Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	adam_n	original_a	sin_n	3,848	5	6.1835	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82002	A sober and temperate discourse, concerning the interest of words in prayer, the just antiquity and pedigree of liturgies, or forms of prayer in churches : with a view of the state of the church, when they were first composed, or imposed. Together with a discovery of the weakness of the grounds upon which they were first brought in, or upon which Bishop Gawden hath lately discoursed, the necessity of a liturgie, or the inconveniency of altering the English liturgie, the utility of church musick, and the lawfulness of ceremonies : in which are mixed reasons justifying those godly ministers, who forbear the use of the Common-prayer, against the late out-cryes of the said bishop. / By H.D. M.A.	H. D. (Henry Dawbeny); Collinges, John, 1623-1690, attributed name.	1661 (1661)	Wing D449; Thomason E1086_14; ESTC R208152	100,305	119

Tradition no Universal Tradition no Example of the Purer Primitive Churches for more than 400. yea 700 years after Christ which can be pleaded for imposed Forms of Prayer by any that make any conscience of their words or will undertake to prove what they say CHAP. IV. An Enquiry into the state of those Churches which first commended or imposed Lyturgies at the time when they first made such Impositions I. THough it may seem absurd to enquire whether the gray hairs of Lyturgies be found in the way of Righteousness when we have evinced that they have no such pretended Antiquity and Age to glory in and that the Assertors of such Antiquity for them do but impose upon the world yet considering what we remember we have learned out of Aristotle That there is a youthfulness in respect of Age or in respect of Manners and Conditions It may be worthy of a further enquiry Whether yet there may not be such a necessity of them or such a comliness beauty and gravity in them as may not only justifie Magistrates in the imposing of them but oblige every soul that hath ought to do with reason to fall in with the use of them yea passionately to desire them even as much as Rachel did children which we shall the better determine by reviewing the first occasions of Lyturgies and the complexion of the Church in those ages when they were first made or most used II. I think we may say of Lyturgies as Christ said of the Bill of Divorce which Moses allowed Moses verily for the hardness of your hearts gave you a Bill of divorce but from the beginning it was not so He that had a residue of Spirit as the Prophet saith made one for one The Church played Moses his part in the business of Forms of Prayer Christ who had a residue of Spirit the Spirit given him without measure imposed no Forms of Prayer upon his Ministers or Church The Apostles who had the first and most plentiful powrings out of the Spirit of Grace imposed no such things Christ indeed gave a more general direction to his People in Prayer to ask things according to the Will of God and in his Name and more particular directions in that excellent Form called the Lords Prayer but that as Durantus idly saith either Christ or his Apostles used the Lords Prayer ordinarily as a Form of words in Prayer or that the Apostles used a Form of words to express their Faith ●r imposed the Creed commonly called but hardly to be proved their 's which the same Author asserteth must certainly be proved out of some such Canonical Writings as the Epistles of Christ to Abagarus or to Paul and Peter for there is no authentick Record of any such things but in process of time indeed the Church began to do some such things III. The highest mention we can find is that thin Synod of the Church of Laodicea made up of 32 Bishops and this whatever Bishop Hall saith according to Longus cannot be proved as we said before to have been before the year 364. as to which time Balsamon and Caranza agree it but truly it had been no great wonder if this Church which many years before was grown neither hot nor cold Rev. 3.17 but in such a temper that God was ready to spue it out of his mouth for which we have an authentick record in the Revelation should long before this time have made such a Salve and prudent Prouision for the Laziness of her Ministers He that shall read the Canons of that Synod against the Ministers hanting Taverns and using Inchantments as also the other Canons about exorcising and the several Officers and Offices of the Church will see reason enough to conclude the woful corruption of the Church in those parts if not to suspect that it was of a far lower date than is pretended IV. The Synod of 40 Bishops at Carthage which was the 3d. Synod of Carthage only enjoyned Ministers to communicate to their more able brethren their Prayers composed for their publick Congregations this was in the year 397. Yet that the face of the Church at this time had many spots and much impurity cleaving to it may appear by this Synod by their 6th Can. against giving the Lords Supper to or Baptizing such as were dead by their many Canons 17 25.27 against Clergymen hanting Taverns and keeping scandalous company with women their 30. Can. against jovial Meetings in Churches their 36 Can. about the Chrisma or the anointing Oyl which no Presbyters must make And that this Synod consisted not of the most infallibly wise Fathers appears by their Learned 29 Canon where they take pains to decree that every Minister should give the Sacrament of the Altar so it seems they had learned to call the Lords Supper fasting Yet this Synod in the business of Prayer did not think fit to restrain every Minister only having so loose and insufficient a Clergy they order the weaker sort having composed Prayers to confer their Notes before they used them cum fratribus instructioribus with their more able Brethren V. After this the Council of Mela Anno 416. grew more bold and ordain as to their Province for what authority had they further that the Ministers should use no Prayers but such as that Synod had approved They might justly expect that the Churches under their inspection would hardly swallow this new Pill if it were not lapped up in some good Reason and therefore they give their reason for it lest somthing should be vented against the true Doctrine of Faith either by some Ministers negligence or ignorance The cause of that Synods Meeting was the censuring of Pelagius that great enemy of Grace The Errors which Pelagius had broached were these 1. That Adams should have died though he had never sinned 2. That Infants were born without Original sin 3. That there is no need of he assisting Grace of God sin being once pardoned 4. That all the need we have of Grace is to illuminate us in the knowledge of Gods Commandments 5. That the Grace of God only helpeth us to do his will more easily and freely 6. That the words of St. John If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves were only figuratively true not literally 7. That the Saints praying Forgive us our Trespasses was appointed them in the behalf of others not themselves Or 8. If for themselves only as an expression of their humility not concluding them to have any sins to be forgiven Against these Errours that Reverend Synod made their 8 first Canons Pelagius having used diverse Arts the story is too long to insert to secure his Doctrine from a publick Censure had far diffused the poyson of this Doctrine This Reverend Synod observing his Errors to be in such things as are the daily matter of Ministers Confessions and Supplications thought fit for the prevention of the diffusing this Venom by Ministers in their publick prayers as also

but to loath pious souls And indeed those phrases which do this excellent deed are experimentally found to be such as the inwardly affected heart of the Speaker immediatly dictates to his Tongue It being most undoubtedly truth That words coming from the heart of the Speaker find the nearest and readiest way to the heart of the Hearer and the Souls of the hearers shall acknowledge themselves most affected when the Speaker finds his heart most warmed and enlarged as if there were a Sympathy of devout Souls which is indeed from the mighty secret working of the same spirit of Prayer acting both and at the same time preparing the Speakers heart and tongue to dictate and speak and the Hearers souls to hear sigh groan and to give a fiducial assent Rom. 8.26 CHAP. II. The Gift of Prayer is partly Natural partly by Industry acquirable That it is promised by God denied to none that will duely use means to attain it but they may so far attain it as in publick to pray without forms so as God shall accept it and none have just cause of Scandal That none worthy of the office of the Ministry need to want it nor do but through their own Sin and Negligence I. THE Gift and Grace of Prayer are two things The Grace of Prayer is a spiritual ability in the Soul from which it is enabled from the Spirit of Adoption to go unto God saying Abba Father with an holy boldness fiducial confidence fervency of spirit begging of him things according to his Will This Nature doth not teach Industry will not necessarily bring us to for this God must send forth the spirit of his Son into peoples hearts crying Abba Father Gal. 4.6 And none can do this but those who have received the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 But the gift of Prayer is nothing else but an ability of mind to form words expressive of such desires of our hearts as are according to the will of God conjoyned with a faculty of memory and of expression and elocution II. Hence it appears that the gift of Prayer is partly natural for from nature is the faculty of Meditation and Speech partly by Industry attainable For let us duly consider what he hath to do that prayeth more than to speak that is in reference to the external part of Prayer performable by the gift of Prayer Prayer consisteth of a Confession of all sins Supplications for supply of wants for our selves and others and a thanksgiving for Mercies received Sin is either Original or Actual Actual sin is a transgression of the Law of God This Law of God is contained in his Word all violations of it in thought word or deed are sins Supposing a man in a capacity to meditate and speak what is wanting to any save Industry only why he should not compose a Confession of Sins If he knows what the Scripture saith of the imputed guilt of Adams sin of our being conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity What the Law of God requires and forbids and considereth his own and other mens words and actions and his own heart to which other mens hearts answer in a great measure why should he not be able to form a Confession in his heart and if he have any elocution to speak it with his Lips And if he hath any habit of knowledge of the Scriptures as to these things why should he not be able to speak this Confession to God ex tempore as well as a Lawyer shall speak in matter of Law or a knowing Philosopher discourse Philosophical Learning rationally many times to the admiration of his Hearers It is further reasonable that to a Confession of sins should be added an acknowledgment of the Justice of God in case of any Judgments already brought upon us or others or upon supposition if God should bring upon us any Surely every Christian knoweth or should know that the wages of sin is death that the least sin exposeth us to the wrath of God here and hereafter c. And if he hath a tongue to speak can say so to God in Prayer In the supplicatory part of Prayer we deprecate Judgment we implore Mercy for our selves for others for souls for bodies all according to the Will of God whoso knows he hath a Body and a soul and knows the wants of both knows what to ask for and he that knows the Scriptures is advantaged in that knowledge and further is by them directed what to ask for absolutely what conditionally what Promises to urge upon God in Prayer what Judgments to deprecate and in what manner Nor is any so ignorant as not to know what is good for himself or others in a natural sense the Scripture tels him what is so spiritually and truly and if he hath a tongue he can surely say O God I thank thee for c. Doth he want Expressions The Scripture is full of Expressions directive of him III. In short setting Elocution aside now that the Word of God is in our own Language there can be nothing but particular Christians horrible neglect of acquainting themselves with it or their non-observing their own hearts or not using themselves to the exercise of Prayer that can hinder any private Christian from being able to speak unto God in Prayer fully profitably acceptably and so as none but prophane hearts shall be scandalized And this Assertion is demonstrable Rom. 8 26. Luke 21. Mark 13.11 IV. Besides this God hath promised the help of his Spirit as to words and matter in the use of means the Spirit shall teach us what to pray for nor is this beneath the Holy Spirit any more than to give unto suffering Saints what to speak in the very hour they shall be called before men for Christs sake for which there is a Promise and they allowed therefore to take no care what to speak before-hand We acknowledge that the Gift of Prayer is no special distinguishing Gift but a common Gift but by no means can allow our selves in the suppressing of it V. Hence it is that many a person whose constant employment is not in the work of the Ministry is able to poure out his soul in Prayer before God in proper and apt expressions without any further premeditation than is necessary to take the noise of his worldly business out of his head so orderly and methodically and in such handsom expressions that any godly sober Divine though never so Learned shall approve his performance and bless God on his behalf VI. That any owning the Name of a Minister of the Gospel should not be so able is a great reproach to our Church considering that this disability must proceed 1. From a want of knowledge in the Scriptures which every Minister ought to know exactly Or 2. From a want of a due observance to and a watchfulness upon his own heart and waies whereas he ought to excel others in the practical part of Holiness Or 3. From