Church for ever Or will it be denyed but that they also are excellent directories and patterns for prayer And if patterns the nearer we draw to our example are not the imitations and representments the better And what then if we took the samplers themselves is there any imperfection in them and can we mend them and correct Magnificat Numb 35 In a just porportion and commensuration I argue so concerning the primitive and ancient forms of Church service which are composed according to those so excellent patterns which if they had remained pure as in their first institution or had alwayes been as they have been reformed by the Church of England they would against all defiance put in for the next place to those formes or Liturgy which Mutatis mutandis are nothing but the Words of Scripture But I am resolved at this present not to enter into Question concerning the matter of prayers But for the forme this I say further Numb 36 4. That the Church of God hath the promise of the spirit made to her in generall to her in her Catholick and united capacity to the whole Church first then to particular Churches then in the lowest seat of the Category to single persons Now then I infer if any single persons will have us to believe without all possibility of proofe for so it must be that they pray with the Spirit for how shall they be able to prove the spirit actually to abide in those single persons then much rather must we believe it of the Church which by how much the more generall it is so much the more of the spirit she is likely to have and then if there be no errours in the matter the Church hath the advantage and probability on her side and if there be an errour in matter in either of them they faile of their pretences neither of them have the spirit But the publick spirit in all reason is to be trusted before the private when there is a contestation the Church being Prior potior in promissis she hath a greater and prior title to the spirit And why the Church hath not the spirit of prayer in her compositions as well as any of her children I desire once for all to be satisfied upon true grounds either of reason or revelation Numb 37 5. Or if the Church shall be admitted to have the gift and the spirit of prayer given unto her by virtue of the great promise of the spirit to abide with her for ever yet for all this she is taught to pray in a set form of prayer and yet by the spirit too For what think we When Christ taught us to pray in that incomparable modell the Lords Prayer if we pray that prayer devoutly and with pious and actuall intention doe we not pray in the Spirit of Christ as much as if we prayed any other form of words pretended to be taught us by the Spirit Wee are sure that Christ and Christs Spirit taught us this Prayer they only gather by conjectures and opinions that in their ex tempore forms the spirit of Christ teaches them So much then as certainties are better then uncertaines and God above man so much is this set form besides the infinite advantages in the matter better then their ex tempore forms in the form it selfe Numb 38 6. If I should descend to minutes and particulars I could instance in the behalfe of set forms that God prescribed to Moses a set form of prayer and benediction to be used when he did blesse the people 7. That Moses composed a song or hymne for the children of Israel to use to all their generations 8. That David composed many for the service of the tabernacle 9. That Solomon and the holy Kings of Judah brought them in and continued them in the ministration of the temple 10. That all Scripture is written for our learning and since all these and many more set forms of prayer are left there upon record it is more then probable that they were left there for our use and devotion 11. That S. John Baptist taught his Disciples a forme of prayer 12. And that Christs Disciples begged the same favour and it was granted as they desired it 13. And that Christ gave it not only in massâ materiae but in forma verborum not in a confused heap of matter but in an exact composure of words it makes it evident he intended it not only pro regula petendorum for a direction of what things we are to ask but also pro forma orationis for a set form of Prayer In which also I am most certainly confirmed besides the universall testimony of Gods Church so attesting it in the precept which Christ added When ye pray pray after this manner and indeed it points not the matter only of our prayers but the form of it the manner and the matter of the addresse both But in the repetition of it by Saint Luke the preceptive words seeme to limit us and direct us to this very form of words When ye pray say Our Father c. 14. I could also adde the example of all the Jewes and by consequence of our blessed Saviour who sung a great part of Davids Psalter in their feast of Passeover which part is called by the Iewes the great Hallelujah it begins at the 113 Psalm and ends at the 118 inclusively And the Scripture mentions it as part of our blessed Saviours devotion and of his Disciples that they sung a Psalme 15. That this afterward became a Precept Evangelicall that we should praise God in Hymnes Psalmes and spirituall Songs which is a form of Liturgy in which we sing with the spirit but yet cannot make our Hymnes ex tempore it would be wild stuffe if we should goe about it 16. And lastly that a set form of worship and addresse to God was recorded by Saint John Apoc. 15. and sung in heaven and it was composed out of the songs of Moses Exod. 15. of David Psal 145. and of Jeremy Chap. 10.6 7. which certainly is a very good precedent for us to imitate although but revealed to Saint John by way of vision and extasie All which and many more are to me as so many Arguments of the use excellency and necessity of set forms of Prayer for publick Liturgies and of greatest conveniencie even for private devotions Numb 39 17. And so the Church of God in all Ages did understand it I shall not multiply Authorities to this purpose for they are too many and various but shall only observe two great instances of their beliefe and practise in this particular 1. The one is the perpetuall use and great Eulogies of the Lords Prayer assisted by the many Commentaries of the Fathers upon it 2. The other is that solemn form of benediction and mysticall prayer as Saint Augustine calls it Lib. 3. de Trinit c. 4. which all Churches and themselves said it was by Ordinance Apostolicall used in the
Consecration of the blessed Sacrament But all of them used the Lords Prayer in the Canon and office of Consecration and other prayers taken from Scripture so Justin Martyr testifies that the Consecration is made per preces verbi Dei by the prayers taken from the Word of God and the whole Canon was short determined and mysterious Numb 40 Who desires to be further satisfied in this particular shall find enough in Walafridus Strabo Aymonius Cassander Flacius Illyricus Josephus Vicecomes and the other Ritualists and in the old offices themselves So that I need not put you in mind of that famous doxology of Gloria Patria c. nor the Trisagion nor any of those memorable hymnes used in the Ancient Church so knownly and frequently that the beginning of them came to bee their name and they were known more by their own words then the Authors inscription Numb 41 At last when some men that thought themselves better gifted would be venturing at conceived formes of their own there was a timely restraint made in the Councell of Milevis in Africa Placuit ut preces quae probatae fuerint in Concilio ab omnibus celebrentur nec aliae omnino dicantur in Ecclesia nisi quae à prudentioribus factae fuerint in Synodo That 's the restraint and prohibition publick prayers must be such as are publickly appointed and prescribed by our Superiours and no private forms of our conceiving must be used in the Church The reason followes Ne forte aliquid contra fidem vel per ignorantiam vel per minus studium sit compositum Lest through ignorance or want of deliberation any thing be spoken in our prayers against faith and good manners The reason is good and they are eare-witnesses of it that hear the variety of prayers before and after Sermons there where the Directory is practised where to speak most modestly not only their private opinions but also humane interests and their own personall concernments and wild fancies born perhaps not two dayes before are made the objects of the peoples hopes of their desires and their prayers and all in the meane time pretend to the holy Spirit Numb 42 I will not now instance in the vaine-glory that is appendant to these ex tempore formes of prayer where the gift of the man is more then the devotion of the man nor will I consider that then his gift is best when his prayer is longest and if he take a complacency in his gift as who is not apt to doe it he will be sure to extend his Prayer till a suspicious and scrupulous man would be apt to say his prayer pressed hard upon that which our blessed Saviour reprehended in the Pharisees who thought to bee heard for their much babling But these things are accidentall to the nature of the thing And therefore though they are too certainly consequent to the person yet I will not be too severe but preserve my selfe on the surer side of charitable construction which truly I desire to keep nor only to their persons whom I much reverence but also to their actions But yet I durst not doe the same thing even for these last reasons though I had no other Numb 43 But it is objected that in set forms of Prayer we restrain and confine the blessed Spirit and in conceived forms when every man is left to his liberty then the Spirit is free unlimited and unconstra ned Numb 44 I answer either their conceived formes I use their own words though indeed the expression is very inartificiall are premeditate and described or they are ex tempore If they be premeditate and described then the Spirit is as much limited in their conceived forms as in the Churches conceived forms For as to this particular it is all one who describes and limits the form whether the Church or a single man does it still the Spirit is in constraint and limit So that in this case they are not angry at set forms of Prayer but that they do not make them And if it be replyed that if a single person composes a set form he may alter it if he please and so his spirit is at liberty I answer so may the Church if she see cause for it and unlesse there be cause the single person will not alter it unlesse he do things unreasonable and without cause So that it will be an unequall and a peevish quarrell to allow of ser forms of prayer made by private persons and not of set forms made by the publick spirit of the Church It is evident that the Spirit is limited in both alike Numb 45 But if by Conceived forms in this objection they meane ex tempore prayers for so they most generally practice it and that in the use of these the liberty of the spirit is best preserved To this I answer that the being ex tempore or premeditate will be wholly impertinent to this Question of limiting the spirit For there may be great liberty in set forms even when there is much variety and there may be great restraint in ex tempore prayers even then when it shall be called unlawfull to use set forms That the spirit is restrained or that it is free in either is accidentall to them both for it may be either free or not free in both as it may happen Numb 46 But the restraint is this that every one is not left to his liberty to pray how he list with premeditation or without it makes not much matter but that he is prescribed unto by the spirit of another But if it be a fault thus to restraine the spirit I would faine know is not the spirit restrained when the whole Congregation shall be confined to the form of this one mans composing or it shall be unlawfull or at least a disgrace and disparagement to use any set forms especially of the Churches composition More plainly thus Numb 47 2. Doth not the Minister confine and restraine the spirit of the Lords People when they are tyed to his form It would sound of more liberty to their spirits that every one might make a prayer of his own and all pray together and not be forced or confined to the Ministers single dictate and private spirit It is true it would breed confusions and therefore they might pray silently till the Sermon began and not for the avoiding one inconvenience runne into a greater and to avoid the disorder of a popular noyse restraine the blessed Spirit for even in this case as well as in the other Where the spirit of God is there must be liberty Numb 48 3. If the spirit must be at liberty who shall assure us this liberty must be in forms of prayer And if so whether also it must be in publike prayer and will it not suffice that it be in private And if in publike prayers is not the liberty of the spirit sufficiently preserved in that the publike spirit is free That is the Church
in the green tree what will be done in the dry Numb 65 But if it be said the ex tempore and conceived prayers will be secured from errour by the Directory because that chalks them out the matter I answer it is not sufficient because if when men study both the matter and the words too they may be and it is pretended are actually erroneous much more may they when the matter is lest much more at liberty and the words under no restraint at all And no man can avoid the pressure and the weight of this unlesse the Compilers of the Directory were infallible and that all their followers were so too of the certainty of which I am not yet sully satisfied Numb 66 And after all this I would fain know what benefit and advantages shall the Church of England in her united capacity and every particular in the diffused capacity receive by this new device For the publike it is cleare that whether the Ministers pray before they study or study before they pray there must needs be infinite deformity in the publike worship and all the benefits which were before the consequents of conformity and unity will be loft and if they be not valuable I leave it to all them to consider who know the inconveniences of publike disunion and the publike disunion that is certainly consequent to them who doe not communicate in any common formes of worship And to think that the Directory will bring conformity is as if one should say that all who are under the same Hemisphere are joyned in communi patriá and will love like Countrymen for under the Directory there will be as different Religions and as different desires and as differing formes as there are severall varieties of men and manners under the one halfe of heaven who yet breath under the same halfe of the Globe But I ask again what benefit can the publike receive by this forme or this no form for I know not whether to call it Shall the matter of prayers be better in all Churches shall God be better served shall the word of God and the best patterns of prayers be alwayes exactly followed It is well if it be But there is security given us by the Directory for the matter is left at every mans dispose for all that and we must depend upon the honesty of every particular for it and if any man proves a Heretick or a Knave then he may introduce what impiety he please into the publick formes of Gods worship and there is no law made to prevent it and it must be cured afterwards if it can but before-hand it is not prevented at all by the Directory which trusts every man But I observe that all the benefit which is pretended is that it will make an able Ministery which I confesse I am very much from believing and so will every man be that considers what kind of men they are that have been most zealous for that way of conceived prayer I am sure that very few of the learnedst very many ignorants most those who have made least abode in the Schools of the Prophets And that I may disgrace no mans person we see Tradesmen of the most illiberall arts and women pretend to it and doe it with as many words and that 's the maine thing with as much confidence and speciousnesse and spirit as the best among them And it is but a small portion of learning that will serve a man to make conceived formes of prayer which they have easily upon the stock of other men or upon their own fancie or upon any thing in which no learning is required He that knowes nothing of the craft may be in the Preachers trade But what Is God better served I would faine see any Authority or any reason or any probability for that I am sure ignorant men offer him none of the best sacrifices ex tempore and learned men will be sure to deliberate and know God is then better served when he served by a publike then when by a private spirit I cannot imagine what accruements will hence come to the publike it may be some advantages may be to the private interests of men For there are a sort of men whom out blessed Saviour noted who do devoure widowes houses and for a pretenc◠make long prayers They make prayers and they make them long by this meanes they receive double advantages for they get reputation to their ability and to their piety And although the Common-prayer Book in the Preface to the Directory bee charged with unnecessary length yet we see that most of these men they that are most eminent or would be so make their prayers longer and will not lose the benefits which their credit gets and they by their credit for making their prayers Adde to this that there is no promise in Scripture that he who prayes ex tempore shall be heard the better or that he shall bee assisted at all to such purposes and therefore to innovate in so high a matter without a warrant to command us or a promise to warrant us is no better then vanity in the thing and presumption in the person He therefore that considers that this way of prayer is without all manner of precedent in the Primitive Church against the example of all famous Churches in all Christendome in the whole descent of 15. Ages without all command and warrant of Scripture that it is unreasonable in the nature of the thing against prudence and the best wisedome of humanity because it is without deliberation that it is innovation in a high degree without that Authority which is truly and by inherent and ancient right to command and prescribe to us in externall forms of worship that it is much to the disgrace of the first reformers of our Religion that it gives encouragement to the Papists to quarrell with some reason and more pretence against our Reformation as being by the Directory confessed to have been done in much blindnesse and therefore might erre in the excesse as well as in the defect in the throwing out too much as casting off too little which is the more likely because they wanted zeale to carry it farre enough He that confiders the universall deformity of publike worship and the no meanes of union no Symbol of publike communion being publikely consigned that all Heresies may with the same Authority bee brought into our prayers and offered to God in behalfe of the people with the same Authority that any truth may all the matter of our prayers being left to the choyce of all men of all perswasions and then observes that actually there are in many places heresie and blasphemy and impertinency and illiterate rudenesses put into the devotions of the most Solemne dayes and the most publike meetings and then lastly that there are divers parts of Lyturgy for which no provisions at all is made in the Directory and the very administration of the Sacraments left so loosely that if there be any thing essentiall in the forms of Sacraments the Sacrament may come ineffectuall by want of due words and due ministration I say he that considers all these things and many more he may consider will finde that particular men are not fit to be intrusted to offer in publike with their private spirit to God for the people in such solemnities in matters of so great concernment where the honour of God the benefit of the people the interest of Kingdomes the being of a Church the unity of minds the conformity of practice the truth of perswasions and the salvation of soules are so very much concerned as they are in the publike prayers of a whole Nationall Church An unlearned man is not to be trusted and a wise man dare not trust himselfe hee that is ignorant cannot he that is knowing will not The End
TWO DISCOVRSES 1. Of BAPTISME Its Institution and Efficacy upon all Believers 2. Of PRAYER Ex tempore OR By pretence of the SPIRIT By JER TAYLOR D.D. 1 COR. 14.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets For God is not the Authour of confusion but of peace as in all Churches of the Saints LONDON Printed by J. Flesher for R. Royston at the Angel in Ivy-Lane MDCLIII A Discourse concerning PRAYER Ex tempore c. I Have read over this Book which the Assembly of Divines is pleased to call The Directory for Prayer I confesse I came to it with much expectation and was in some measure confident I should have found it an exact and unblameable modell of Devotion free from all those objections which men of their own perswasion had obtruded against the publike Liturgy of the Church of England or at least it should have been composed with so much artifice and finenesse that it might have been to all the world an Argument of their learning and excellency of spirit if not of the goodnesse and integrity of their Religion and purposes I shall give no other character of the whole but that the publike disrelish which I finde amongst persons of great piety of all qualities not only of great but even of ordinary understandings is to me some argument that it lies so open to the objections even of common spirits that the Compilers of it did intend more to prevaile by the successe of their Armies then the strength of reason and the proper grounds of perswasion which yet most wise and good men believe to be the more Christian way of the two But Sir you have engaged me to say something in particular to satisfie your conscience In which also I desire I may reserve a leave to my self to conceal much if I may in little doe you satisfaction Numb 2 I shall therefore decline to speak of the Efficient canse of this Directory and not quarrell at it that is was composed against the Lawes both of England and all Christendome If the thing were good and pious I should learn to submit to the imposition and never quarrell at the incompetency of his authority that engaged me to doe pious and holy things And it may be when I am a little more used to it I shall not wonder at a Synod in which not one Bishop sits in the capacity of a Bishop though I am most certain this is the first example in England since it was first Christned But for present it seemes something hard to digest it because I know so well that all Assemblies of the Church have admitted Priests to consultation and dispute but never to authority and decision till the Pope enlarging the phylacteries of the Archimandrites and Abbots did sometimes by way of priviledge and dispensation give to some of them decisive voyces in publike Councels But this was one of the things in which he did innovate and invade against the publike resolutions of Christendome though he durst not doe it often and when he did it it was in very small and inconsiderate numbers Numb 3 I said I would not meddle with the Efficient and I cannot meddle with the Finall cause nor guesse at any other ends and purposes of theirs then at what they publiquely professe which is the abolition and destruction of the Book of Common-Prayer which great change because they are pleased to call Reformation I am content in charity to believe they think it so and that they have Zelum Dei but whether secundum scientiam according to knowledge or no must be judged by them who consider the matter and the forme Numb 4 But because the matter is of so great variety and minute consideration every part whereof would require as much scrutiny as I purpose to bestow upon the whole I have for the present chosen to consider only the form of it and because it pretends against the form of set Lyturgy and that ex tempore forms doe succeed in room of the established and determined services I shall give you my judgement of it without any sharpnesse or bitternesse of spirit for I am resolved not to be angry with any man of another perswasion as knowing that I differ just as much from them as they doe from me Numb 5 And first I consider that the true state of the Question is only this Whether it is better to pray to God with consideration or without whether is the wiser man of the two hee who thinks and deliberates what to say or he that utters his mind as fast as it comes Whether is the better man he who out of reverence to God is most carefull and curious that he offend not in his tongue and therefore he himselfe deliberates and takes the best guides he can or he who out of the considerce of his own abilities or other exteriour assistances speaks what ever comes uppermost Numb 6 And here I have the advice and councell of a very wise man no lesse than Solomon Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few The consideration of the vast distance between God and us Heaven and Earth should create such apprehensions in us that the very best and choycest of our offertoryes are not acceptable but by Gods gracious vouchsafeing and condescension and therefore since we are so much indebted to God for accepting our best it is not safe ventured to present him with a dowbaked sacrifice and put him off with that which in nature and humane consideration is absolutely the worst for such is all the crude and imperfect utterance of our more imperfect conceptions But let Solomons reason be what it will good we are sure it is Let us consider who keeps the precept best He that deliberates or he that considers not but when he speakes What man in the world is hasty to offer any thing before God if he bee not who prayes ex tempore And then adde to it but the weight of Solomons reason and let any man answer me if he thinks it can well stand with that reverence we owe to the Immense the infinite and to the eternall God the God of wisdome to offer him a sacrifice which we durst not present to a Prince or a prudent Governour in re seriâ such as our prayers ought to be Numb 7 And that this may not be dashed with a pretence it is carnall reasoning I desire it may be remembred that it is the argument God himselfe uses against lame maimed and imperfect sacrifices Goe and offer this to thy Prince see if he will accept it Implying that the best person is to have the best present and what the Prince will slight as truly unworthy of him much more is it unfit for God For God accepts not of any thing we give or doe
be differing senses put upon them to serve purposes And now let us have some Church-musick too though the Organs be pulled down and let any the best Psalmist of them all compose a hymne in metricall forme and sing it to a new tune with perfect and true musick and all this ex tempore For all this the holy Ghost can doe if he pleases But if it be said that the Corinthian Christians composed their songs and hymnes according to art and rules of musick by study and industry and that to this they were assisted by the Spirit and that this together with the devotion of their spirit was singing with the spirit then say I so composing set forms of Lyturgy by skill and prudence and humane industry may be as much praying with the spirit as the other is singing with the spirit Plainly enough In all the senses of praying with the spirit and in all its acceptations in Scripture to pray or sing with the spirit neither of them of necessity implyes ex tempore Numb 30 The summe or Collecta of the premises is this Praying with the spirit is either when the spirit stirres up our desires to pray Per motionem actualis auxilii or when the spirit teaches us what or how to pray telling us the matter and manner of our prayers Or lastly dictating the very words of our prayers There is no other way in the world to pray with the spirit or in the holy Ghost that is pertinent to this Question And of this last manner the Scripture determines nothing nor speaks any thing expressely of it and yet suppose it had we are certaine the holy Ghost hath supplyed us with all these and yet in set formes of prayer best of all I meane there where a difference can be For as for the desires and actuall motions or incitements to pray they are indifferent to one or the other to set-forms or to ex tempore 2. But as to the matter and manner of prayer it is clearly contained in the expresses and set forms of Scriptures and it is supplyed to us by the spirit for he is the great Dictaror of it Numb 31 Now then for the very words No man can assure me that the words of his ex tempore prayer are the words of the holy Spirit it is not reason nor modesty to expect such immediate assistances to so little purpose he having supplyed us with abilities more then enough to expresse our desires aliunde otherwise then by immediate dictate But if we will take Davids Psalter or the other hymnes of holy Scripture or any of the Prayers which are respersed over the Bible we are sure enough that they are the words of Gods Spirit mediately or immediately by way of infusion or extasie by vision or at least by ordinary assistance And now then what greater confidence can any man have for the excellency of his Prayer and the probability of their being accepted then when he prayes his Psalter or the Lords Prayer or another office which he finds consigned in Scripture When Gods Spirit stirs us upâ—o an actuall devotion and then we use the matter hee hath described and taught and the very words which Christ and Christs Spirit and the Apostles and other persons full of the holy Ghost did use if in the world there be any praying with the Spirit I mean in vocall prayer this is it And thus I have examined the intire and full scope of this Question and rifled their Objection Now I shall proceed to some few Arguments which are more extrinsecall to the nature of the thing Numb 32 It is a practice prevailing among those of our Brethren that are zealous for ex tempore prayers to pray their Sermons over to reduce their doctrine into Devotion and Lyturgy I mislike it not for the thing it selfe if it were done regularly for the manner and the matter were alwayes pious and true But who shall assure me when the preacher hath disputed or rather dogmatically decreed a point of predestination or of prescience of contingency or of liberty or any of the most mysterious parts of Divinity and then prayes his Sermon over that he then prayes with the Spirit Unlesse I be sure that he also preached with the Spirit I cannot be sure that he prayes with the spirit for all he prayes ex tempore Nay if I heare a Protestant preach in the morning and an Anabaptist in the afternoone to day a Presbyterian to morrow an Independent am I not most sure that when they have preached Contradictories and all of them pray their Sermons over that they doe not all pray with the spirit More than one in this case cannot pray with the spirit possibly all may pray against him Numb 33 2. From whence I thus argue in behalse of set forms of prayer That in the case above put how shall I or any man else say Amen to their prayers that preach and pray contradictories At least I am much hindred in my devotion For besides that it derives our opinions into our devotions makes every schoole point become our religion and makes God a party so farre as we can intitling him to our impertinent wranglings Besides this I say while we should attend to our addresses towards God we are to consider whether the point be true or no and by that time we have tacitly discoursed it we are upon another point which also perhaps is as Questionable as the former and by this time our spirit of devotion is a little discomposed and something out of countenance there is so much other imployment for the spirit the spirit of discerning and judging All which inconveniences are avoyded in set formes of Liturgy For we know before hand the conditions of our Communion and to what we are to say Amen to which if we like it we may repaire if not there is no harm done your devotion shall not be surprized nor your Communion invaded as it may be and often is in your ex tempore prayers And this thing hath another collaterall inconvenience which is of great consideration for upon what confidence can we sollicite any Recusants to come to our Church where we cannot promise them that the devotions there to be used shall be innocent nor can we put him into a condition to judge for himselfe If hee will venture he may but we can use no Argument to make him choose our Churches though he should quit his own Numb 34 3. But again let us consider with sobriety Are not those prayers and hymnes in holy Scripture excellent compositions admirable instruments of devotion full of piety rare and incomparable addresses to God Dare any man with his gift of prayer pretend that he can ex tempore or by study make better Who dares pretend that he hath a better spirit then David had or then the Apostles and Prophets and other holy persons in Scripture whose Prayers and Psalmes are by Gods Spirit consigned to the use of the
then praying because the addresse of our discourses and exhortations are to be made according to the understanding and capacity of the audience their prejudices are to be removed all advantages to be taken and they are to be surprized that way they lie most open But being crafty I caught you saith Saint Paul to the Corinthians and discourses and arguments ad hominem upon their particular principles and practices may more move them then the most polite and accurate that doe not comply and wind about their fancies and affections S. Paul from the absurd practice of being baptized for the dead made an excellent Argument to convince the Corinthians of the Resurrection But this reason also ceases in our prayers For God understandeth what we say sure enough he hath no prejudices to be removed no infirmities to be wrought upon and a fine figure of Rhetorick a pleasant cadence and a curious expression move not him at all no other twinings and complyances stirre him but charity and humility and zeale and importunity which all are things internall and spirituall And therefore of necessity there is to be great variety of discourses to the people and permissions accordingly but not so to God with whom a Deus miserere prevailes as soon as the great office of 40 houres not long since invented in the Church of Rome or any other prayers spun out to a length beyond the extension of the office of a Pharisee Numb 59 3. I feare it cannot stand with our reverence to God to permit to every spirit a liberty of publike addresse to him in behalfe of the people Indeed he that is not fit to pray is not alwayes fit to preach but it is more safe to be bold with the people then with God if the persons be not so fit In that there may be indiscretion but there may be impiety and irreligion in this The people may better excuse and pardon an indiscretion or a rudenesse if any such should happen then we may venture to offer it to God Numb 60 4. There is a latitude of Theology much whereof is left to us so without precise and clear determination that without breach either of faith or charity men may differ in opinion and if they may not be permitted to abound in their own sense they will be apt to complaine of tyrannie over consciences and that men Lord it over their faith In Prayer this thing is so different that it is imprudent and full of inconvenience to derive such things into our prayers which may with good profit be matter of Sermons Therefore here a liberty may well enough be granted when there it may better be denyed Numb 61 5. But indeed if I may freely declare my opinion I think it were not amisse if the liberty of making Sermons were something more restrained then it is and that either such persons only were intrusted with liberty for whom the Church her selfe may safely bee responsall that is to men learned and pious and that the other part the Vulgus Cleri should instruct the people out of the fountaines of the Church and upon the publick stock till by so long exercise and discipline in the Schooles of the Prophets they may also be intrusted to minister of their own unto the people This I am sure was the practice of the Primitive Church when Preaching was as ably and religiously performed as now it is But in this I prescribe nothing But truly I think the reverend Divines of the Assembly are many of my mind in this particular and that they observe a liberty indulged to some persons to preach which I think they had rather should hold their peace and yet think the Church better edified in your silence then their Sermons Numb 62 6. But yet me thinks the Argument objected if it were turned with the edge the other way would have more reason in it and instead of arguing Why should not the same be allowed in praying as in preaching it were better to substitute this If they can pray with the spirit why also doe they not preach with the spirit and if praying with the spirit be praying ex tempore why shall they not preach ex tempore too or else confesse that they preach without the spirit or that they have not the gift of Preaching For to say that the gift of prayer is a gift ex tempore but the gift of Preaching is with study and deliberation is to become vaine and impertinent Quis enim discrevit Who hath made them of a different consideration I mean as to this particular as to their efficient cause Nor reason nor revelation nor God nor man Numb 63 To summe up all If any man hath a mind to exercise his gift of Prayer let him set himself to work and compose Books of Devotion we have great need of them in the Church of England so apparent need that the Papists have made it an objection against us and this his gift of Prayer will bee to edification But otherwise I understand it is more fit for ostentation then any spirituall advantage For God hears us not the sooner for our ex tempore long or conceived prayers possibly they may become a hindrance as in the cases before instanced And I am sure if the people be intelligent and can discern they are hindred in their Devotion for they dare not say Amen till they have considered and many such cases will occurre in ex tempore prayers that need much considering before we attest them But if the people bee not intelligent they are apt to swallow all the inconveniencies which may multiply in so great a licence and therefore it were well that the Governours of the Church who are to answer for their soules should judge for them before they say Amen which judgement cannot bee without set-forms of Liturgy My sentence therefore is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us be as we are already Few changes are for the better Numb 64 For if it be pretended that in the Liturgy of the Church of England which was composed with much art and judgement by a Church that hath as much reason to be confident she hath the Spirit and gifts of Prayer as any single person hath and each learned man that was at its first composition can as much prove that he had the Spirit as the objectors now adayes and he that boasts most certainly hath the least If I say it be pretended there are many errours and inconveniences both in the order and the matter of the Common-Prayer Book made by such men with so much industry How much more and with how much greater reason may we all dread the inconveniencies and disorders of ex tempore prayers where there is neither conjunction of heads nor premeditation nor industry nor method nor art nor any of those things or at least not in the same degree which were likely to have exempted the Common-Prayer Book from errours and disorders If these things be