a more publick and general concern though the Composers of our Liturgy could not foresee the Horrid Powder-Plot and the strange discovery of it the impious Murder of the late King and the happy Restoration of this yet upon the happening of those great Events our Church hath always taken care to provide such Forms of publick Prayer as are every way suitable to the Case and as for those extraordinary Cases which might be foreseen because they happen more frequently in the course of things such as want of Rain or fair Weather Dearth and War Plague and Sickness there may be Forms composed for them afore-hand as there are in our Church's Liturgy so that it is no Argument at all against publick Forms that they cannot make a due provision for extraordinary Cases and Events for before they happen extempore Prayers can no more make due provision for them than Forms and after they happen as due a provision may be made for them by Forms as by extempore Prayers 3. That supposing such provision for extraordinary Cases be not or cannot be made in the publick Form yet that is no Argument why it should not be used so far forth as it comprehends the main of the common Cases and Necessities of the People for as I shew'd before the main matter of publick Prayer may be much more fully comprehended in a studied Form than it can reasonably be supposed to be in an extempore Prayer in which in all probability there will be more omissions as to what respects the ordinary cases of Christians than there are in the publick Form as to what respects their extraordinary cases so that if the Form ought not to be used because it extends not always to all their extraordinary Cases for the same reason extempore Prayer ought not to be used because it extends not always to all their ordinary Cases But since as hath been proved at large the use of Forms is upon sundry accounts of great advantage to the publick Devotion it 's very reasonable that they should be used so far forth as they can and do express the common Cases and Necessities and that the people should not be deprived of the benefit of joyning with them in the main matters of publick Prayer because such extraordinary matters may occur as either are not or can be express'd in them especially when 4. The defect of such new provision for extraordinary Cases may be supplied by the Minister in a publick Prayer of his own for as I observed before our Church allows or at leasts permits the Minister to use a Prayer of his own composure in the Pulpit in which if any extraordinary Mercy or Judgment for which there is no provision in our Liturgie happen to the place he lives in there is no doubt but he may and ought to supply the Devotion of his People with such Confessions Petitions and Thanksgivings as are proper and suitable to the occasion and where this is allow'd of or permitted the non-provision for such extraordinary Cases in the establisht Liturgy can be no bar at all against the use of it provided its Prayers be good and comprehend all ordinary matters of Prayer it is sufficiently provided for ordinary publick Devotion and so far doubtless may be lawfully used sufficient provision being otherwise made for all those extraordinary matters which it doth not or could not comprehend The sum of all therefore is this That as for the ordinary and main matters of publick Prayer they may be more fully and distinctly comprehended in a Form than in an extempore Prayer and as for those new matters which extraordinary publick Emergencies do administer they may for the generality be as well comprehended in a new Form as in a new extempore Prayer and though it should not or could not be express'd in the publick Form yet that is no bar against our joyning with it in all other matters of Prayer especially when these new matters of Prayer may be comprehended and express'd in a publick Prayer of the Minister's own composure CASE V. Whether there be any Warrant for Forms of Prayer in Scripture or pure Antiquity IN which Case there are two Enquiries to be made 1. Whether there be any Warrant for Forms of Prayer in the holy Scripture 2. Whether there be any evidence of the publick use of them in the primitive and purer Ages of the Church 1. Whether there be any Warrant for the use of Forms of Prayer in holy Scripture Where by Warrant must be meant either first positive Command or secondly allow'd Example for upon both these our Brethren insist First they require us to produce some positive Command upon this pretence that nothing ought to be used in the Worship of God but what is commanded by him which how true it is is not my present business to enquire that being done already to excellent purpose in the Case about Indifferent Things But because upon this pretence our Brethren reject the use of Forms as unlawful I shall endeavour to prove these two things 1. That supposing this pretence were true yet it doth not conclude against the use of Forms 2. That supposing it did conclude against the use of Forms it equally concludes against conceiv'd or extempore Prayer 1. That supposing this pretence were true viz. That what is not commanded by God ought not to be used in his Worship yet it doth not conclude against the use of Forms for though we do not pretend that God hath any-where commanded us to pray to him by Forms and no otherwise or that all the Prayers which we at any time offer to him should be first composed into a Form yet we do assert that he hath injoyn'd some Forms to be used and offer'd up in Prayer though together with those particular Forms we grant there might be and doubtless sometimes were other Prayers to be offer'd up to him Thus in the Old Testament we read of sundry Forms of Prayer injoyn'd to be used by God himself and which is the same thing by persons immediately inspired so Numb 6. 23 24 25 26. On this wise or thus shall Aaron and his sons bless the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face shine upon thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace In which words the Priest did solemnly invocate and pray for a Blessing on the people and he is commanded to do it saying unto them this very Form of words The Lord bless thee c. which is as plain an injunction of this Form as words can well express So also in the expiation of uncertain Murder Deut. 21. 7 8. the people are injoyn'd by God to say Be merciful O Lord unto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeem'd and lay not innocent bloud unto thy people of Israel 's charge So also at their paying their third years Tythes they were expresly injoyn'd to use this Form of words I
of it Now that such an open Innovation should be so silently admitted into the Church without the least contest or opposition seems very strange if not incredible 'T is true there were some Innovations that crept in very early without any opposition but none that was of such a publick cognizance as this and unless the whole Christian World had been fast asleep it is hardly supposeable they would ever have admitted such a remarkable alteration in their publick Worship as from praying extempore to pray by a Form without the least contradiction If therefore praying by a Form were an Innovation upon their Primitive Worship it was certainly the most lucky and fortunate one that ever was of that kind there being no one Innovation besides it of that publick nature but what hath always found powerful Adversaries to withstand it But not to insist upon probabilities we will inquire into the matter of fact And first we have those three ancient Liturgies which are attributed to St. Peter St. Mark and St. James which though they have been all of them wofully corrupted by later Ages yet are doubtless as to the purer parts of them of great antiquity and probably even from the Apostolical Age for besides that there are many things in them which have a strong relish of the simplicity and piety of that Age that of St. James in particular was of great authority in the Church of Jerusalem whereof he was the first Bishop in St. Cyril's time who wrote a Comment upon it (t) (t) (t) Cyril Catech Mystag 5 and is declar'd by Proclus Archbishop of Constantinople (u) (u) (u) Alat de Liturg S. Jacob. and the sixth General Council (w) (w) (w) Concil Trull c. 32. to be St. James's own composure which is a plain argument of the great Antiquity if not Apostolicalness of it for St. Cyril flourish'd in the year 350 and as St. Jerom observes (x) (x) (x) S. Jerom de Scrip. in Cyr. composed this Comment on St. James's Liturgy in his younger years Now it is not to be imagin'd he would have commented on it had it not been of great authority in the Church of Jerusalem and how could it have obtain'd any great Authority had it not been long before receiv'd that is at least seventy or eighty years Supposing then that he wrote this Comment Anno 347 as 't is very probable (y) (y) (y) Vid. Dr. Cave 's Life of St. Cyril and that this Liturgy had been receiv'd in the Church of Jerusalem but seventy or eighty years and less cannot well be supposed it could not be above a hundred and seventy years after the Apostolical Age that this Liturgy was receiv'd in the Church of Jerusalem And that there are Forms of Worship in it as ancient as the Apostles seems highly probable for first there is all that Form with a very small variation from ours call'd Sursum corda Lift up your hearts we lift them up unto the Lord it is meet and right so to do it is very meet right and our bounden duty to praise thee c. Therefore with Angels and Arch-Angels c. all which is in St. Cyril's Comment (z) (z) (z) Cyril Catech Mystag 5. which is a plain argument that 't was much ancienter than he And the same is also in those ancient Liturgies of Rome and Alexandria and in the Constitutions of St. Clemens (a) (a) (a) Constit Clem. l. 8. c. 22. which all agree are of great antiquity though not so great as they pretend And St. Cyprian who was living within an hundred years after the Apostles mentions it as a Form that was then used and receiv'd in the Church (b) (b) (b) Cyprian de Orat. Dominic The Priest saith he in the Preface before the Prayer prepares the minds of the Brethren by saying Lift up your hearts that so while the People answer We lift them up unto the Lord they may be admonished that they ought to think of nothing but the Lord. And lastly St. Austin tells us that this Sursum corda which is the Name and Title of the whole following Form and consequently includes it even as Te Deum Venite exultemus do the Hymns that go under that Title are verba ab ipsorum Apostolorum temporibus petita i. e. words derived from the very Age of the Apostles And the same is asserted by Nicephorus of the Trisagium in particular Hist lib. 18. cap. 53. And that even from that Primitive Age there was a certain Form prescribed in Baptism is evident by those solemn Questions and Answers that were made by the Priests and return'd by the person to be baptized for so Tertullian (c) (c) (c) Tertul. de Resurrect Carn speaking of Baptism tells us That the Soul is not establish'd by the washing but by the Answer And St. Cyprian expresly calls it Interrogatio Baptismi the questioning of Baptism (d) (d) (d) Cyp. 76. 80. which plainly shews that there were certain Questions and Answers given and return'd in Baptism and what the Question was may be guess'd by the Answer which was this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I renounce Satan and his works and his pomps c. (e) (e) (e) Clem. Constit lib. 7. And accordingly Tertullian (f) (f) (f) Coron Milit. In the Church and under the hand of the Priest we protest to renounce the Devil his pomps and works Which form of Question and Responsal Origen who lived not long after derives from Christ or his Disciples Who is there saith he (g) (g) (g) In Numer Homil. 5. can easily explain the reason of some Words and Gestures and Orders and Interrogations and Answers that are used in Baptism which yet we observe and fulfil according as we first took them up they being deliver'd to us by Tradition from our Great High Priest or his Disciples If it be objected that this is no Form of Prayer I answer that 't is a limiting the Minister from exercising his own Gift in performing his Ministerial Office and if in performing he might be limited to a Form of Question why not to a Form of Prayer And if the Church thought fit not to leave him at liberty to question extempore in Baptism it 's very improbable it should leave him at liberty to pray extempore in publick there being as great a necessity to prescribe him a Form for the later as for the former And that de facto there were Forms of Prayer as well as of Question and Answer used in Baptism is not onely affirmed in the Constitutions of St. Clemens but some of the Prayers also are there inserted (h) (h) (h) Clem. Constit l. 7. But that the Christians did very early use Forms of Prayer in their publick Worship is very evident from the denominations which the Primitive Writers give to the publick Prayers such as the Common-Prayers (i) (i) (i)
Just Mart. Apol. 2. p. 93. Ignat. Ep. ad Magn. the Constituted-Prayers (k) (k) (k) Orig. Cont. Cels l. 6. and the Solemn-Prayers (l) (l) (l) Cyp. de laps serm 14. which last was the Title by which the Heathens then distinguish'd and express'd their publick Forms of Prayer (m) (m) (m) Vid. Ovid. l. 6. de fastis Statius Papin l. 4. Senec. in Oedip. Act 2. Sect 2. and consequently in the Language of that Age must signifie a publick Form And as for that particular Form of Prayers so often used in our Liturgy Glory be to the Father c. St. Basil fetches the Original of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the tradition of the Apostles and cites this Doxology from St. Clemens the Apostles Scholar and from Dionysius of Alexandria (n) (n) (n) Basil de sp s c. 27. 29. who was living Anno 200. and Clemens of Alexandria who was living Anno 160 sets down these words as the Christians Form of praising God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (o) (o) (o) Clem. Alex. Paedag. Praising the Father and the Son with the Holy Ghost And therefore though there are some who attribute the composure of this Eucharistical Hymn to the rise of the Arian Sect yet from these Authorities it is much more probable that it was long before composed and used in the publick Worship of the Church for the Arians are sharply reproved by the Orthodox Fathers for altering this ancient Form into Glory be to the Father by the Son and in the Holy Ghost (p) (p) (p) Theod. Hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 24. And indeed a great-part of the Primitive Worship consisted of Hymns and Doxologies which could no longer be extempore than while the miraculous Gifts continued after which they must necessarily be composed into set Forms for Tertullian tells us that their Coetus antelucani their meetings before day were ad canendum Christo ut Deo to sing to Christ as God (q) (q) (q) Tertul. Apologet. c. 2. And Lucian before him thus describes the practice of Christians that they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spend whole nights in watching and singing of Psalms (r) (r) (r) Lucian Philop. So also Justin Martyr describing the Christian life tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are to sing Hymns and Psalms and Odes and Praise (s) (s) (s) Just Mart. Epist ad Zen. Heren Now it 's evident that in Pliny's and Lucian's time the Christians used set Forms of Hymns not onely of divine but also of humane composure for so Pliny tells us (t) (t) (t) Plin. Epist l. 10. Ep. 97. That early in the morning it was their manner to sing by turns a Hymn to Christ as to God which Hymn was doubtless of humane composure there being no Hymn to Christ in Scripture of that length as to take up a considerable part of their publick Service And besides Eusebius tells us That very early there were various Psalms and Odes composed by Christians concerning the Divinity of Christ (u) (u) (u) Euseb Hist lib. 5. and that Paulus Samosetanus was condemned for suppressing those Hymns that were made in the Honour of Christ as being the compositions of men of late days (w) (w) (w) Ibid. Hist lib. 7. though in all probability those Hymns were composed within much less than an hundred years after the Apostolical Age but as for this Hymn which Pliny speaks of it was earlier for it could not be much above ten years after the death of St. John that Pliny gave this account of Christians to Trajan and therefore to be sure the Hymn he there speaks of was used in the Age of the Apostles And about the same time Lucian makes mention of a Prayer which they used in their publick Worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beginning from the Father which doubtless was the Lord's Prayer and of a famous Hymn added to the end of their Service (x) (x) (x) Lucian Philop. which in all probability was the Hymn that Pliny speaks of Since therefore the Primitive Worship did in a great measure consist of Hymns which were Forms of Praise intermixt with Prayer and some of these of humane composure this is an evident Testimony of the Primitive use of Forms And doubtless they who made no scruple of praying by Form in verse could not think it unlawful to pray by Form in prose for that praying in Meeter or composed Hymns was a very early Practice in the Christian Church is evident from the Apostolical Constitutions where it is injoyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the People sing the verses which answer adversly to one another (y) (y) (y) Constit Apost l. 2. c. 5. which way of singing was so very ancient that Eusebius (z) (z) (z) Euseb Hist Eccles l. 2. c. 17. urges it as an argument to prove the Essenes Christians because they sung by turns answering one another But how could they thus answer to one another in their Hymns and Prayers unless they had constant Forms of Prayer But that they had such Forms of Responsal in Prayer is evident because when Julian for the credit of Gentilism would needs dress it up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (a) (a) (a) Sos Hist l. 5. c. 15. after the Order of the Christian Worship one thing wherein he sought to imitate it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their constituted Prayers that is not in having constituted Forms of Prayer for that the Heathen had before but in having such constituted Forms as the Christians had that is as Nazianzen explains it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Form of Prayer to be said in parts (b) (b) (b) Nazian Orat. 1. p. 102. for this way of praying in parts Nicephorus (c) (c) (c) Niceph. l. 13. c. 8. derives from Ignatius who was a Scholar of the Apostles All which to me is a plain demonstration of the great antiquity of Forms And that in Constantine's time the Church used publick Forms of Prayer is evident from that often-cited place of Eusebius (d) (d) (d) Euseb d◠Laud. Constant where he tells us of Constantine's composing Godly Prayers for the use of his Souldiers and elsewhere tells us in particular what the Prayer was We acknowledge thee O God alone c. (e) (e) (e) Id. de vit Constant c. 20. which is a plain evidence that it was a set Form of words But it 's objected that this Form was composed onely for the use of his Souldiers who were a great part of them Heathens and that Constantine's composing it is a plain evidence that at that time there were no publick Forms in the Church for if there had what need Constantine have composed one To which I answer That this Form indeed was composed onely for his Heathen Souldiers for as for his Christian Souldiers the story tells us that he gave them liberty to go to Church
themselves and others And I think there is a little more reason why this Construction should be made of the frequent calling upon God by his Name and Perfections in the Prayers of the Church In like manner the frequency of mentioning the Merits and Mediation of Christ is profitable for the strengthening of our Faith and Assurance that we shall be heard And to Pray unto God in the Name of Christ being the most distinguishing Character of our Christian Devotion This also will justifie our frequent use of it And the reason is so much the stronger because this is one main thing that distinguisheth us from the Church of Rome which pretendeth the Mediation of the Virgin Mary and the Angels and the Departed Saints as well as of Jesus Christ And it had not been so agreeable to the Principles of the Reformation to have left the Name and Mediation of Christ out of the Conclusion of any of the Collects when this Church declared her detestation of calling upon God in any other Name but the Name of Christ This is all I shall say to this Matter and I hope enough is said to remove the Prejudice of all Sober and Understanding Persons against the shortness of the Collects and against the recital of the Name or Attributes of God and of the Name and Merits of Christ in every one of them The next Exception I shall take notice of is that against the Repetition of the Lords Prayer in the Offices of the Liturgie and of that Hymn Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy-Ghost c. and of that Petition Lord have mercy upon us and the like Now I hope that they are but very few and I heartily wish they were none at all that so little understand the Christian Religion as to disapprove all use of these Forms in our Worship I do not mean of the Lords Prayer only but of those Affectionate Petitions Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us and of that excellent Doxologie Glory be to the Father c. which moreover contains a short Confession of our Faith in opposition to the Arians and Socinians But that which is thought too much is that these things are too often repeated and that regard enough is not had to that Rule of our Saviour When ye Pray use not vain Repetitions But I hope nothing of this will appear upon farther Examination For by our Saviour's Caution against Vain Repetitions it seems that there are some Repetitions which are not vain and which therefore he doth not forbid And this we must necessarily suppose because himself Praying in his Agony thrice used the same Petition and that in the same Words Now the Vanity of this kind among the Heathens which our Saviour would have his Disciples to avoid seems to be that Repetition which proceeds from the Affectation of much speaking in Prayer or from a belief that God will not be moved to help us unless we use many Words or repeat the same thing over in a tedious manner And thus the Prophets of Baal cried out from Morning till Noon O Baal hear us O Baal hear us We are far enough I hope from such kind of Repetitions And since they are such tedious Repetitions as these which our Saviour here calls Vain Men should have a care of calling those Repetitions of Good Prayers and Praises Vain which are nothing like these especially in contempt of a Publick Rule I never yet could find that those who charge our Liturgie with this fault have attempted to shew us those marks of difference by which we might distinguish Vain Repetitions from those that are not Vain which I think their pretence obliged them to do But although the Gravity and Usefulness of that part of our Service which they make this Objection against might well excuse us from any farther Vindication yet I shall say something to this purpose for the satisfaction of those that are willing to be satisfied I conceive there are these two things only to be regarded in using Repetitions in Prayer or Thanksgiving that they may not be liable to the charge of Vanity 1. That the Matter Repeated be very weighty and considerable and that it be singularly apt to move those Pious Affections which God is most pleased with in our Addresses to him And in this respect I dare say there is no sober Christian but will grant our Repetitions to be secured from Vanity Such Petitions as Lord have mercy upon us deserve the putting forth of the whole strength of our Desires and Affections And when we ascribe Glory to the Holy Trinity we express what we ought to make the end of all our Worship and of all the Actions of our Lives And therefore these things will bear being Repeated and the Repetition of them may be profitable both to excite and to express the fervour of our Minds And I trust we shall agree that if any one Form of Prayer will bear being used more than once when we Worship God it is the Lords Prayer 2. The second thing required to secure Repetitions from Vanity is That they be framed with Judgment both with regard to the frequency that they do not come over too often and with regard to the disposal of them that they come in fitly and in due place I do not mean that this is so very nice a thing that the difference of an hairs breadth as we use to say will spoil all For in things of this Nature there is a Latitude in which Prudent Men may take their choice but only that this is to be done with discretion and choice and with respect to the Ends for which Repetitions may be useful And I am persuaded that this also is not wanting in our Liturgie For I do not find that this was ever Objected against the Repetitions we mean that they are ordered injudiciously unless upon the only account of too much frequency And yet the Lords Prayer is but twice in the Ordinary Service and but once in every other distinct Office of Prayer or Thanksgiving The Gloria Patri is used but once at our beginning to Praise God with Spiritual Hymns and once at the Conclusion of every Psalm and of some of the Hymns besides one recital thereof in the Litany when that is used And as for those short Ejaculations Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us The former is repeated but once in the Ordinary Service and both but twice in the Litany So that there is no such ground of Complaint as is pretended that there are many Repetitions in our Form of Worship much less that those are Vain which are there And I do not see how they that charge our Common-Prayer Book with Vain Repetitions upon these accounts can have a reverent esteem of the 136 Psalm where for 26 Verses together His mercy endureth for ever is repeated in every Verse There is indeed one thing more requisite to secure our
Repetitions of the same thing in calling upon God from being Vain and that is That our Desires and Affections should be raised to keep pace with our Expressions But this belongs to us to take care of And if we would endeavour to stir up in our selves that Zeal and Devotion of Heart which should answer that Appearance thereof which these Repetitions make this would satisfie us beyond all other Argument that they are not Vain To Conclude this Matter I desire those who do not yet approve our Repetition of the Lords Prayer and the other short Devotions to consider whether it be so easie to spend the time it takes up more profitably than by joining in good earnest with the Congregation in these Prayers In the next place the Responsals of the Congregation are Matter of Offence to some Persons They do not approve the Peoples saying the Confession and the Lords Prayer after the Minister nor their alternate Reciting some Petitions in the daily Service with the Psalms and Hymns and least of all do they approve that part which the Congregation bears in the Prayers of the Litany Now it were well if they who blame our Prayers upon this account would consider what has often been said to shew the usefulness of this way Namely That it is apt to check a wandring Spirit and to help and relieve Attention and withal that it tends to quicken a lively Forwardness and Zeal in Gods Service whilst we invite and provoke one another to Pray and to give Thanks These things we say not without some experience of their Truth and we think they carry plain Reason along with them and I do not find that they have been Contradicted by the Leaders of the Dissenting Party It is True they have declared their dislike of this way but still without taking notice of what may be said for it If I have observed right the main Reason of their dislike is this That the Minister as they say is appointed for the people in all Publick Services appertaining to God and that the Scripture makes the Minister to be the Mouth of the People to God in Prayer And therefore I shall Examine this Reason in the first place And 1. If it were granted that the Scripture maketh the Minister to be the Mouth of the People to God in Publick Worship yet this must by no means be so Interpreted as to make all Vocal Prayer and Thanksgiving in Religious Assemblies unlawful to the People For then they must not declare their Assent to the Prayers which the Minister utters by saying Amen which yet the Scripture approves and is not disapproved by any of those that Object our way against us Nor must it be so taken as if the People were to be excluded from a Vocal Part in Praising God by Hymns and Spiritual Songs For this also is warranted by Scripture and seems to be confessed by our Dissenting Brethren who allow the People to Sing Psalms with the Minister Now he that audibly says Amen to the Prayers of the Congregation makes a short Responsal to the Minister And moreover they that sing Psalms in which there are Passages of Prayer Confessions or Petitions containing matter of Invocation proper for us as the Psalms often do they pray Vocally So that notwithstanding what is pretended concerning the Ministers being the Peoples Mouth to God it shall still be lawful for the People sometimes to joyn Vocally in Prayer as well as in Praise and not only by saying Amen but by expressing the very words of Confession or Petition But 2ly Where is it said in Scripture that the Minister is the Mouth of the People to God or that no Prayer may be Offered up to God in Religious Assemblies otherwise than by the Mouth of the Minister I doubt these sayings are grown so samiliar amongst some People that they believe them to be the Words or very near the Words of Scripture But there are no such Words nor meaning in the Bible that I can find or that they have found for us It is not good to pretend the Authority of Scripture for a Doctrine that is not to be met with there It is true that the Minister is the Mouth of the People to God in all those Prayers which he utters for them and because these are many more than what the People themselves utter he may be said to be their Mouth to God Comparatively but not Absolutely It will be true also that the Minister is appointed for the People in all Publick Services appertaining to God if this be understood for the most part or of All with little exception Some Publick Services there are which are inclosed in his Office and he is appointed for them in behalf of the People that is for Administring the Sacrament Absolving the Penitent and Blessing the People And therefore Prayers that immediately concern these things are to be pronounced by him only And as for the rest the Order of the Church and the Authority and Dignity of the Ministerial Function makes it fit and decent that the Minister should utter most ever of them that in those wherein the People have their part he should ever go before and lead them and guide the whole performance which is all taken care for in our Liturgie I said before that the Dissenters do not utterly debar the People from all Vocal Prayer and Thanksgiving of their own in God's Solemn Worship And therefore it were great pity that they should keep at a distance from us upon Questions of this Nature And I heartily intreat them to consider whether they may not upon their own Principles come up to the Rules and Customs of our Church in this thing 1. If they grant the Peoples interest in Vocal Praise let them consider whether they have reason to Condemn the Peoples bearing a part in any of the Hymns and Psalms by alternate Responses For the plain End of reciting those Psalms in the Congregation is to Praise and Magnifie God's Name and to excite in our Hearts such like devout affections in doing so as those Holy Men felt in themselves who were assisted by God's Spirit in Composing them And therefore the Dissenters are not obliged to demand that the People be silent all this while I have heard some of them say that if these Psalms and Hymns were Sung the Congregation might then challenge to put in their Voices with the Minister But when they are read as they generally are in our Parish Churches they say this ought to be the Work of the Minister only But I cannot see why singing or not singing should make such a Difference I grant it were better if they were every where sung because this is more suitable to the Design of Psalms than bare reciting is But if they be not sung which is customarily omitted in Parish Churches for want of skill as I conceive the next use of them that is most agreeable to their Nature and Design is not
a Church upon the Account of promiscuous Congregations and Mixt Communion 9. An Answer to the Dissenters Objections against the Common Prayers and some other Parts of Divine Service Prescribed in the Liturgy of the Church of England 10. The Case of Kneeling at the Holy Sacrament Stated and Resolved c. The First Part. 11. Certain Cases of Conscience c. The Second Part. 12. A Discourse of Profiting by Sermons and of going to hear where Men think they can profit most 13. A serious Exhortation with some Important Advices Relating to the late Cases about Conformity Recommended to the Present Dissenters from the Church of England 14. An Argument for Union c. 15. The Case of Kneeling at the Sacrament The Second Part. 16. Some Considerations about the Case of Scandal or giving Offence to Weak Brethren 17. The Case of Infant-Baptism in Five Questions c. 18. The Charge of Scand I and giving Offence by Conformity Refelled c. 1. A Discourse about the charge of Novelty upon the Reformed Church of England made by the Papists asking of us the Question Where was our Religion before Luther 2. A Discourse about Tradition shewing what is meant by it and what Tradition is to be Received and what Tradition is to be Rejected 3. The Difference of the Case between the Separation of Protestants from the Church of Rome and the Separation of Dissenters from the Church of England 4. The Protestant Resolution of Faith c. A CATALOGUE OF ALL THE Cases and Discourses Contained in the second Volume of this COLLECTION 1. CErtain Cases of Conscience resolved concerning the Lawfulness of joyning with Forms of Prayer in publick Worship In two Parts 2. An Answer to the Dissenters Objections against the Common-Prayers c. 3. The Resolution of this Case of Conscience Whether the Church of Englands symbolizing so far as it doth with the Church of Rome makes it unlawful to hold Communion with the Church of England 4. A Defence of the Resolution of this Case of Symbolizing c. 5. The Case of Infant-Baptism 6. The Case of the Cross in Baptism considered 7. A Persuasive to frequent Communion in the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper 8. The Case of Kneeling at the Holy Sacrament stated and resolved In two Parts 9. A Discourse about Edification 10. A Discourse of Profiting by Sermons 11. An Argument of Union taken from the true Interest of those Dissenters in England who profess and call themselves Protestants 12. A Serious Exhortation with some important Advises relating to the late Cases about Conformity recommended to the present Dissenters from the Church of England CERTAIN Cases of Conscience RESOLVED Concerning the Lawfulness of Joyning WITH Forms of Prayer IN Publick Worship PART I. VIZ. I. Whether the using of Forms of Prayer doth not stint and limit the Spirit II. Whether the using Publick Forms of Prayer be not a sinful omission of the Ministerial Gift of Prayer III. Whether Praying by a Publick Form doth not deaden the Devotion of Prayer The Second Edition LONDON Printed by H. Hills Jun. for T. Basset at the George in Fleet-street B. Tooke at the Ship in St. Paul's Chuch-yard and F. Gardiner at the White Horse in Ludgate-street 1683. A RESOLUTION OF THE Cases of Conscience Which concern the Use of FORMS of PRAYER ONE of the main Points which our dissenting Brethren insist on to justifie their Separation from our Church is That our Publick Worship is perform'd in a Form of Words of Man's Invention which they conceive is unlawful for hereby say some of them the Holy Spirit who inspires our Prayer is stinted and limited and hereby the Gift of Prayer say others which the Holy Spirit communicates to Ministers to enable them to express the Devotions of their Congregations to God is rendred useless and not only so but even the Devotions of the Congregation too are mightily deaden'd by being continually express'd in the same form of words besides that the wants of Christians being various casual and emergent cannot be so fully represented in a fixt Form as in conceiv'd Prayers which upon the account of their variation in Expressions may be the better extended to the continual variations of Mens cases and circumstances besides all which say they we have no warrant for the use of Forms either in Scripture or pure Antiquity and if we had yet an universal imposition of them can by no means be lawfully compli'd with this according to the best recollection I can make is the sum of what our Brethren urge against the lawfulness of joyning with us in a stated Liturgy or Form of Publick Worship and therefore in order to the satisfying their Consciences in this matter I shall reduce their whole Plea to these following Cases and indeavour a plain and clear resolution of them 1. Whether Praying in a Form of Words doth not stint or limit the Spirit of Prayer 2. Whether the Vse of Publick Forms of Prayer be not a sinful neglect of the Ministerial Gift of Prayer 3. Whether the constant Vse of the same Form of Prayer doth not very much deaden the Devotion of Prayer 4. Whether the common wants of Christian Congregations may not be better represented in conceiv'd Prayer than in a Form of Prayer 5. Whether there be any warrant for Forms of Prayer either in Scripture or pure Antiquity 6. Whether supposing Forms to be lawful the imposition of them can be lawfully compli'd with Case I. Whether Praying in a Form of Words doth not stint and limit the Spirit of Prayer In order to the resolution of this Case it will be necessary to explain first what it is that the Scripture attributes to the Spirit in Prayer and secondly what is meant by stinting or limiting the Spirit in Prayer 1. What is it that the Scripture attributes to the Spirit in Prayer I answer there are some things attributed to him which were extraordinary and temporary and others that are ordinary fixt and standing The through state and distinguishing of which will very much contribute to the resolution of this present Case and therefore I shall insist more largely upon it First I say there are some things attributed to the Holy Spirit in this matter of Prayer which were extraordinary and temporary and that was the immediate Inspiration of the matter of Prayer together with an ability to express and utter it in known or unknown Languages thus as for the immediate inspiration of the matter of Prayer we read in the Old Testament of Prayers and Praises which upon special occasions were immediately indited by Divine Inspiration for so when Hannah presented her Son to the Lord in Shiloh the Text only saith that she praid and said but the Targum paraphrases it that she praid by the Spirit of Prophesie and accordingly praying and praising by immediate inspiration is frequently call'd prophesying So 1 Sam. 10. 5. The Spirit of the Lord shall come upon thee and thou shalt prophesie that is
as Expositors generally interpret it thou shalt utter Spiritual Psalms and Hymns by immediate inspiration on the place and to the same purpose is the word used Numb 11. 25. 1 Chron. 25. 1. and accordingly in the New Testament it is said of Zacharias that he was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied saying blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. The matter of all which Prayers and Praises together with those in the Book of Psalms and sundry others recorded in Scripture was immediately dictated to those inspir'd persons by the Holy Ghost and deliver'd by them without any recourse to their own invention or consideration though as to the words of them it may be justly question'd whether they were not left to their own composure as it seems very probable the words of all other inspirations were for considering how the inspired persons differ'd in their stile according as they differ'd in their education in their natural parts and intellectual improvements it is very likely they themselves composed and worded their own inspirations the Spirit of God taking care only so to oversee and direct them that their words might not misrepresent their matter and if so how much less reason have we to suppose that the Spirit inspires the words of our Prayers but this I shall not insist on However after that great descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost wherein the gift of Tongues was communicated to enable the first Planters of the Gospel to propagate it through the World it 's certain that not only the Matter of their Prayers but even the very Language too in which they express them was immediately inspired insomuch that they were not only inabled to Pray upon the place in apt and fluent Expressions but also to Pray in Languages which they never understood before and which even then they understood but very imperfectly and also to interpret those Prayers into the vulgar Language which themselves or others had utter'd in unknown Tongues and this among others the Apostle calls a Spiritual Gift 1 Cor. 12. 1. which as I remember is the only place where the Gift of Prayer is mention'd in Scripture and in 1 Cor. 14. 14. it is also call'd a Spirit where he gives us an account at large of this miraculous way of praying Now that this miraculous Gift of praying in and interpreting Prayers out of unknown Tongues was extraordinary and temporary and peculiar to the Primitive Ages of Christianity is evident because the design of it was not only to enable the first Planters of the Gospel to perform their Ministerial Office in the vulgar Languages of the several Nations they were sent to but also to be a sign from God as all other Miracles were for the confirmation of the Gospel for so the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 14. 22. That Tongues were for a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not and therefore since it 's granted of all hands that the gift of Miracles was extraordinary and intended only for a demonstration of the Gospel to the Infidel World and after that to cease there can be no doubt but this miraculous Gift of Prayer was so too But that the Spirit 's inditing the Matter and if you will the words of those inspired Prayers was also extraordinary will require a larger proof because it is look'd upon by many of our dissenting Brethren as an ordinary and standing Gift which the Spirit doth and will communicate to all successive Ages of the World Against this Opinion of theirs therefore I shall briefly offer these following Reasons to their consideration 1. That there is no promise of any such Gift and therefore no reason to expect the continuance of it For whatsoever standing and ordinary benefits we receive from God we receive them by vertue of the New Covenant in which he hath promised to us all those good things which we can reasonably expect at his hands and the promise of God being the only foundation of our hope it is presumption to promise our selves what he hath not promised us but now in all the New Covenant we have not the least intimation of any such promise viz. That the Spirit will immediately indite to us the Matter and Expressions of our Prayers For as for that of Zachary 12. 10. which is the only promise that is pretended in the case it 's evident at first sight that it 's nothing to the purpose I will pour out upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and Supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierc'd and they shall mourn What is all this to the immediate inspiration of the Matter and Expressions of our Prayer when it 's plain that the Spirit of Supplication here is the same with the Spirit of Grace or of inward Piety and Devotion even as the following words imply and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and mourn that is for their horrid sin of crucifying me But that there is no such promise in the New Covenant is evident from what is acknowledged of all hands viz. That there are many good Christians who could never pretend to any such inspiration who are some of them fain to be beholding to their own recollection and invention for the Matter and Words of their Prayers and others for want of a sufficient quickness of invention to be beholding to Forms of Prayer of other mens composure neither of which they need were they immediately inspir'd And I am very confident 't would be look'd upon by all sober Dissenters as a very rash and unjust censure to affirm that a man cannot be a good Christian who doth not pray by immediate inspiration but is always fain to depend either on his own invention or a Form of Prayer for the Matter and Expressions of his Devotions and if so how can this consist with a standing promise of immediate inspiration of Prayer in the New Covenant unless we will suppose that there are Blessings promised in the New Covenant to which good Christians may have no right or title and of which they may never actually partake which is utterly to destroy the nature of the Covenant which extends to all who perform the conditions of it and to cut off all our dependance upon it 2. That as there is no promise so there is no need of any such immediate inspiration 'T is true Christ hath promised by his Spirit to be with us to the end of the World and assur'd us that he will give his Spirit unto every one that asks and to what end hath he promised this but only to supply our Necessities and inable us to perform those Duties which through our own impotency we cannot perform without him for so he argues from the readiness of Parents to supply their Children with what is necessary to their bodily life and subsistence to the readiness of God to bestow his Spirit that is to all the purposes that