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 tâ—â— read the Scriptures and other Books wiâ—â— as great attention as the same things caâ— be spoken without reading Particularâ—â— in considering his Arguments I shoulâ— have thought him big with strange conceits who should tell me that I must bâ— at the pains of getting them withouâ— Book before I could attend to their senseâ— and I know I can do it better by viewing them in his Book If our Author caâ—â— not do thus much he cannot be of capacity to make any great proficiency by any thing he hath read and he must bâ— the unfittest man of any I know to answer other mens Writings when he cannot well attend to their sense in readinâ— 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 Readeâ— was thereby as i Orig. cont Cels Origen expresseth it iâ— 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 thâ—â— a devout sense of Gods presence and oâ— his purity and of the great assurance wâ—â— have of his readiness to help and bleâ—â— them who Religiously and diligently seeâ— 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 Authorâ— 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 anâ— 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
gifts and to use our Authors Argument against the restraint of them 14. The high advantages of the influences and aids of the Holy Spirit in the Church of God are with great thankfulness to God and our Saviour to be acknowledged but the operations of this spirit tend to produce purity holiness and goodness Christians are commanded in the Holy Scriptures to pray in the spirit which besides what was extraordinary and peculiar to those times consists in inward piety of heart and not in variety of words And copiousness of expression is so far from being an evidence of his conduct that in S. Chrysostoms judgment where there is an over-flowing abundance and multitude of words in Prayer this cannot consist with that praying in the spirit which is commanded by the Apostle Eph. 6.18 It is saith he y Chrys in Eph. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to pray in the spirit when any one useth multitudes of words and repetitions And indeed to pray in the spirit as the Apostle directs is to perform the duty of Prayer with a pious temper of mind according to the Christian rules whereas the designed use of variety of words and expressions and the affecting this is contrary to the Precepts of our Saviour The Commentaries under S. Ambrose his name declare z In Eph. 6. Hoc est in spiritu semper or are munda conscientia fide integra precem ad Deum dirigere This is to pray always in the spirit to direct prayer to God with a pure conscience and an upright faith and Calvin explains praying in the spirit by declaring the inward devoutness of affection which is a fruit of that spirit a In Ep. Jud. v. 20. hinc ardor vehementia hinc denique gemitus illi inenarrabiles Hence proceed warmth and earnestness of spirit and groans that cannot be uttered 15. I acknowledge a sober and due freedom of expression to be a gift of God in the same manner that the capacities of mens understanding and all other abilities of mind and body are Gods gifts But it is plain that this liberty of expression is the product of the natural capacities men receive from God which are improved in well disposed persons by ordinary means under Gods blessing And I cannot discern and I think no man else can that a Ministers ability of speech either for Prayer or Preaching or Conference is of any other nature than that freedom of expression which a Lawyer hath to plead or which other persons of good capacities and liberal education and who have accustomed themselves to discourse do make use of concerning such things as they have well considered only it may be advanced by a pious affection towards the things he may discourse of 16. I shall now consider whether it be the duty of Christians or particularly of Ministers to make use of such abilities at all times in the exercises of Religion And besides what I have said before How far Ministers are obliged to exercise all their abilities it may justly be accounted a considerable if not an unanswerable objection against the necessity contended for of a Ministers using a particular gift or ability wherewith he is endued meerly because it is a gift in that this would equally make it his duty to use his present or extempore ability of conception and expression in Prayer or Preaching if he have any such ability and the use of his memory in declaring what he hath himself conceived or thought on before-hand and also his reading what hath been before composed either by himself or by others But the use of these several abilities at the same time is impossible because of their being inconsistent with one another But God obligeth no man to impossibilities 17. And besides this if it be necessary to the obtaining the favour of God for Ministers to use their own gifts in uttering variety of expressions in their Prayers to God because they may not neglect the use of any of their gifts or abilities then it must be necessary also where the person who Ministers hath an ability to perform it and the Auditory among learned men and Scholars hath a capacity to understand it to perform the Offices of Prayer in the use of divers languages some part in one language and some part in another exercising therein all his several abilities For our Authors Argument will as much prove the necessity of this as the necessity of his using his own parts in different ways of expression in his own language since the former is a more eminent and extraordinary ability than the latter and if no gift or accomplishment may be totally neglected in the service of God then not this which is of so considerable a degree But yet if we consider God b Cl. Alex. Strom. l. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he desires not and is not pleased with the variety of sounds of words and languages and the urging such a practice as a necessary duty of Religion would represent Religion as if it was a business of affectation fancy and humour and not of piety and seriousness Now this I mention to manifest hereby of how low and little concernment in Religion the meer exercise of a mans own abilities are further than they have an influence upon the profit and edification of others 18. No duty to use any ability further than is orderly and for edification And there are also many other abilities gifts or perfections of another nature which God bestows upon some Ministers the exercise of which they may lawfully and usefully wholly omit in their Ministerial employments For instance he who is eminently able by critical learning to explicate divers difficult Texts of Scripture or who is one of a piercing judgment to fathom the depth of the greatest controversies will not only be free from sin but may be commended if he silence these his abilities in his popular Sermons and acquaint common Auditories with such doctrines and duties as are both useful for their practice and sutable to their capacities Thus S. Paul dealt with his Corinthians feeding them with milk 1 Cor. 3.2 19. I shall now go further and shew 'T is best for the Church that the ablest men in some cases ordinarily make use of what was formed by others abilities that Ministers who have themselves gifts and abilities of the greatest degree both lawfully may and for the greater good of the Church ought to make use of what is drawn up to their hands by others in some great and weighty cases rather than of their own gifts in the neglect of what is so composed drawn up and established And of this I shall give two instances 20. My first instance shall be concerning the translation of the Holy Scripture Now I presume this Author will acknowledge As the Translation of Scripture that Ministers ought to instruct their people in the doctrine and Religion of Christianity out of the holy Scriptures But
to be used by S. Paul in this place for the declared sense of his words and expressions or the true p Valla Lud. Cappel in loc meaning of what he spake as appears from v. 19. and so it is used elsewhere in this Epistle 1 Cor. 2.16 we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mind of Christ or the plain and true manifestation of his mind and doctrine 10. From this 1 Cor. Ch. 14. I had in my Libertas Ecclesiastica given this as an Answer to that Argument against set Forms of Prayer that they limit the use of gifts q Lib. Eccl. B. 1. Ch. 4. Sect 2. p. 120. That by the will of God bounds and limits were to be set even to the use of the extraordinary gifts of Gods spirit that the Church might be edified 1 Cor. 14.26 27 28 30 33. Whereas now no such miraculous emanations of the Holy Ghost can be pretended Now in reply to this this Author useth r Reas Account p. 14 15 16 17. many words and saith these Precepts of the Apostle in this Chapter were against two or three speaking or gabling together and for the avoiding undue length in their Discourses and that if any speak in an unknown tongue some should interpret And then he declares that such disorderly things may be restrained but saith it is one thing to restrain the notorious abuse of gifts but it is a quite different thing to restrain the use of them And to this purpose he misrepresents my sense in a Syllogism of his own and then triumphs over what himself had formed wherewith I shall not trouble the Reader but shall in a few words declare what manifest evidence there is in this Chapter for that which I urged from it 11. Rules for the exercise of such gifts laid down 1 Cor. 14. considered My intention was to shew that the use of particular gifts is not of so great necessity in the Church because they are gifts but that even some of the extraordinary emanations of the Holy Spirit might be and ought to be forborn to be exercised where this forbearance tended to decent order or edification And if this be plainly proved from this Chapter the general urging the necessity of the use of all gifts given of God further than that use is orderly and needful for edification is an errour and mistake Now the Apostle in this Chapter declares that charity edification and the good and profit of others are things to be preferred and valued above extraordinary spiritual gifts v. 1 2 3 4 c. that they who had these extraordinary gifts of the spirit were not bound to use them in the Church meerly because they were gifts unless the use thereof was for the profit and edification of others v. 2 6 18 19. Yea the use of the gift of tongues though given by the special inspiration of the Holy Spirit was totally forbidden where there was no interpreter v. 23 27 28. and yet so far as concerns the nature of gifts an ability to speak with other tongues by peculiar assistances of the Spirit was as much yea more a gift than an ability of expressing our selves in our own tongue without any such extraordinary and peculiar assistance And they who had other gifts of revelation interpretation or doctrine were to hold their peace so far as was requisite to the observing the rules of order and decency and the avoiding confusion v. 26 30 33 40. But in our Case there are no such gifts in being now as then were in the Church and therefore no restraint laid upon any such here is no prohibiting that which is the proper gift of Prayer as I have above shewed nor is any thing forbidden directly or indirectly by the injoining Liturgies which is of greater use to the edification of the Church as I shall ſ In Ch. 3. hereafter shew but here is a direction for a better and more useful performance of the duty of Prayer prescribed 12. Thirdly I acknowledge there is an ability in many persons whereby they can express their minds in some degree fitly to God in Prayer This our Author doth t Reas Acc. p. 6 8 10. divers times declare to be that which he accounteth the gift of Prayer And I do not love to contend about expressions yet the phrase of the gift of Prayer is no where used at all in the Scripture and the ancient Writers do usefully for the promoting devotion in Prayer discourse of it as a work of the heart and soul and not of words Prayer saith S. Basil u Basil in Mart. Julitt in Bas de Orat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we do not at all define to be a business of words and whilest we are warned against confidence in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much speaking it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a diligent disposition of heart that is of great use Wherefore as I before said I esteem not this ability of expression to be properly the gift of Prayer but rather of speech or utterance or a piece of elocution 13. How far readiness of expression in Prayer is a gift of God This facility of expression is procured and enlarged in men who have a competent natural freedom of speech by use and exercise and is advanced by various methods I acknowledge that in some an affectionateness of devotion doth contribute much thereto and in others confident self-conceit and an heated fancy and as I have read some particular instances even diabolical contracts have promoted the same And as I cannot admit these things last mentioned to be called the gifts of God so neither is it to be allowed that the natural product of them in those persons should be so esteemed and much less are they to be called Gifts of the Holy Spirit And it is manifest that a readiness of expressing the sense of their minds with fluency of fit words and volubility of speech doth attend even such men who make use of their Prayers and other Discourses to propagate and uphold errors and heretical doctrines and Enthusiasm and even them who are sunk into the depth of impiety as well as those who design to promote truth and goodness And it must be an high dishonour to the Holy Spirit for any to say that he gives his immediate and peculiar assistances to the advancing of error and falshood S. Paul observed a sleight and cunning craftiness in them who lie in wait to deceive Eph. 4.14 and that by good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of innocent and harmless intentions Rom. 16.18 And Nazianzene describes the discourses of Hereticks that they had x Naz. Orat 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quick nimble and voluble tongue and they spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a masculine and generous stile and choice and approved words And these persons and such like might be forward enough to call these things
(k) Whitak Controv. r. 1. Qu. 3. c. 4. Daven in Loc. requires an Epistle written from the Church of Laodicea to be read in the Church at Coloss Col. 4.16 8. But though I have a due value and esteem for Preaching yet I can by no means come up to our Author's height who not only calls Preaching the (l) Reas Acc. p. 99. greatest Ordinance of the Gospel but he also declares (m) P. 108. from the Commissioners in the Savoy that Preaching is such a Speaking in God's Name to the People and a speaking his Word Truth or Message that we make God a Lyar if we speak a falshood in his Name Surely he who thinks Of the due esteem and value for Preaching that every expression he useth in Preaching must be a Divine Oracle and that if he be guilty of any Mistake he becomes thereby so horrid a Blasphemer as to make God a Lyar had need confine himself to the manifest Articles of the Christian Faith and the clear and plain rules of Practice or to some certain form of sound words and for other things had need shut and seal up his lips until he have surely attained what he must never expect the gift of Infallibility and our Author if he preach at that loose rate which he writeth hath reason then to tremble and stand amazed 9. In preaching the Minister by considering the general rules of Goodness and Truth and the particular Doctrines of the Scripture and divine Revelation is conscientiously towards God and man to declare what he discerneth to be useful and wholsom Truth And in the main and necessary things of the Christian Faith and Life there is such certain evidence thereof that I do willingly call it infallible and other Expositions Directions and Notions he is to express with pious care and sincerity but not with any pretence to Infallibility I do acknowledg that it is matter of Lamentation that very many persons are much wanting in that due Reverence they ought to have for their spiritual Guides whom God hath set over them and their Counsels Instructions Exhortations and Discourses are not received with such an humble temper of mind as is suitable to be expressed to Gods officers and Ministers unto whom he hath committed a very great Authority And there is also another great miscarriage on the other hand in them who lay too high a stress upon preaching and hearing and too little upon practising or upon the fearing God and keeping his Commandments upon honouring the peculiar Institutions of our Saviour in reverencing the Ministry he sent highly esteeming the Unity and Communion of the Church which he founded celebrating the Sacraments which he instituted and in being peaceable humble meek and charitable towards men and obedient to Superiours 10. I shall take no further notice of any thing in this Chapter save of one clause wherein he reflects on the Ministry of our Church and their preaching saith he (n) p. 107 How many Discourses of late years have we had in Pulpits pretending to prove men have a natural power to things spiritually good That we are not justified by the imputed righteousness of Christ but by our own works How many perfect Satyrs Railleries and evomitions of the lusts and choler in the Preachers hearts These are the kind words and meek expressions of one who judgeth and censures the sharpness of other men and in almost every Chapter he breaks out into the same temper and spirit of Reproaching Now whosoever they be Our Author no fit person to complain of contumelious expressions in Sermons who are over fierce and Satyrical in their words I shall neither justifie nor excuse them But thus much I shall add that within these Twenty years last past I have heard very many Sermons preached by Reverend and worthy persons of the Church of England besides what I have preached my self and in all these Discourses I do not remember that I ever heard so many Contumelious expressions towards our Dissenters as may be found against the Ministry of our Church in this one little Book of our complaining Author 11. And concerning Discourses to prove that men have a natural power to do things spiritually good Of the power of men to do things spiritually good it is easie to see through his mistake All the Ministers of our Church with thankfulness believe and profess Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the World and that the new Covenant of grace is confirmed through him and that we are now under this day of grace and Salvation wherein God gives his aids and assistances besides the instructions of his word the mighty motives of his Gospel and the benefits of the Ministry of reconciliation and his holy Sacraments And surely all this is more than the power of Nature Now to say That men under these helps if they be not wanting to themselves may work out their own Salvation believe and submit themselves to the Doctrines of the Gospel and live Godly Righteously and Soberly this is not to exalt the power of Nature as our Author mistakes it but it is to own the advantages of the Gospel-Grace and of the mediation and undertaking of our Saviour But if under these gracious circumstances men are in no capacity of doing any spiritual good or of being persuaded to it I cannot understand to what end Preaching can tend when it must be in vain to exhort them to their Duty and unreasonable to reprove their neglect of it Nor can they act without natural powers and faculties 12. And concerning Justification there is as little reason for his complaint as in the former head We disclaim every where merit in our own works and actions and do here acknowledg That our Saviour hath as our mediator interposed by his Obedience Righteousness and Sacrifice to expiate our Sins give the sanction to the new Covenant of Grace and Righteousness and to assure the mercy of God and pardon and forgiveness upon the terms thereof Of the terms arnd condition of our justification an its dependence upon the Righteousness and Sacrifice of Christ But if we speak of the Gospel-condition of Justification that must be performed by us our selves and we do account that as Repentance which excludes forsaking evil and doing good is a necessary condition to the obtaining pardon of sin which I presume no sober Christian will deny so consequently it must be necessary to our being justified unless we can be justified and yet unpardoned 13. Or to speak plainly all sin whatsoever stands forbidden by the Holy rules and precepts of the Gospel as much as by any other Dispensation but the terms of the Gospel-Covenant are so gracious and extensive that they admit Repentance tender pardon and accept the sincere obedience of the Christian faith and life yet all that is necessary as the condition of the Gospel in order to our being accepted into Gods favour is necessary to our justification And that
a renewed and Holy life is necessary hereto is manifest from that wrath and threatning denounced against workers of Iniquity and from the impossibility for them to find favour in the sight of God who do not do the Will of our Father which is in Heaven 14. Yet the Gospel justification upon these terms of Grace in the new Covenant is still through the redemption of our Saviour and faith in him and from the benefit of his Sacrifice we receive the pardon of our sins in the Holy Sacraments of the Gospel especially in the administration of which Sacraments is a principal part of the benefit of the Ministry of Reconciliation But it cannot be that the Righteousness of Christ should be so imputed to us that we should be looked on as having done or suffered what he did or suffered for then must every Christian be reputed and looked on as having performed the office of Mediator and having paid to God the price of Redemption for the sins of the World and as having made Reconciliation and obtained thereby Remission and then besides many other gross absurdities they might be invocated on this account for the dispensing the same And they who are reputed to have performed compleat actual sinless Obedience need no such Grace whereby they must receive pardon and Remission But the Holy Jesus by his Sacrifice hath made a way of Reconciliation and as our Mediator hath by his Blood established that new Covenant of Grace whereby through his Redemption we may be justified upon performing the Conditions of his Gospel And I see no other blame can be charged on this Doctrine unless it be that it is consistent with it self and with what was delivered by the Apostles of our Lord. CHAP. VII Praying by a Form is very rashly and injuriously charged with mocking of God IN his seventh Chapter he produceth his sixth Argument which is That for (a) Reas Acc. p. 115. Ministers who have the Gift of Prayer to perform publick Vocal Prayer by the prescribed Forms of others is to pretend to do an act of Worship and at the same time not to do it and is (b) P. 115 to mock God and deceive their own Souls 2. Now this is a very heavy Charge if it be true and can be proved but if all this shall appear to be a false Accusation and to be untrue Ch. VII it is then no little Slander and Calumny upon the Religious Worship of God Praying by a Form no mocking God and upon all those Churches of God and Pious Christians who make use of Forms in their Prayers And to make good his Charge our Author must here recal and deny what he hath so often granted That the use of Forms of Prayer are in themselves lawful and that they may be lawfully used by Ministers in some cases For if they be a mocking of God and the duty of Prayer is not really performed in the use of them but is only pretended so to be to the deceiving mens own Souls then they are certainly unlawful 3. Now his chief and yet trifling Argument to make good this very weighty and heavy Charge is this (c) P. 116 117. That the command to go and Preach requireth the Ministers exercise of his own Inventing and Composing and therefore so must the Command to make publick Prayers Now in answer to this it may be sufficient to say The nature and exercise of Prayer is sutably performed by a Form That every Duty is to be performed sutably to the nature of the Duty it self or in such a manner as may best tend to the pleasing of God and the exercising true Piety therein But in publick Prayer Religious Devotion and gracious dispositions and desires towards God are the great things to be practised and to that end the use of a Form of words in publick Service is well accommodated as I have shewed and therefore may be not only fitly but profitably used 4. And with respect to Preaching though our Author will find it a difficult task to prove that in every Instruction a Minister is bound to have new matter of Invention and Composition yet his greatest mistake is in supposing the cases of Instruction Exhortation or Preaching and of Praying to be parallel For where in instructing others in the knowledg of Religion Of the comparing Preaching and Praying it is the Ministers duty to teach them what they before understood not and to that end to use new Words that they may learn Knowledg it can never be imagined that he ought also to acquaint God in Prayer with what he before understood not And when in Exhortations to Men to make them better and to change their Tempers it may be of good use to suggest to them and urge upon them such Arguments and Considerations as before they either never thought of or at least did not duly consider the weight and force of them there is not the like reason of using frequently new words and expressions to God as if men were to put him in mind of the force of such things as he had not considered Surely nothing can be more weak than to insist on such unlike Comparisons instead of Arguments 5. But besides this he tells us that those words in Scripture which are used in commanding publick Prayer are not used concerning the reciting or reading the words of others Thus he saith when Prayer is commanded Hos 14.2 and Joel 2.17 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say and he saith (d) P. 118. He is not awar of any Text in the Old Testament where that word signifies the Recitation or repetition of Words formed by others Of the words of Scripture which enjoyn Prayer Now if this was true it would be very little or not at all to purpose unless he could prove that the using of the words of a Form is not Speaking or Saying But yet in truth notwithstanding his pretence to Critical Observations in which he is also very unhappy this very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Speak or Say is very frequently in the Old Testament used for reciting the words prescribed by others as in Gen. 32.4 Deut. 26.5 Deut. 27.14 and in many other places 6. And he tells us (e) P. 119. That in the New Testament the Precepts for Prayer are expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Pray and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Say to wit in Praying But what meaneth he Are these words never made use of for the reciting a Form of Prayer when they are the very words by which the Lords Prayer is prescribed The former (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 6.9 and both of them (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 11.2 And the former of them together with the Noun derived from the latter is used (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 26.44 to express our Saviour his Praying the third time saying the same words I might also mind our