him are defective in that Grace why may not we say of our people as David doth of his let thy mercy O Lord be shew'd upon us like as we put our trust in thee Psalm 33.22 Secondly I Answer that as there is a fear and a faith which in some is only temporary and in others permanent Exod. 14.31 Exod. 15 14. a joy which in some is only for a season â—n others lasting Luke 8.13 16. a remembrance of God and turning to him and enquiring early after him by men whose hearts are not right with him nor are they stedfast to his Covenant Psal 78.34 35 37. as well as by those persons who perform these duties in sincerity so is their a trust in God which is a discriminating mark of Gods upright Servants and a trust proper to such persons as have only some desires wrought within them to forsake their evil ways and turn unto the Lord. Wherefore we say it is sufficient to justify the use of these Petitions that we in charity stand bound to judge that they who do present themselves to be partakers of these Ordinances or call upon us to perform them do indeed trust in God according to the exigency of their present state viz. that wicked persons trust God will be merciful to them upon their repentance and pious persons that God will still continue his favour and his goodness to them Object 2 Thirdly It is objected that those Prayers are appointed to be used by all § 5 which truly and in faith can be said only by some few in our Assemblies v. g. Dr. Chamberâ— in the Communion Service it is said of all that do participate we do earnestly repent and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings the remembrance of them is grievous to us the burthen of them is intolerable and after the receiving of the Holy Sacrament is this Prayer used we most heartily thank thee for that thou doest vouchsafe to feed VS who have duly received these holy mysteries with the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of thy son and doest assure us thereby of thy favour and goodness towards us and that we are very members incorporate into the mystical body of thy son which is the blessed company of all faithful people and are also Heirs through hope of thine everlasting Kingdom Now say Dissenters how few there be of Communicants who do earnestly repent and are heartily sorry for their misdoings to whom the remembrance of them is grievous the burthen is intolerable it is matter of lamentation to all men to consider who behold the little amendment that is in their lives after the participation of the Holy Sacrament nor can we apprehend how all Communicants can be warrantably directed to speak of themselves in Gods presence as persons who have duly received the Holy Mysteries at Gods Table and are thereby assured of Gods favour and goodness to them c. whereas it is a known Scripture truth that Men and Women may eat and drink at the Lords Table unworthily and that they who do so drink damnation to themselves and that there are no such unworthy Receivers in our Congregations no Charity should or doth perswade any considerate person betwixt God and his own Soul to believe as we ought to think charitably of others so also to speak truly of our selves and not vainly to boast our selves beyond our measure in the presence of the Lord. Moreover in the Prayer for Sexagesima Sunday all present are directed to say Lord God who seest that we put no trust in any thing that we do whereas say they what roots and fruits of self dependance are in multitudes of our people the Lord seeth and Ministers cannot but see great cause sadly to bewail rather than to profess before the Lord that it is otherwise with them In the Collect for the third Sunday after Trinity all are directed to say Grant that we to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray may by thy mighty aid be defended whereas an hearty desire to pray is a special disposition of the renewed Children of God Rom. 8.15 Act. 9.11 humbly to be prayed for rather than boldly professed by many in our Congregations Answ In reference to this Petition and that of duly receiving the Holy Mysteries the Objector seems to be mistaken in putting an unnecessary sense upon them For they are no profession that all present have this hearty desire no intimation that all Communicants have duly received but the first is only a Petition that as many as God hath given this hearty desire to he would vouchsafe his aid the other is only an intimation with thanksgiving that as many as duly receive may rest assured of Gods favour and goodness towards them c. Moreover there are Prayers in Scripture so like these two that the objections here produced against them seem as strongly to conclude against those Scripture Prayers Thus Nehemiah saith O Lord I beseech thee let thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name Neh. 1.11 which is as much as this to whom thou hast given a hearty desire to pray And Daniel prayeth thus concerning a people as prone to trust in their own righteousness as others are we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness but for thy great mercies Dan. 9.18 It therefore may not be denied but that in mixt Congregations men may be said to do what they do outwardly profess and inwardly stand bound to do and many of them truly in some good measure do Thus Solomon declares that it is better to go to the house of mourning than of feasting for this is the end of all men Eccles 7.2 and the living will lay it to heart and yet alas how few do so indeed And God doth by his own Example teach us to judge thus charitably for having sent his Son unto the Jews Matt. 21.37 he saith they will reverence my son whereas these Murtherers of the Lord of Life did very scurvily express their reverence unto him Answ 2 Secondly Such Arguments as these will not permit us to obey our Saviours Precept by saying the Lords Prayer in publick Congregations in which too many cannot say Our Father they being of their Father the Devil too many cannot truly say that they forgive them that trespass against them much less can they say it as St. Luke records it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we forgive every one that is indebted to us Luke 11.2 nor must we if these niceties prevail use in a mixt Assembly any expressions of our desires to repent or to amend or of our sorrow for our past offences there being many all too many in them who are not truly sorry for them nor do desire to reform them Answ 3 Besides what I have said to satisfy the former scruple which is here applicable also it may deserve to be observed farther 1. That the Hallel
used by the Church from the 3d. Century at least unto this present Age. And thence to shew that our Dissenters do by condemning these things in the Church of England in effect condemn the Church of Christ throughout all Ages and all Places Def. of the principles of love p. 55. for as Mr. Baxter well observes they who condemn our Church for reasons common to all the Ages of the Church must virtually condemn all the fore-going Ages of the Churches But because Laymen are ignorant of what was practised by Antiquity and have been taught that Anti-christ began to work in the Apostles days and therefore have but little Reverence for Arguments of this Nature I shall endeavour to convince them of the lawfulness of holding Communion with us in these Ordinances by the Example of our Blessed Lord and Saviour who in like cases did yield Obedience and Submit to the Prescriptions of the Rulers of the Jewish Church And 2ly I shall endeavour to return a full and a perspicuous Answer to all the Arguments they urge from Scripture or from Reason to prove that 't is unlawful to submit unto the things required by the Church of England in order to Communion with her Beginning first with those Arguments which do suppose the things required by the Church of England as the Conditions of Lay Communion to be sinful in themselves or things forbidden by the Word of God And 2ly Proceeding to the Consideration of those Arguments which do allow the things imposed to be lawful in themselves but yet suppose it is unlawful for them to submit unto them 1. Because the Imposition of them is a Violation of their Christian Liberty 2ly Because by their Submission to them as they imagine they shall be indirectly guilty of the sin of the Imposers 3ly Because they have been abused to Idolatry and Superstition and therefore are become unlawful to be used And 4ly Because by using of them they may scandalize the Weak which God having forbidden no Precept of the Magistrate can oblige them to do § 2 And 1. The Practice and Example of our Lord is such a President as our Dissentors cannot reasonably except against nor can they justify their own Refusal to be Followers of Christ or to submit unto such Constitutions made by the Rulers of the Church of Christ as our Dear Lord submitted to being appointed by the Rulers of the Jewish Church or to hold Communion with such a Church as he became a Member of Now 1. Our Blessed Saviour was a Member of the Jewish National Church and of the Synagogue at Nazareth the Confirmation of this Assertion I shall deliver in the Words of Doctor Leightfoot who speaks thus Harm part 3. p. 124. What did Christ all the while he liv'd at Nazareth a private Man Did he never go to the Synagogue upon Sabbath and Holy Days and Synagogue-days Whilst others went to the Congregation and to the publick Service did he stay at home did he not appear before the Lord at the appointed Seasons in the place which he had chosen We are assured he did so for his Parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover and when he was twelve years old they went up to Jerusalem after the Custom of the Feast and the Child went with them 2. Luke 41 42 43. That he went up unto the Feast of Tabernacles we are informed Joh. 7 10. And being circumcised he became a Debtor to do the whole Law Gal. 5 3. being made under the Law Gal. 4.4 he was obliged to the Performance of those things which were enjoyned by it Now the great Business of these Feasts was to offer Sacrifice to rejoyce in the Assembly of Gods People to put up Prayers and Praises for all the Blessings they did then commemorate at these times all Israel met together Lam. 2 22. they heard the Reading of the Law Deut. 31 9 10. and they sang Praises to God Isai 30 29. Ye shall have a Song as in the Night when a Holy Solemnity is kept If then our Saviour did observe these Feasts if he did celebrate the Passover then certainly he did communicate with the Jewish Church for these Appearances were Ordinances and Symbols also of Communion § 3 2ly That Christ himself neglected not the times of publick Prayer that he declared it not unlawful nor did prohibit his Disciples to attend upon them is evident from this that he still owned the Temple as his Fathers House Joh. 2 16. the House of Prayer that his Disciples after his Resurrection continued daily in the Temple and went up to it at the hours of Prayer Act. 3 1. And they esteemed it a very commendable Action of the Widow Anna to serve God there continually with Prayer and Fasting Luke 2.37 Whence we may certainly conclude that Christ himself did not refuse nor did advise his own Disciples to refuse Communion with the Jewish Church in common Prayer but did approve Communion with them in that publick Service Now since the Jews themselves observed no time for Prayer no number of Prayers seeing no dayly Forms of Prayer were appointed by the Law of Moses Therefore saith Dr. Leightfoot Harm part 3. p. 217. the Sanhedrin in several Generations made Canons and Constitutions to decide and determin upon all these particulars as their own Reason and Emergences did lead them and give occasion as in one Generation they prescribed such and such times for Morning and Evening Prayer in process of time they found these times allotted to be too strait therefore the Sanhedrin of another Generation did give Enlargement as they thought good and so concerning the number of Prayers to be said dayly one Sanhedrin appointed so many but time and experience found afterwards that these did not answer such and such occasions as it seems was not observed when they were first appointed therefore the Sanhedrin of another Generation thought good to add more and more still as occasions unobserved before did emerge and so the number of their dayly Prayers grew at last to be eighteen To all which Additions to the Law of Moses our Lord and his Disciples did submit attending the publick Service of the Temple and the Synagogues where they were used And § 4 3ly That he was particularly a Member of the Synagogue at Nazareth is proved from that Passage of St. Luke Luke 4 16. who tells us that he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his Custom was he went into their Synagogue on the Sabbath-day and stood up for to read for Illustration of which place observe that there were Seven Readers appointed in their Synagogues who Leightf Harm part 3 p. 125. when the Angel of the Church or Minister of the Congregation call'd them out did read Now that our Saviour was a Member of this Congregation may be argued thus ibid. p. 124. You find not in the whole Gospel tho Christ preached in
the Law Matt. 23.23 viz. Judgment and Mercy Mark 12.33 That to love God with all our hearts and our Neighbour as our selves is more than all Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices That to pray hear read the Word receive the Sacrament to fast are but the means which God hath in his Word ordained for the encrease of Justice Equity Mercy Love Peace Humility and Temperance and such like Christian Graces and therefore these must be the things in which God is concerned mostly that we should yield obedience That when the Scripture reckoneth the Graces of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 it tells us they are Love Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Righteousness and Temperance not prayer fasting hearing receiving of the Sacrament c. And lastly 't is observable that we are call'd to imitate our heavenly Father in acts of Love and Mercy our Lord and Saviour in Meekness and Humility Bowels of Mercy Compassion and Self-denyal but not in prayer and fasting and in such like duties Since therefore God is more concerned for matters of this Nature than for his outward worship his Word must be more perfect in prescribing of these duties than any circumstances of his worship if then it be unlawful for us to submit to any Ceremonies commanded by man which respect his worship because Gods Word must be a perfect Rule not only of all parts but of all modes of Worship it must be more unlawful to submit to any humane constitutions touching Equity and Justice Mercy and Compassion Love Charity and Peace because Gods Word must be supposed in these more weighty and substantial matters to be a Rule more perfect And therefore all the Laws and Statutes respecting matters of this Nature which cannot be collected from the Words of Scripture must by this doctrine be cashiered as vain Inventions and Christians must stand obliged to refuse obedience to them For instance I am commanded to worship God in publick but whether I must do it in a Church or in the Field in black or white or any other garb by stinted Words or by Expressions of my own immediate Invention in this or that or a 3d posture is not expressed in Holy Scripture If therefore in these cases I must not yield obedience to any power that will command me to worship God in white to pray in stinted Words to do it kneeling or the like because that Scripture which is a Rule of Worship hath not determined of these things must I not do the like in other cases of an higher Nature and because Scripture hath commanded that I should be charitable and give Alms but hath not said what portion I shall give nor when nor in what place or to what persons nor in what manner whether by my self or by the Overseers of the Poor am I not bound as much to shew my disobedience to those Laws which rate me to the Poor and which give power to Officers to strein on my refusal to pay that rate If I must not joyn with an Assembly that doth use a stinted Form of Words that riseth up at the rehearsal of the Creed or with a Pastor that doth officiate in white because these things are not commanded in the perfect Rule of Worship how dare I to commence a sute of Law to arrest a person for a debt or to indite him for a trespass without Scripture warrant these things being no where commanded in that perfect Rule of Equity and Justice The Scripture having said There is utterly a fault among you that you go to Law one with another 1 Cor. 6.7 Luk. 6.35 Matt. 5.40 lend hoping for nothing again if any man take away thy Cloak let him have thy Coat also but never said If any man officiate in white or by a Form of Words do not joyn with him is it not matter of just admiration that they who never scruple to act contrary unto the letter of the Scripture in the former cases should be so very scrupulous in things no where forbidden in the Word 3ly This dangerous opinion will force men to be troublesome in all the Churches of the World and to refuse communion even with those Assemblies they are joyned with nay had they lived in the Jewish Church or any other Age of Christendom they must have been continual Separatists For where I pray you could they have found a Precept for all the Jewish Practises and Observations which I have mentioned in the foregoing Arguments If they had lived in the next Age to the Apostles with Polycarp and Ignatius who did converse with the Apostles where would the Scripture have afforded any warrant for observation of the Feast of Easter which both the Churches of the East and West observed in the days of Polycarp L. 5. c. 24. as is recorded by Eusebius or any Precept for bowing to the East Resp ad quest 118. which Pseudo-Justin mentions as a thing practised in his days or for the Observation of the days on which their Glorious Martyrs died Apud Euseb l. 4. c. 15. which yet the Church of Smyrna mentions as a thing practised by the Christians not long after the death of the Apostles or for the Water mixed with the Sacramental Wine of which both Justin and St. Cyprian speak Apol. 2. Cypr. Ep. 63. Just M. ibid. or for the portions of the Sacramental Bread sent to the Sick and absent to signify they were partakers of the same Sacrifice and belonged to the same Altar or for their standing in their publick worship from Easter unto Whitsunday Resp ad quest â—15 Can. 19. and every Lords-day to testify their belief of our Lords Resurrection which yet by the Great Nicene Council was required to be observed by all Christian People and which they did accordingly observe Tertullian gives us a Catalogue of many observations which the Church used in his days and which she vindicated not from the Scriptures De Coron Milit. c. 3 4. but from the Patronage of Custom and Tradition I will begin saith he with Baptism where coming to the Water we testify before the President or Bishop that we renounce the Devil his Pomps and his Angels then are we thrice dipt answering something more than Christ commanded in his Gospel The Sacrament of the Eucharist which our Lord instituted after Supper we partake of in our Meetings before the day arise we think it wickedness to fast or to pray knâ—eling on the Lords day we kneel not from Easter to Whitsunday whensoever we go forth or come in or whatsoever we are conversant about we sign our Foreheads with the sign of the Cross and if you do require a Law of Scripture for these Observations you will find none Tradition will be alledged as the Author and custom the Confirmer of them For these are observations which we defend not from Scripture but from the title of Tradition and the Patronage of Custom This was the Practice of the first Ages of the Church
another thing Yea every man will be apt to think he findeth that there which his own corrupt mind brings thither It will bring confusion into Families as well as Churches whilst every Child and Servant will by this principle be tempted to reject the Instructions of his Master or Father who would teach him a Catechisin or form of Prayer for which the Scripture affords him no particular direction 6ly And hereby all possibility of Union among Christians must perish till this opinion perish for if we must unite only in that which Scripture doth particularly direct us to we must not unite at all If we must all in singing Psalms agree in no Metre or tune in the Church but one that Scripture hath prescribed us we must not sing at all If we must pray in publick only in Words prescribed by Scripture to be used in publick we must not pray at all in publick If we must receive the Sacrament only when it is consecrated in Words prescribed by Scripture we must not receive at all 7ly Hereby Christian love will be quenched when every man must account his Brother a Transgressor against the perfect Rule of Scripture that cannot shew a Text of Scripture for the hour the place of worship the bells the hour-glasses the pulpit the utensils which are used in the Service of God Hereby those pious Men Calvin Cartwright Sibs Perkins Hildersham who used a form of Prayer yea almost all the Christians in the World must be condemned 8ly This Doctrine will rack and perplex the Conscience of all Christians by forcing them to think that they are guilty of sin by every Tune Metre Word Gesture Time Place or any other Circumstance of worship which they use without a Scripture warrant On this account some dare not pray in their Families some dare not think what they shall pray some dare not teach their Children to pray some dare not hear a studyed Sermon or read a printed Book To conclude this Tenet will affright poor people from Scripture and Religion and make us our doctrine and worship ridiculous in the sight of all the World Lastly I add that they who do assert this Tenet do many things repugnant to it As v. g. They introduce Lay Elders unordained of whom there is no mention in the Scriptures or in the Church of the first Ages They sing in stinted Metre Hymns of their own devising for which no Precept or Example can be produced from the Book of God Besides where hath our Lord or his Apostles enjoyned a Direrectory for publick worship and that which they imposed what Authority could it pretend to but that of man They when they take an Oath do not refuse to lay their hands upon and kiss the Holy Scriptures Now all agree that Oaths are solemn Acts of Divine Worship for they are Invocations of God and thereby we acknowledge his Omniscience and that he knows the uprightness of our intentions and that his Justice will avenge it self on the false Swearer and that his Power is able to inflict upon him the severest Judgments and that he by his promise stands bound to help and to reward all those who do believe and act according to the Holy Scriptures Here therefore is an outward Ceremony of Humane Institution joyned with many acts of religious worship Again when they enjoyned the solemn League and Covenant they ordered that the whole Congregation should take it 1. uncovered 2 standing 3. with their right hand lift up and bare Now let any man of reason say if it be unlawful to submit to our three Ceremonies of kneeling crossing and wearing a white Garment in Gods Service why it is less unlawful to use three other Ceremonies in that more solemn act of worship viz. the taking of an Oath or if men may appoint these Ceremonies to be used in taking of an Oath what hinders but in other acts of worship they may do the like CHAP. IV. The CONTENTS Obj. 3. It is unlawful to add unto the parts of Gods worship but to add our Ceremonies to Gods worship is to add to the parts of Gods worship which they endeavour to prove by 12 Arguments To this Argument we answer 1. By shewing what outward worship in the general is viz. The Acknowledgment of some Excellency in the Person worshipped by actions proper to express our Sense or Apprehension of that Excellency Whence 't is concluded that our Ceremonies can be no parts of worship because not in themselves or by their imposition intended to express our Sense of any Divine Excellency The Arguments to the contrary are briefly but fully answered § 1. Obj. 4. To impose our Ceremonies without license from Christ is to invade his Kingly Office he being the sole Law-giver to his Church and derogate from his Prophetick Office which is the only Teacher of his Church and the Appointer of all means whereby we should be taught Answ 1. That it falsly is supposed that the Rulers of our Church have ordained any Ceremonies to teach Spiritual Duties by their Mystical Signification or to be Authentick means of Spiritual Teaching 2 That it can be no derogation from Christs Prophetick or his Kingly Office to stir up our minds by things apt to stir them up to the performance of their duty or to express and signify our duty by things apt to express and signify it 3ly That it is not true that Christ in Scripture hath set down all things by which we may be admonished of our duty 4. That this Argument concludes with equal strength against the imposition of all Ceremonies even time and place 5ly That the Injunction made by Rulers for Decency and Order if they do truly answer these ends are made by virtual Commission from Christ and therefore can be no Entrenchment on his Legislative Power Mr. Baxters Objection answered § 22. CHAP. IV. § 1 IT is not lawful to add unto the parts of Gods worship Obj. 3 but to add our Ceremonies to Gods worship is to add to the parts of Gods worship Repl. to Dr. Ham. p. 85. therefore it is not lawful to add our Ceremonies to Gods worship The Minor is proved by Mr. Jeans thus Because our Ceremonies are external worship and therefore parts of Gods worship That our Ceremonies are external worship he proves by these Arguments Arg. 1 1. Those external Ceremonies whose proper use is the honouring of God are external worship but our Ceremonies are such Ergo. Arg. 2 2. All external Ceremonies in their Nature formally elicited from Religion are external worship but our Ceremonies are such Ergo. Or thus All meer and immediate actions of Religion are parts of Divine worship but our Ceremonies are meer and immediate acts of Religion Another argues in the like manner thus Arg. 3 1. As the means that God hath appointed to teach obedience be acts of Divine Service so the means that man deviseth for that end and purpose must needs be worship also Arg. 4 2. Those signs
him against vain-glorious and Pharisaical addresses against prayers used in an unknown tongue or not put up in Faith or put up in wrath against the prayer of him who lifts not up pure hands or who continues in his sin but the whole Scripture affords us not one caution against Forms of prayer either in publick or in private and therefore we may rationally suppose that they are not displeasing to him or unacceptable at the throne of Grace Argum. 2 Moreover our blessed Lord hath both commanded and approved a Form of prayer and therefore it unquestionably must be lawful His command to use a Form is evident 1. From those positive words Luke 11.2 when you pray say Our Father c. and though St Matthew varies the words of the command informing us that our Lord said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pray so yet may that please be very well consistent with the other and may import that those words should be used in our prayers for in the form of the Aaronical Benediction the command runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on this wise shall ye bless Numb 6.23 whereas the blessing was pronounced in the very form of words prescribed there And when God put the words into the mouth of Balaam which he was to speak he saith unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the Prophets Numb 23.5 Thus saith the Lord thus shall you say unto the house of Israel always imports these words shall you say or the Lord saith 2. The request of Christs Disciples was that He would teach them to pray as John had taught his Disciples Vid. Leight in Matt. 6.9 Now it being ordinary for the Jewish Doctors to compose Forms of prayer for their Scholars it is not to be doubted but that St John did so and consequently that our Lord did so for his Disciples And Thirdly This is farther evident from the words of the Lords Prayer they being not directed to man but God for 't is not said pray to your Father in Heaven that his Name may be hallowed but Our Father hallowed be thy Name And as such did the Antient Church of Christ receive and use it Christ saith Tertullian De Orat. c. 1. Novam orandi formulam determinavit appointed a new form of prayer and this we Christians do begin with In the Apostolick constitutions it is required to be used thrice a day and Austin saith l. 7. c. 25. Ep. 59. ad Paul Qu. 5. that almost the whole Church concluded the Communion Service with it So that if our Dissenters be not men of greater abilities than the Apostles were at least before Christs Resurrection and than the greatest Worthies of the Church after the Resurrection they cannot look upon it as a thing below them to observe this Form of Prayer Again our Lord approved of a Form of prayer by his using the Hymn called the Hallel with his Disciples at the Passover Matt. 26.30 by his presence at the Forms used in the Jewish Service V. 44. and by his thrice repeating the same words even when He used the greatest fervency in prayer Now hence do naturally flow such Corollaries as evidently shew the falsehood of the reasonings of the Dissenters against the lawfulness of Forms as v. g. 1. Hence it follows that such Forms cannot be unlawful worship forbidden by the Second Commandment unless our Lord did both prescribe and by his practice did approve unlawful worship 2. Hence it must follow that the using of a Form can be no hindrance to our Devotion attention fervency in prayer unless our Lord can be supposed to have prescribed that which was thus prejudicial to his Service 3. Hence it will also follow that the using of a Form cannot be prejudicial to the duty of using our own Gifts for had our Lord intended it to be the duty of all Ministers of the Gospel to use their own abilities in publick prayer in opposition to a Form sure He himself would not have given them such a Form to be used in their publick addresses to God De Orat. Dom. p. 141. wherein saith Cyprian we say Our Father because publica nobis est communis oratio it is our Common Prayer 4. Hence it is evident that praying by a Form is well consistent with praying by the Spirit for otherwise our use of the Lords Prayer would be repugnant to prayer by the Spirit Moreover the Saints of the Old Testament and Christ himself and his Disciples prayed as I have shewed by Forms and yet dare any say they prayed not by the Spirit yea all the Churches of Christ from the third Century and the devoutest persons of all the following ages have ever used Forms in publick and dare we say that none of all these Churches or persons ever prayed in publick by the Spirit yea do not France Geneva Holland and almost all Reformed Churches pray by Forms and when the Minister conceives a Prayer is not that prayer a Form unto the people who are confined to pray according to the words he utters as much as by the words prescribed by the Common Prayer and yet dares any one affirm that all these pray without the Spirit of God Argum. 3 But Thirdly Forms of prayer have constantly been used even by the confession of those who plead against them throughout the universal Church of Christ from the Third Century that is above 1300 years and are retained and approved by almost all Reformed Churches and therefore to condemn them as unlawful forbidden by the Second Commandment or by plain precept in the New Testament as impediments to attention and fervency in prayer and to the exercise of the Gifts vouchsafed to the Ministers of Christ to fit them for the work and lastly as false and unacceptable worship is to cast all these reproaches on the whole Church of Christ for so long time at least and to charge all her eminent and pious Clergy as persons guilty through their whole lives of tendring to God a false forbidden worship and being always guilty in their publick service of him of all the crimes forementioned which Nam hoc quin ita faciendum sit disputare insolentissimae insaniae est Ep. 118. p. 558. D. as St Austin truly saith is such a charge as will pronounce the Authors of it guilty of the most insolent madness The confessions of Dissenters to this effect may be seen in Smectymnuus * Answ to the Remonstr p. 7. p. 11. Thes Salm. part 3. loc com 47. N. 49. and the grand debate and the Assertion of Capellus that the use of publick forms obtained in the Vniversal Church through the whole world for above 1300 years will be made good from these considerations 1. That even Pliny †Epist l. 10. ep 97. apud Euseb l. 7. c. 30. p. 281. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth inform us that the Christians in his time did sing an Hymn to Christ as God That Dionysius
the Paschal Hymn was part of their usual devotions 3. Whereas Dissenters say there is great difference betwixt a Psalm of praises 〈◊〉 ◠15. and our ordinary Prayers and that more liberty may be taken in Psalms and be an Ornament 1. This is said without proof no reason being given why I may not say four times Glory be to the Father as well as Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness 2. Some of the instances here given are of perfect Prayers as those from Psalm 119. and our Divines acknowledge that thanksgiving is a part of Prayer and 3. in the Prayer of Daniel we have the same thing four times repeated in three Verses O our God hear the prayer of thy servant ch 9.17 O my God encline thine ear and hear v. 18. O Lord hear v. 19. whence this Conclusion will arise that the Repetitions used in our Churches Liturgy cannot be charged as vain Repetitions without reflecting upon the practice of our Lord and of the Royal Psalmist Wherefore the thing reproved by our Lord under the name of vain repetition and much speaking is not all length of Prayer or repetition of the same words from such a fervency of spirit as quickens and inflames devotion but it is a lengthening out the time with tautologies out of a vain Opinion that we shall be heard for our much speaking our frequent using the same words and crying out from Morning unto Noon O Baal hear us 1 Kings 18.26 or for the multiplicity of words the time and labour which we spend in Prayer though it be only the labour of the lip The scruples which concern our Liturgy in general being thus dispatch'd I proceed to the consideration of the Objections made against the several Portions of it and of those more especially which do concern the daily or the weekly service of our Church against which it is thus objected viz. Object 1 That whereas Christians are obliged to pray in Faith § 4 and utter words of truth in their addresses to God there be many passages in our Liturgy which cannot be put up to him in faith and truth as v. g. In the Te Deum it is said O Lord in thee have I trusted in the close of the Litany Dr. Chambers Let thy mercy O Lord be shew'd upon us like as we put our trust in thee In the form of the solemnization of Matrimony of Visitation of the sick of Churching of Women and in the Commination is appointed to be said O Lord save thy servant who putteth his trust in thee Now say Dissenters putting trust in the Lord is one discriminating Character of Gods truly holy people Psal 34.8 Psal 121.1 Nah. 1.7 in which number no man of understanding can conceive that all Married Persons all Women delivered from Childbirth all sick persons yea all that join in our Congregational Worship are to be rank'd who yet are plainly and with personal particularity of times avouched to be persons trusting in the Lord no Charity say they will justify these professions made with respect to particular persons many of which persist in such ignorance and wickedness as testifyeth to their faces that they neither truly know nor trust in the Lord their God Answer It is confessed even by those Dissenters who do thus object that in publick Prayers made in a mixt Congregation Dr. Chambers it sufficeth that the words though uttered in general forms be suted to the state of some particulars in such Congregations and indeed otherwise there could be no publick professions of our sence of our sin and misery our shame and sorrow for them our repentance for our past sins no professions of our good desires no promises of amendment or of a thankful remembrance of Gods mercies if he be pleased to vouchsafe them to us no publick thanks return'd for spiritual mercies for regenerating and sanctifying Grace and no expressions of our hope our faith our trust in God Whereas we find expressions of this nature frequent in the Holy Scriptures As for instance 1. By way of Confession and acknowledgment our transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them Esa 59.12 We acknowledge O Lord our wickedness and the iniquity of our Fathers Jer. 14.20 2. By way of promise of amendment and that they will return no more to folly Return we beseech thee O Lord God of Hosts look down from heaven behold and visit this Vine Ps 80.14 So will not we go back from thee quicken us and we will call upon thy Name v. 18. thus doth the Prophet Hoseah counsel all Israel to say take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render thee the calves of our lips Hos 14.2 We will not say any more to the works of our hands you are our Gods v. 3. Help us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name Ps 79.9 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever we will shew forth thy praise to all Generations Vers 13. 3. By way of profession of their waiting upon him for mercy Psal 123.2 Behold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden to the hand of her Mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercy upon us where note that this is one of those Psalms of degrees which were sung before the people upon some Ascent or Desk Vid. Hamm. in Psal 120. and it is a profession that they all thus diligently waited upon God therefore will we wait upon thee for thou hast done all these things saith Jeremiah in the name of all Israel Jer. 14.22 by profession of their stedfastness in Gods service notwithstanding all the Calamities they suffered thus the Psalmist having complained that God had cast them off caused their Enemies to triumph over them given them to be eaten up that he had given them up for a reproach and spoil unto the Heathens and scattered them among them c. Psal 44.9.16 He saith all this is come upon us yet have not we forgotten thee nor have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant our heart is not turned back neither are our steps declined out of thy way v. 17 18. if then according to these instances the Jews in general might make profession of their diligent waiting upon God of their stedfastness in his service under all Calamities and of the undeclining streightness of their steps if they might generally promise that they would not go back from God that they would call upon his name to the performance of which duty a promise of salvation is annexed Rom. 10.13 Act. 2.21 that they will render him the calves of their lips and will shew forth his praise though these things actually were done these promises performed only by some why may not we profess in general our trust in God though some who do present themselves before