nay contemned and undermined For they with whom this way is in repute generally slight and slubber over the Common prayer carelesly irreverently and indevoutly but to their own conceived prayers give all the advantages of seeming zeal both in their tone and language
Several Short but Seasonable DISCOURSES TOUCHING Common and Private PRAYER Relating to the Publick Offices OF THE CHURCH By R. SHERLOCK D. D. Rector of Winwick and Author of The Practical Christian I will Pray with the Spirit and Pray with the vnderstanding also 2 Cor. 14.15 LONDON Printed for R. S. and Sold by Christopher Skegnes at the Golden Ball in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. A CATALOGUE Of all the following DISCOVRSES I. Of the Irregularity of Private Prayer c. II. Dr. Stewards Judgment c. III. Of the Difference betwixt long Prayers prohibited and continuance of Prayers commanded IV. Meditations upon our going to the Church with some short Directions for our Demeanour in the House of God touching some too-much mistaken and neglected Acts of Divine Worship V. A Sermon preached upon the Archbishop of YORK's Provincial Visitation at Warrington The IRREGULARITY Of a Private Prayer in a Publick Congregation SIR I Have sent you herein my repeated and enlarged Thoughts upon what was once the subject of our serious discourse wherein I would not at all disparage or in the least under value the private prayers and devotions of any person whether of the Laity or Clergy whether those prayers be by himself composed or by others whether they be premeditated or sometimes ejaculatory whether fixed or occasional oral or mental for thus and all these ways every truly Religious Christian prays and undoubtedly finds the benefit and feels the comfort of such holy breathings forth of his Soul unto Heaven in his private recesses But that any Person especially such who have entred into holy Orders in this Church of England should presume to use any Prayers in Publick of his own private conception whether premeditate or extemporary before or after his Sermon other than those Prayers which are by publick Authority allowed and published to that end I humbly conceive with submission to my Superiors to be unlawful in several respects First T is a disorder and confusion in the service of God For thus the Publick and Private Worship of God are confounded whilst those private Prayers which our Lord hath confined to the private Closer do yet contrary to his express command appear in publick and usurp the place of his publick Service in the Congregation The holy duties of publick and private Prayers as they are distinct in their own nature and constant use so they are distinguished by our Lord and distinct rules prescribed for the distinct and discreet performance of either Duty First for private Prayer Mat. 6.6 When thou prayest enter into thy Closet speaking in the singular number to every particular person Secondly for publick Prayer v. 7. But when ye pray use not vain repetitions speaking in the plural number to many assembled together where to avoid the Heathenish practice of much speaking or multitudinous words in Prayer v. 8. a short and most excellent Form is given us v. 9. Thus then publick prayer being distinguished by our Lord from private we are thereby forbidden to confound them in their use and practice 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in order not preposterously and disorderly one part of divine worship undermining another and the lesser and more particularuty Dusurping upon the greater and more general religious Office. Secondly 'T is not only a disorderly but also an unreasonable Service and so not likely to be acceptable to him who is both the God of Order and of Wisdom And the unreasonableness of this private prayer in publick will appear by considering That all prayers offer'd up unto God in publick must be publickly known consented unto and agreed upon which the private prayer generally is not by all them that joyn therein Upon which agreement and not ortherwise Christ hath promised his presence viz. to hear our Prayers and grant our requests Mat. 18.19 20. Again I say unto you If two of you shall agree upon Earth touching any thing they shall ask it shall be done unto them of my Father which is in Heaven for where two or three are gathered together there am I in the midst of them whereupon saith the Gloss out of Origen This is the cause we are not heard when we pray in that we agree not in all things For as in Musick there must be harmony and agreement of voices or else it delights not the hearer so in the Church an assent and agreement is necessary or else God is not pleased neither will he hear the voice of our prayers 'T is this agreement in prayer that denominates our publick worship of God Common Prayer because agreed upon by common consent which doth presuppose that t is known to all that all may joyn therein So it was ever in the Church of Christ the faithful knew what they prayed for and this not at the second hand from the mouth of the Minister but before they joyned with him So Saint Chrysostome Hom. 6. in Tim. You that are faithful know what things are to be desired in Prayer because all Prayer viz. that is in publick ought to be common T is the exhortation of Ignatius Ep. ad Magn. who lived in the times of the Apostles and saw our Lord in the flesh That we assemble together in one place and use one prayer common to all For if the prayers of a Congregation be not known common and agreedupon then First the people cannot joyn therein it being little less than the sacrifice of fools for men to ask of God they know not what but wholly depend upon the Ministers unknown expressions Secondly A Prayer that is unknown before it be offered up is to an English man though spoken in English as a Latin prayer to him who understands no Latin for they are both lame and maimed and cannot stand with common sense except they make use of that Crutch which we so much blame in the Papists viz. an implicite faith to support them and both the one and the other do equally transgress that rule of prayer prescribed by the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray with the spirit and will pray with the understanding also Thirdly It is against both the Judgment and practice of the Vniversal Church of Christ no footsteps thereof are to be found in Antiquity but many Canons of the Church against it whereof some are noted in the Margin a Concil Lcodic cel Anno 320. Can. 15.17 ult Concil Milevit 2d. An. 416. Can. 12. Concil Epaunens celeb An. 509. Concil Gerund celeb An. 516. C. 1. Concil Toles quart Can. 2. Concil Venet. celeb An. 452. Can. 15. Concil Bracor 1. celeb An. 562.19 20. 22. Concil Vasen celeb 442. Can. 5 6 7. Fourthly T is a transgression of the Laws and Orders of this particular Church of England and this accompanied with the breach of that solemn promise which every Minister lawfully ordained hath made no man being admitted into holy Orders untill he hath attested the lawfulness of the Book