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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	holy_a	read_v	scripture_n	8,342	5	5.9261	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40812	A vindication of liturgies shewing the lawfulness, usefulness, and antiquity, of performing the publick worship of God by set forms of prayer, wherein several other things also of considerable use are occasionally discussed : in answer to a late book intitules, A reasonable account why some pious non-conforming ministers in England judge it sinful for them to perform their ministerial acts in publick solemn prayer by the prescribed forms of others / by William Falkner.	Falkner, William, d. 1682.	1680 (1680)	Wing F336; ESTC R24032	135,488	300

more devout we are to the higher degree we are raised of this temper and active disposition of mind This is indeed of great consequence in our addresses to God and as c Aug. de Temp. Serm. 157. S. Austin saith Prayer being a spiritual thing it is so much the more accepted of God by how much our spirits and affections are answerable to this duty If this be what he means by his attention and intention it will be readily granted that that way or model of service which hinders these duties and is not consistent with their exercise is thereupon unlawfull And this seems to be his sense when he saith d p. 33. attention is for the soul hoc agere to do what it pretends to do and by e p. 34. intention and fervour he means an holy zeal and heat of the inward man of sorrow in confession desires in petition joy in thanksgiving But there may be too great a stress laid upon zeal earnestness and fervency since this is sometimes found even to some degree of ecstasie in men of hot heads strong imaginations and deluded minds in whom it is far from the temper of sober devotion Sect. I. And an awful reverence of God a Religious and godly fear a humble submissiveness and sober exercise of other Christian graces is far to be preferred before it Now I doubt not but that a pious man may pray seriously religiously and affectionately either in the use of a Form or without one but I think the former hath in many cases the advantage and specially in the publick service of the Church as may hereafter appear 3. When he comes to prove that the use of set Forms of Prayer hindreth attention and fervency he useth high words and saith f p. 25. it is to them next to a demonstration and g p. 26. it is impossible for any without self-condennation to deny it But if after all this his proofs shall appear shallow and insufficient then these will be evinced to be rash words and talking lavishly with immoderate confidence 4. In his discoursing concerning attention instead of Arguments he proposeth three questions which he would have considered First h p. 25. Whether it be possible for any person to read any discourse with that degree of attention of thoughts Diligent attention may be easily given to what is read as he must pronounce the same with by heart To which I Answer that it is certain this may be easily done and I think it strange it should be questioned How usual is it t●● read the Scriptures and other Books wi●● as great attention as the same things ca● be spoken without reading Particular●● in considering his Arguments I shoul● have thought him big with strange conceits who should tell me that I must b● at the pains of getting them withou● Book before I could attend to their sense● and I know I can do it better by viewing them in his Book If our Author ca●● not do thus much he cannot be of capacity to make any great proficiency by any thing he hath read and he must b● the unfittest man of any I know to answer other mens Writings when he cannot well attend to their sense in readin● them And it is strange to me that any man should write a Book if he think 〈◊〉 man can much attend to its sense in reading it and he that is of this opinion needs not be much concerned how carelesly he writes 5. The ancient Christians declared the reading the Holy Scriptures to have had 〈◊〉 mighty efficacy upon their minds and spirits insomuch that he devout Reade● was thereby as i Orig. cont Cels Origen expresseth it i● a manner inspired which could not have been without a diligent attention 〈◊〉 them But if our Authors way of Dicourse course were of any force the delivery of Christian Doctrine by Oral Tradition must be much more vigorous lively and powerful than by the Scriptures I confess he doth make a particular exception concerning the Scriptures when he speaks of oft reading what we are before acquainted with and saith k p. 27. God hath secured an abiding reverence for them in all pious souls But I suppose he doth not mean that this is done in any extraordinary and miraculous manner And it is plain that even the Scriptures are read by many with carelesness and have been long observed to have been perverted and abused by l Iren. adv Haer. l. 1. c. 1 c. 15. Tert. de praescript adv Haer. c. 17. Hereticks Wherefore the reverence that pious men have for the Scriptures in reading them is chiefly with respect to God because they are his word and his laws whereby his will is declared to men But since as m Aug. de Temp. Serm. 112. S. Aug. observed when we pray we speak to God and when we read God speaks to us a Religious honour and fear of God so far as it prevails will secure a reverence to the frequent use of the same Prayer because therein also we have to do with God and address our selves unto him 6. A second thing he would have considered which as the former hath particular respect to him that Ministreth is whether any thing can more conduce to 〈◊〉 the thoughts upon the duty and God n p. 26. than when a man can trust his affection to thrust out words A pious temper of mind doth more six mens hearts on God in Prayer than the greatest freedom of expression can do Now having considered this I think it past all doubt th●● a devout sense of Gods presence and o● his purity and of the great assurance w●● have of his readiness to help and ble●● them who Religiously and diligently see● him together with humble considerations of our dependance upon him and a careful preparing our hearts to approach unto him do wonderfully more conduce to fix our thoughts and minds upon God and our duty than using our own word with freedom of expression and a voleble tongue can do And by this method the whole Christian Assembly as well as the Minister may be prepared for the right performance of this service Our Author● method may occasion him who ministreth to attend the more carefully 〈◊〉 his words but this only is that which commands and guides the heart And that mens hearts may be as much composed an● their Spirits as fervent in the use of a fet Form as in any other way is manifest from what I formerly observed o Libert Eccl. B. 1. Ch. 4. p. 135. that our Saviours praying more earnestly in his agony was in repeating again and again the same words And the Leyden p Syn. pur Theol. Disp 36. n. 33. Professors observed that when upon his Cross he said my God my God why hast thou forsaken me he used a Form of deprecation from the Psalmist and yet sure no Christian can think that he the less attended to what he

spake 7. The third thing he would have considered is whether any such attention be to be expected from people q p. 27. Of the attention of the People in Prayer to Forms of Prayer which they oft hear as to a conceived Prayers Now that part of attention which consists in considering the way and manner of expressions conceptions or method is like to be the greater in the use of a conceived Prayer by reason of its being new but this is of no benefit to Religion but a real hindrance to true devotion But a pious attention of soul to join in the matter of Prayer may be the better performed by persons Religiously disposed in a set Form when they know before-hand what Prayers they are to present and come prepared to join in them 8. But to render what he aims at the more plausible he saith r Ibid. God requires attention to his word in known duties as much as in new things it is at least an ingenious observation that God to stir up his peoples attentions and affections tells them he would do a new thing and that I did in my Preface to my Libertas Ecclesiastica say the humour of this Age is more apt to seek for new Books Ch. II. than to read 〈◊〉 ones Concerning what he first observeth 1. The Scriptures sometimes call that 〈◊〉 new thing which is so wonderful and ●●raculous that the like was never hear● before Thus when the earth was to op●● its mouth and swallow up Corah and 〈◊〉 Company this is called Gods making 〈◊〉 new thing Num. 16.30 The like expression is used in Jer. 31.22 which Te●● was by the ſ Hieron in loc Aug. de Temp. Serm. 9. ancient Writers expounded concerning the miraculous conception 〈◊〉 Christ But are varied expressions thing of this nature 2. Doth God never inten● to stir up the attentions and affections 〈◊〉 men by his word but when he tells the● he will speak or do a new thing Surel● God declared Jer. 7.23 28. that the command of obeying his voice was th●● which all the Prophets had urged an● yet he did not thereupon allow that 〈◊〉 should be the less attended to An● whereas in this very page he said th●● God hath secured an abiding reverence 〈◊〉 all pious souls to the holy Scriptures it wa● not so ingenious an observation as our Author thought it to contradict himself here as if no such reverence and attentio● would be given by Gods people to h●● word but in new things 9. And which way soever in othe● things the genius of men and the humour of the age may tend true devotion in Religion always enclines to the same things to wit to glorifie God for his infinite excellency to praise him for his abundant goodness to confess our sins and implore his pardon grace and protection and the blessings both of this life and of eternal life He who would leave out these old and constant matters of Prayer will but badly guide others in that duty and they who are diligently attentive to what is new in the variety and novelty of expressions but neglect attention to these old things will not be the better Christians Our Author tells us none gives that attention to a discourse or story he t Ibid. hath heard an hundred times over that he gives to a new one A devout temper not like that of hearing a Story to be pleased only with new things And I wonder he should have no greater sense and understanding in these things than to argue from such comparisons For though in things that tend to instruct mens understandings or gratifie and humour their fancies those things which are new do most affect them yet in the exercise of grace the fear and reverence of God and desires after the same kind of divine blessings are more serious and earnest in those persons who by a long continued practice have accustomed themselves to these very things Ch. III. than in them who have been hitherto strangers to them and unacquainted with the and to whom they are altogether new things 10. He next comes to prove Of fervency in Prayer that fervency and intention of spirit in Prayer is hindred by the use of Forms To this purpose he saith u Reas Acc. p. 28. p. 52. as to him that ministreth there is a great deal of difference between words following the affections and affections following the words And this he saith is an old Argument of Didoclavius And the very same was urged by x De Conscient l. 4. c. 17. qu. 4. Amesius and therefore surely was thought to be the best Argument these Writers could meet with And our Author also saith y p. 31 32. they believe the people do find a different flame in these Prayers but it is not easy to assign the reason of the difference 11. Now here I grant A Religious man is more devout in a Form of Prayer by his frequent use of it that in such a Form of Prayer as the person hath never before read or used there can be no particular previous preparation of heart or affections to join in the several Petitions thereof and this in the first use of such a Form I admit and acknowledge to be a disadvantage to devotion But if thus much be true it will manifest that the people must be hindred in the fervency of their devotions by joining in a conceived Prayer because being unacquainted before-hand with what would be therein expressed Of affections following words in Prayer their affections must follow the speakers words And thus the former part of what he asserts doth wholly undermine and disprove the latter which was laid down without any proof at all and this is the more considerable because the devotion of the people or the whole Congregation rather than of the Minister is chiefly to be regarded in publick Prayer and on their part lyeth this disadvantage 12. But in such an ordinary Form which he who ministreth is well acquainted with there is no such impediment to his devotion For he may come with his heart particularly disposed to apply himself to God for those special blessings and so may the people do also in the like case and so the pious disposition and acting of his spirit as to those particular Prayers is not only the sudden consequent of his present reading those words but is previous thereunto This Author partial But here I cannot but take notice of our Authors great partiality concerning the preparation of mens hearts to Prayer He declares in his own way z p. 26. that a premeditation of the greatness and majesty of God and of ones own vileness c. are of great use but to him who useth a p. 28. prescribed Forms he allows only that there may be some general previous preparation of affections but it is hard to keep them warm so long as until he comes to his work Thus

some things to be genuine in them but with an addition of other things spurious See also Mr ſ Of Religious Assembl c. 7. p. 248. Thornedike to the same sense 18. Our Author also takes a slight notice of that weighty evidence I produced for the proof of Forms of Prayer t Lib. Eccl. p. 107 108. in the time of Constantine And he only tells us that u Reas Acc. p. 67. Constantines composing Godly Prayers for his Souldiers is a good Argument that the Church had then no publick Liturgies for surely Constantine need not then have made any and it had been a great derogation from the honour of the Church 19. But if our Author had duly observed what I produced Forms of Prayer used in publick service in Constantines time and consulted Eusebius in the places to which I referred he would have found 1. That these Prayers which Constantine made and Eusebius applauded were peculiarly fitted for his Souldiers as is manifest from that particular Prayer related by x De Vit. Const l. 4. c. 20. Eusebius and therefore his inferring from hence that the Church had no Forms before that time is as if he would conclude that because we have had Prayers lately framed to be used at sea that therefore we never had before that time any Common-Prayer And besides this y Ib. c. 19. Eusebius declares that these Prayers he composed were to be used on the Sunday by that part of his Souldiers who had not embraced the Christian Religion whilest the other part of his Army who were Christians did attend the Assemblies of the Church and join in its Prayers 2. He might also have further observed that Constantine was said by Eusebius de Vit. Const. l. 4. c. 17. to order his own palace according to the manner and usage of the Church in that taking into his hands the Books he either applyed himself to the Scriptures or expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those Prayers which had received an authoritative sanction But this clear evidence for the use of Forms of Prayer he was willing to overlook as also what I produced from Origen Cyprian and others 20. But because this Authour pretends Liturgies more ancient than six hundred years after Christ that there was no established Liturgy before the time of Gregory the Great nor till six hundred years after Christ that the Reader may see how much he would be imposed upon by giving credit to any such untrue and groundless Assertion I shall waving very many Citations of some Clauses of Liturgies in St. Austin St. Chrysostome and many other of the ancient Writers produce as many testimonies as are sufficient to satisfie an indifferent Reader that in all the first Ages of the Christian Church for the first six hundred years there were publick forms of Prayer and Liturgies established 21. Justinian the Emperour began his Reign above seventy years Enjoined by the Imperial Law An. 541. and ended it almost forty before the year 600 and his Imperial Sanctions were of as large extent as his Empire He accounteth it a great fault z Novel 137. in Praef. that there were some persons of the Clergy and Monks who were not versed as his Canons required in the prayers of the usual Service and of Baptism And he declares that he would have things canonically ordered which if it had been before done they would every one have acquainted themselves with the holy Liturgies a ibid. c. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he also by his Imperial Sanction required that every person ordained Bishop b ibid. c. 2. should recite the office for the holy Communion and the prayer for Baptism and the other prayers And he also enjoins c ibid. c. 6. these prayers in the performing publick offices and in the administring Baptism not to be said by the Bishops or Presbyters silently but so as they may be heard Which things are plain testimonies both that the Church then had Liturgical Forms and that they were established and enjoined by an Imperial Law 22. And besides this it was enacted by Justinian d Novel 131. c. 1. that the Canons of the four holy Synods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both such as were made by them and such as were confirmed by the Council of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon should have the force of laws And therefore if there was any Canon which enjoined the use of forms of prayer confirmed by the Council of Chalcedon for the proof of which I referre to n. 6 7 8. and 23. of this Section then by virtue of this Constitution that Canon had an equal authority with a law of the Empire throughout all the Dominions thereof And both these Constitutions of Justinian bear date in the same year 541. which is fifty nine years before the period our Authour fixeth upon 23. In the middle of the foregoing Century from the year 400. and downwards Their ordinary and established use in the fifth Century manifested was the General Council of Chaladon An. 451. in which that Code wherein was the Canon of Laodicea which required the constant use of Liturgies was both approved and confirmed as may appear above n. 6 7 8. and therefore the use of Liturgies was hereby established in the Christian Church as far as the authority of a general Council did extend In this time Proclus a Bishop of Constantinople of good note declared forms of divine service to have been e Procl Const de Tradit Liturg in Bibl. Patr. delivered from St. James and Clement and to have been ordered by St. Basil and St. Chrysostome But how far soever his authority may prevail concerning the time almost four hundred years before him when St. James and St. Clement lived he being the first Writer which I have met with who mentions the ancient Liturgies under their particular names yet for the later times his authority is unquestionable that there were then Liturgical forms and that these had been so long in the Church as not to be then accounted new upstart things And he could not but have sufficient opportunity to understand fully what he delivers concerning St. Chrysostome especially since 〈◊〉 was Bishop in the same See of Constantinople and was educated there about the en●● of St. Chrysostom's time And at the beginning of this Century was the Council of Milevis whose Canon enjoining se● forms of Prayers is f n. 10 11 12. above produced i● this Section 24. In the Century beginning An. 300 the attestation to the Liturgy of St. Chrysostome in the foregoing Paragraph 〈◊〉 the more considerable in this Case because as g Theod. Hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 28. Theodoret informs us his Government and Authority extended it sel● over Thracia Asia and Pontus and he established excellent laws 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to twenty eight Provinces within those Regions The like in the fourth Century St. Basil's ordering a publick form of