Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	evening_n	lesson_n	psalm_n	3,017	5	10.0280	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70321	A view of the nevv directorie and a vindication of the ancient liturgie of the Church of England in answer to the reasons pretended in the ordinance and preface, for the abolishing the one, and establishing the other.	Hammond, Henry, 1605-1660.; Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649.; England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I). Proclamation commanding the use of the Booke of common prayer.	1646 (1646)	Wing H614B; ESTC R2266	98,033	122

else As for the great patterne of the Presbyterians the practise of Geneva or Scotland that appears by Knox's Common Prayer-Book to have allowed a set Forme of Confession of Faith and designed it for the publick use as the first thing in that Book of Prayers though the truth is the Apostles or other ancient Creeds being set aside one of the Geneva forming is fain to supply the place of them which yet by the setting the severall parts of the Apostles Creed in the margent both there and in the order of Baptisme appeares rather to be an interpretation of it and so still the Separatists must be the onely men in the Church fit to be considered or else apparently there is no such Politicall necessity of this neither Sect 34 For the fifth thing the so frequent repetition of the Lords Prayer and Prayers for the King in our Service this account may be briefly given of it For the former that in our Common Prayer-Book there be severall Services for severall occasions of the Sacraments c. for severall dayes as the Letany for severall times in the day not only Morning and Euening but one part to be said earlier in the morning and then toward noone a returne to another part as the antient Primitives had three Services in a forenoone 1. That for the Catechumeni consisting of Prayers Psalmes and Readings then a 2. For the Penitents such as our Letany and a 3. For the Fideles the Faithfull our Communion Service and even that which is assigned to one time so discontinued by Psalmes and Hymnes and Lessons that it becomes in a manner two Services clearly two times of Prayer Now our Saviour commanding when you pray say our Father we have accordingly so assigned it to be once repeated in every such part of Service and I remember to have heard one of the gravest and most reverend men of the Assembly being asked his opinion about the use of the Lords Prayer to have answer'd to this purpose God forbid that I should ever be upon my knees in Prayer and rise up without adding Christs forme to my imperfect petitions And whereas this Directory is so bountifull as to recommend this Prayer to be used in the Prayers of the Church and yet so wary as but to recommend it it is thereby confest that it is lawfull to retain a set Forme for that is surely so and then the often using of a lawfull thing will not make it unlawfull but withall that Christs command in points of his Service shall no more oblige to obedience then the commands of men for if it did this would be more then recommended And now why that which may say they commendably must say we necessarily in obedience to Christ be used in the Prayers of the Church and being repeated oftner then once shall be usefull to him who was not come at the first saying or may be said more attentively by him who had before been too negligent should be necessary to be used but once when all mens zeale or understanding of so divine a Forme or perhaps presence at that part of the Service shall not necessarily go along with it I leave to more subtile Divines to instruct us This I am sure of that God hath made a peculiar promise to importunity in Prayer to a coming often to him on the same errand and Luk. 18. 5. by a phrase in the Parable seems to say that he that comes oft to God in this manner will at length force him to shame if he do not grant his Petition for that is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And from thence the Fathers use a bold phrase in their Liturgies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I put thee to shame i. e. importune thee Basil in Liturg. and in the Psaltery of the Greek Church which hath many Prayers mixt with it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlesse thy owne goodnesse put thee to shame c. Now that this will not be subject to the censure of vain repetitions Mat. 6. 7. which is the onely exception made against it if the example of David Psal 136. be not sufficient to authorize the repeating any Forme often which is as faultlesse as that was might largely be evidenced 1. By the nature of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used which both Hesychius and Suidas apply to an other matter and explain it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long idle unseasonable formes such as Battus used in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his long-winded Hymnes so full of Tautologies which Munster therefore rendreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not multiply words unprofitably or unseasonably 2. By the customes of the Heathens which Christ there referres to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 use not c. as the Heathens and which are evident in their writers especially their Tragedians where 't is plain that their manner was to sound or chant for many houres together some few empty words to the honour of their Gods such the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their Bacchannals from the noise of which they were call'd Evantes such in Sophocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and especially in the Virgins Chorus of AEschylus's Tragedy called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where there are near an hundred Verses made up of meer Tautologies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and an enumeration of the severall names of the Gods with unsignificant noyses added to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and within two verses the same again and much more of the same stile Two notable examples of this Heathenish custome the Scripture affords us one 1 King 18. 26. where the Prophets of Baal from morning till noon cry O Baal hear us and it followes they cryed with a loud voyce and cut themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their custome or rites that loud crying the same words so long together was as much a Heathenish rite as the cutting of themselves The other of the Ephesians Act. 19. 34. who are affirm'd to have cryed with one voice for two houres space 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great is Diana of the Ephesians and 3. by the designed end that Christ observes of that Heathen custome 1. That they may be heard by that long noyse for which Elius scoffes them 1 King 18 27. Cry aloud perhaps your God is a talking or a pursuing c. 2. That their Petitions may be more intelligible to their Gods to which Christ opposes your Heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of and so needs not your Tautologies to explain them to him Much more might be said for the explaining of that mistaken place but that it would seem unnecessary to this matter the exception being so causelesse that the Vindication would passe for an extravagance Sect 35 Of the Prayers for the King the account will not bee much unlike St. Paul commands that prayers and supplications and intercessions and thanksgivings be made

interest and therefore I have thus farre as an Argument ad homines insisted on it Sect 16 3. The not onely practise but precept of Christ in the New Testament who did not only use himselfe a set forme of words in prayer three times together using the same words Mat. 26. 44. and upon the crosse in the same manner praying in the Psalmists words only changed into the Syriack dialect which was then the vulgar but also commanded the use of those very words of his perfect forme which it seems he meant not only as a pattern but a forme it selfe as the Standard weight is not only the measure of all weights but may it selfe be used Luk. 11. 2. when you pray say Our Father c. which precept no man can with a good conscience ever obey that holds all set formes necessary to be cast out of the Church Sect 17 4. The practise not only of John the Baptist who taught his Disciples to pray Luk. 11. 1. which occasioned Christs Disciples to demand and him to give them a forme of Prayer but especially of the Apostles of which we find intimations 1. Cor. 14. 26. when you come together every one of you hath a Psalme which sure referres to some of the Psalmes of David or Asaph used then ordinarily in their devotions and that as even now I said authorized by the example of Christ himselfe upon the Crosse who it is thought repeated the whole 22. Psalme it is certaine the first verse of it My God My God why hast thou forsaken me and so certainly a set forme and that of Prayer too of which thanksgivings and Prayses are a part But because every one had his severall Psalme it is therefore reprehended by the Apostle as tending to confusion and by that consequence Saint Pauls judgment is thence deducible for the joyning of all in the same form as being the only course tending to edification in the end of that verse and then sure 't would be hard that that which the Apostle conceived the only course for edifying should now be necessary to be turn'd out of the Church as contrary to edification Farther yet 't is clear by text that the Apostles when they met together to holy duties such are Fasting Prayer receiving the Sacrament continued very long time sometimes a whole day together This being too much to be alwaies continued in the Church and unsuteable to every mans businesse is said to have been the occasion that S. James first made choice of some speciall Prayers most frequently by them used which was after called his Liturgy which or some other in the disguise of that the Greek Church still use on solemne daies This also being of the longest for every daies use St. Basil is said to have shortned and that again St. Chrysostome how certain these reports are I shall not take upon me to affirme but only adde that the Greek Church who are most likely to know the truth of it by their records do retain all these three Liturgies and would loudly laugh at any man that should make doubt whether St. James S. Basil and S. Chrysostome were not the Authors of them 2. That the judgement of that Church if they are deceived also and may not be thought worthy to be heeded by our Assemblers is yet an argument of great authority to any prudent man if not that these Liturgies were purely the same with those that were written by that Apostle and those holy men yet that there were such things as Liturgies of their penning The like might be added of that short forme of St. Peters which alone they say was used in the Roman Church for a great while till after by some Popes it was augmented and the same of St. Marks Liturgy I am sure S. Augustine speaking of some formes retained in the Church and still to be found in our Liturgy particularly that of Sursum corda Lift up your hearts c. saith that they are verba ab ipsis Apostolorum temporibus petita words fetcht from the times of the Apostles which supposes that they did use such Formes And for that particular mention'd by S. Augustine it is agreeable to the Constitutions of the Apostles l. 8. c. 16. which collection if it be not so antient as it pretends doth yet imitate Apostolicall antiquity and so in S. James's and Basils and Chrysostomes Liturgy in the same words with our Booke as farre as to the word bounden and for many other such particular Formes used by us we find them in Cyril of Hierusalems Catechisme one of the antientest Authors we have and then that it should be necessary for the Church to turne out what the Apostles had thus brought into it will not easily be made good by our Assemblers Sect 18 5. The practice of the universall Church from that time to this which is so notorious to any that is conversant in the writings of the Antient Fathers and of which so many testimonies are gathered together for many mens satisfaction by Cassander and other writers of the Liturgica that 't were a reproach to the Reader to detain or importune him with testimonies of that nature To omit the practice of Constantine who prescribed a forme for his Souldiers a Copy of which we have in Euseb de vit Const l. 4. c. 20. I shall only mention two grand testimonies for set Formes one in the 23. Canon of the third Councell of Carthage Quascunque sibi preces aliquis describet non iis utatur nisi prius eas cum instructioribus fratribus contulerit No man may use any Prayers which he hath made unlesse he first consult with other learneder Christians about them and the other more punctuall Concil Milev c. 12. Placuit ut preces quae probatae fuerint in Concilio ab omnibus celebrentur Nec aliae omninò dicantur in Ecclesia nisi quae à prudentioribus tractantur vel comprobatae in Synodo fuerint ne fortè aliquid contra fidem aut per ignorantiam aut per minus studium sit compositum It was resolv'd on that the Prayers that were approv'd in the Councell should be used by all and that no other should be said in the Church but those that had been weighed by the more prudent or approv'd in a Synod lest any thing either through ignorance or negligence should be done against the Faith Instead of such Citations and because whatsoever argument is brought from that Topick of Ecclesiasticall tradition is now presently defamed with the title of Popish and Antichristian because forsooth Antichrist was a working early in the Apostles time and every thing that we have not a mind to in antiquity must needs be one of those works I shall rather chuse to mention another as a more convincing argument ad homines and that is Sect 9 6. The judgement and practice of the Reformed in other Kingdomes even Calvin himselfe in severall ample testimonies one in his Notes upon Psal 20. 1.

forbids not kneeling but only commands it not leaving it free to use or not to use I answer 1. That the effect of this liberty is very remarkeable among them and equall to that of a prohibition no man almost of their perswasion ever kneeling in their Churches 2. That the never so much as recommending it is very near a forbidding of it 3. That bowing or adoration is directly forbidden once which by the way is as much the defining of a Ceremony viz. that of standing or going upright and so as contrary to the Independents perswasions and to the great clamorous complaint for Liberty in Ceremonies as any prescription of kneeling or bowing can be 4. That kneeling also is at the receiving of the Sacrament forbidden by necessity of consequence sitting being prescribed and therefore that that reply or excuse is false also And so now what speciall advantage this is like to bring in to this Church of ours to have the Bodies of negligent or prophane or Factions men left without any so much as an admonition to their own inclinations and so what depth of Ecclesiasticall policy there was which made this change so necessary I desire may now be judged Sect 24 Thirdly For uniformity in that Service which our Liturgy labours to set up by prescribing the manner of it but the Directory hath taken away by leaving all to the chance of mens wils which can no more be thought likely to concurre in one forme then Democritus's Atomes to have met together into a world of beautifull Creatures without any hand of providence to dispose them it hath certainly the approbation of all wise men and command of S. Paul 1. Cor. 14. 40. in that grand place Let all things be done decently and in order Of which I conceive the clear importance to be that all be done in the Church according to custome and appointment The former implyed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 custome being the only rule of decency and therfore the indecency of wearing long haire is proved by being against nature i. e. saith Suidas in the Scripture phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a custome of some continuance in that place and thereupon S. Paul thinks it enough against au Ecclesiasticall usage and that which might supersede all strife about it 1. Cor. 11. 16. we have no such customes c. and the latter in plain words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to order or appointment for so the words literally import and then upon these two grounds is uniformity built and necessarily results where all that is done in the Church is ruled by one of these by custome or by Law which being here commanded by Saint Paul is a proofe of the more then lawfulnesse of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prescription of Ceremonies in a Church and of uniformity therein And then what necessity there is or can be that St. Pauls command shall be so neglected all care of uniformity so disclaimed all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constitution or ordinance for any Ecclesiasticall matter unlesse their ordinance against all such constitutions so solemnly disavowed it will be hard to imagine or guesse unlesse it be on purpose to observe M. Prynnes rule of Conforming the Church to the State to fill one as full of disorder and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and confusion as the other I remember a saying of Socrates which Plato and Cicero record from him Mutatâ Musicâ mutantur mores that the change of a kind of Musicke had a great influence on mens minds and had a generall change of manners consequent to it I conceive uniformity in Gods service to be parallell to Musick being it selfe an outward concord or harmony of the most different affections and that that should be not only changed but lost I cannot understand any necessity unlesse it be that some such like effects may be wrought in Religion also Sect 25 For the Fourth the Peoples bearing some part in the Service whether by way of response in the Prayers and hymnes or by reading every other verse in the Psalme mentioned in Theodorets story l. 2. c. 24. where speaking of Flavianus and Diodorus he saith of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. they divided the Quire of Singers into two parts and appointed them to sing the Psalme successively which custome began by them who saith he were admirable men and labour'd extreamly to stirre up all men to Piety and to that end invented this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prevail'd over the whole world or by way of mutuall charity returning a Prayer for the Priest who began one peculiarly for them which Innocentius referres to in his Letter to Aurelius and Augustine calling them communes alternas preces to which he there attributes more force quàm privatis then to private or by way of following the Presbyter in Confession of sinnes both at the beginning of the Service and before the Communion or in Profession of Faith in the Creeds wherein every the meanest Christian is to have his part it is certainly designed by the Church from the example of pure antiquity to very gainfull uses to quicken devotion which the length of continued hearing may have leave to dull and slacken and to recall those thoughts which may upon the like temptation have diverted to other objects in a word to engage every one to be made no idle or unprofitable Spectator of the Service and as long as there is still need of that helpe to these so necessary ends and not the least shew or pretence of objection against it how necessary it can be to reject it wholly and lay all the taske upon the Priest and not require so much as an Amen which it seems was in fashion in S. Pauls time of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Lay Person I leave to the most prejudicate Reader to give sentence for me Sect 26 As for the Letany wherein the People are more exercised then in any other part of the Service 't is certainly designed to make it more proportionable to the title bestowed on it by the Antients of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earnest or intense Prayer and in Methodius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earnest Petitions and in the Greek Liturgies simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intense or earnest from Act. 12. 5. Luk. 22. 44. This continuall joyning of the people in every passage of it tending very much both to the improving and evidencing that fervor and intension which can never be more necessary then throughout that Service of which I shall in passing say these three things and justify them against any gain-sayer that there is not extant any where 1. a more particular excellent enumeration of all the Christians either private or common wants as farre as is likely to come to the cognisance of a Congregation nor 2. a more innocent blamelesse Forme against which there lyes no just objection and most of the unjust ones that have been made are reproachfull to Scripture it selfe from