wisdome of those men who in all reason are to be supposed to have received from God all those assistances which are effects of the spirit of Government and therefore it is but weaknesse of spirit or strength of passion impotency in some sense or other certainly that first dislikes the publique provisions and then say they are not wholsome For I demand concerning the publike Lyturgies of a sect. 64 Church whose constitution is principally of the parts and choisest extracts of Scripture Lessons and Psalmes and some few Hymnes and Symbols made by the most excellent persons in the Primitive Church and all this in nothing disagreeing from the rules of Lyturgie given in Scripture but that the same things are desired and the same persons prayed for and to the same end and by the same great instrument of addresse acceptation by Jesus Christ and which gives all the glory that is due to God and gives nothing of this to a Creature and hath in it many admirable documents whether there be any thing wanting in such a Lyturgie towards edification What is there in prayers that can edifie that is not in such in a Lyturgie so constituted Or what can there be more in the private formes of any Minister then is in such a publick composition By this time I suppose the Objection with all its sect. 65 parts is disbanded so farre as it relates to edification profit and compliance with the auditors As for the matter of liberty and restraint of the Spirit I shall consider that apart In the mean time I shall set down those grounds of Religion and Reason upon which publick Lyturgie relies and by the strength of which it is to be justified against all opposition and pretences 1. The Church hath a power given to her by the Spirit sect. 66 of God a command to describe publick forms of Lyturgie For I consider that the Church is a Family Jesus Christ is the Master of the Family the holy Spirit is the great Dispensatour of all such graces the Family needs and are in order to the performance of their Duty the Apostles and their Sucoessors the Rulers of the Church are Stewards of the manifold Graces of God whose office is to provide every mans portion and to dispence the graces and issues Evangelicall by way of Ministery Who is that faithfull and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make ruler of his Houshold It was our blessed Saviours Question and Saint Paul answered it Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God Now the greatest Ministery of the Gospell is by way of prayer most of the graces of the Spirit being obtained by prayer and such offices which operate by way of impetration and benediction and consecration which are but the severall instances of prayer Prayer certainly is the most effectuall and mysterious ministery and therefore since the Holy Ghost hath made the Rulers of the Church Stewards of the mysteries they are by virtue of their Stewardship Presidents of Prayer and publike Offices 2. Which also is certaine because the Priest is to stand sect. 67 between God and the People and to represent all their needs to the throne of grace He is a Prophet and shall pray for thee said God concerning Abraham to Abimelech And therefore the Apostles appointed inferiour Officers in the Church that they might not be hindred in their great worke but we will give our selves to the word of God and to prayer And therefore in our greatest need in our sicknesse and last scene of our lives we are directed to send for the Elders of the Church that they may pray over us and God hath promised to heare them and if prayer be of any concernment towards the finall condition of our souls certainly it is to be ordered guided and disposed by them who watch for our soules {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as they that must give account to God for them 3. Now if the Rulers of the Church are Presidents of sect. 68 the rites of Religion and by consequence of Prayer either they are to order publike prayers or private For private I suppose most men will be so desirous of their liberty as to preserve that in private where they have no concernments but their owne for matter of order or scandall But for publike if there be any such thing as Government and that prayers may be spoiled by disorder or made ineffectuall by confusion or by any accident may become occasion of a scandall it is certaine that they must be ordered as all other things are in which the publike is certainly concerned that is by the Rulers of the Church who are answerable if there be any miscarriage in the publike Thus farre I suppose there will not be much Question with those who allow set formes but would have themselves be the Composers They would have the Ministers pray for the people but the Ministers shall not be prescribed to the Rulers of the Church shal be the Presidents of religious rites but then they will be the Rulers therefore we must proceed farther and because I will not now enter into the Question who are left by Christ to govern his Church I will proceed upon such grounds which I hope may be sufficient to determine this Question and yet decline the other Therefore 4. Since the Spirit of God is the spirit of supplication sect. 69 they to whom the greatest portion of the Spirit is promised are most competent persons to pray for the people and to prescribe formes of prayer But the promise of the Spirit is made to the Church in generall to her in her united capacity to the whole Church first then to particular Churches then in the lowest seat of the Category to single persons And we have title to the promises by being members of the Church and in the Communion of Saints which beside the stylus curiae the form of all the great promises being in generall and comprehensive termes appears in this that when any single person is out of this Communion he hath also no title to the promises which yet he might if he had any upon his own stock not derivative from the Church Now then I infer if any single persons will have us to believe without possibility of proof 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 errors 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 neither of them have the Spirit or they make not the true use of it But the publike Spirit in all
helped by industry and Gods blessing upon it and the revelations or the supplies of matter in holy Scripture will be very farre to seek having neither reason promise nor experience of his side For why should the spirit of prayer be any other than as the gift and spirit of faith as Saint Paul calls it acquired by humane meanes using divine aides that is by our endeavours in hearing reading catechizing desires to obey and all this blessed and promoted by God this produces faith Nay it is true of us what Christ told his Apostles sine me nihil potestis facere not nihil magnum aut difficile but omninò nihil as Saint Austin observes Without me ye can doe nothing and yet we were not capable of a Law or of reward or punishment if neither with him nor without him we were able to doe any thing And therefore although in the midst of all our co-operation we may say to God in the words of the Prophet Domine omnia opera operatus es in nobis O Lord thou hast wrought all our works in us yet they are opera nostra still God works and we work First is the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Gods grace is brought to us he helps and gives us abilities and then expects our duty And if the spirit of prayer be of greater consequence then all the works God hath wrought in us besides and hath the promise of a speciall prerogative let the first be proved and the second be showne in any good Record and then I will confesse the difference The Parallel of this Argument I the rather urge because sect. 20 I find praying in the Holy Ghost joyned with graces which are as much Gods gifts and productions of the spirit as any thing in the world and yet which the Apostle presses upon us as duties and things put into our power to be improved by our industry and those are faith in which I before instanced and charity But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God All of the same consideration Faith and Prayer and Charity all gifts of the Spirit and yet build up your selves in faith and keep your selves in love and therefore by a parity of reason improve your selves in the spirit of Prayer that is God by his Spirit having supplied us with matter let our industry and co-operations per modum naturae improve these gifts and build upon this foundation Thus the Spirit of God is called the Spirit of adoption sect. 21 the Spirit of counsell the Spirit of grace the Spirit of meeknesse the Spirit of wisdome And without doubt he is the fountaine of all these to us all and that for ever and yet it cannot reasonably be supposed but that we must stir up the graces of God in us co-operate with his assistances study in order to counsell labour and consider in order to wisdome give all diligence to make our calling and election sure in order to our adoption in which we are sealed by the Spirit Now these instances are of gifts as well as graces and since the daies of wonder and need of miracles is expired there is no more reason to expect inspiration of gifts then of graces without our endeavours It concerns the Church rather to have these secured than those and yet the Spirit of God puts it upon the condition of our co-operation for according to the Proverb of the old Moralists Deus habet sinum facilem non perforatum God's bosome is apt and easie to the emission of graces and affistances but it is not loose and ungirt something must be done on our part we must improve the talents and swell the bank for if either we lay them up in a napkin or spend them suppresse the Spirit or extinguish it we shall dearly account for it In the meane time if we may lose the gifts by our sect. 22 owne fault we may purchase them by our diligence if we may lessen them by incuriousnesse we may increase them by study if we may quench the spirit then also we may reenkindle it all which are evident probation that the Holy Ghost gives us assistances to improve our naturall powers and to promote our acquisite and his aides are not inspirations of the habit or infusions of a perfect gift but a subliming of what God gave us in the stock of nature and art to make it in a sufficient order to an end supernaturall and divine The same doctrine we are taught by Saint Paul's exhortation sect. 23 to Timothy Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery And againe stirre up the gift of God which is in thee by the laying on of my hands If there be any gifts of the Holy Ghost and spirituall influences dispensed without our co-operation and by inspiration of the intire power it is in ordination and the persons so ordeined are most likely to receive the gift of prayer if any such thing be for the edification of the Church they being the men appointed to intercede and to stand between God and the people and yet this gift of God even in those times when they were dispensed with miracle and assistances extraordinary were given as all things now are given by the meanes also of our endeavour and was capable of improvement by industry and of defaillance by neglect and therefore much rather is it so now in the daies of ordinary ministration and common assistances And indeed this argument beside the efficacy of its sect. 24 perswasion must needs conclude against the Men to whom these adversaria are addressed because themselves call upon their Disciples to exercise the gift of prayer and offer it to consideration that such exercising it is the way to better it and if naturall endowments and artificiall endeavours are the way to purchase new degrees of it it were not amisse they did consider a little before they begin and did improve their first and smallest capacities before they ventured any thing in publike by way of addresse to Almighty God For the first beginnings are certainly as improveable as the next degrees and it is certaine they have more need of it as being more imperfect and rude Therefore when ever Gods Spirit hath given us any capacities or assistances any documents motions desires or any aides whatsoever they are therefore given us with a purpose we should by our industry skill and labour improve them because without such co-operation the intention is made void and the worke imperfect And this is exactly the doctrine I plainly gather from sect. 25 the objected words of Saint Paul The Spirit helpeth our infirmities {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} it is in the Greek collaborantem adjuvat It is an ingeminate expression of our labours And that supposes us to have faculties
disadvantage to our devotions I leave it to all wise men to determine So that in effect since after the pretended assistance of the Spirit in our prayers we may write them downe consider them try the spirits and ponder the matter the reason and the religion of the addresse let the world judge whether this sudden utterance and ex tempore formes be any thing else but a direct resolution not to consider before hand what we speake Sic itaque habe ut istam vim dicendi rapidam aptiorem esse circulanti judices quam agenti rem magnam seriam docentique They are the words of Seneca and expresse what naturally flowes from the premises The pretence of the Spirit and the gift of prayer is not sufficient to justifie the dishonour they doe to Religion in serving it in the lowest and most indeliberate manner nor quit such men from unreasonablenesse and folly who will dare to speake to God in the presence of the people and in their behalf without deliberation or learning or study Nothing is a greater disreputation to the prudence of a Discourse then to say it was a thing made up in haste that is without due considering But here I consider and I wish they whom it concerns sect. 36 most would doe so too that to pretend the Spirit in so unreasonable a manner to so ill purposes and without reason or promise or probability for doing it is a very great crime and of dangerous consequence It was the greatest aggravation of the sin of Ananias and Saphira {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that they did falsely pretend and belye the Holy Spirit which crime bestdes that it dishonours the holy Ghost to make him the president of imperfect and illiterate rites the author of confusion and indeliberate Discourses and the parent of such productions which a wise person would blush to owne it also intitles him to all those Doctrines which either Chance or Designe shall expose to the people in such prayers to which they entitle the holy Spirit as the Author and immediate Dictator So that if they please he must not onely own their follies but their impieties too and how great dis-reputation this is to the Spirit of Wisdome of Counsel and of Holinesse I wish they may rather understand by Discourse then by Experiment But let us look a little farther into the mysterie and sect. 37 see what is meant in Scripture by praying with the Spirit In what sense the holy Ghost is called the Spirit of Prayer I have already shewn viz. by the same reason as he is the Spirit of Faith of prudence of knowledge of understanding and the like because he gives us assistances for the acquiring of these graces and furnishes us with revelations by way of object and instruction But praying with the Spirit hath besides this other senses also in Scripture I find in one place that we then pray with the Spirit when the holy Ghost does actually excite us to desires and earnest tendencies to the obtaining our holy purposes when he prepares our hearts to pray when he enkindles our desires gives us zeal devotion charity and fervour spirituall violence and holy importunity This sense is also in the latter part of the objected words of S. Paul Rom. 8. The Spirit it selfe maketh Intercession for us with groanings And indeed this is truly a praying with the Spirit but this will doe our Reverend Brethren of the Assembly little advantage as to the present Question For this Spirit is not a Spirit of utterance not at all clamorous in the eares of the people but cryes loud in the eares of God with groans unutterable so it followes and onely He that searcheth the heart he understandeth the meaning of the Spirit This is the Spirit of the Sonne which God hath sent into our hearts not into our tongues whereby we cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. And this is the great {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} for mentall prayer which is properly and truly praying by the Spirit Another praying with the Spirit I find in that place of sect. 38 Saint Paul from whence this expression is taken and commonly used I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also It is generally supposed that Saint Paul relates here to a speciall and extraordinary gift of Prayer which was indulg'd to the Primitive Bishops and Priests the Apostles and Rulers of Churches and to some other persons extraordinarily of being able to compose prayers pious in the matter prudent in the composure devout in the formes expressive in the language and in short usefull to the Church and very apt for devotion and serving to her religion and necessities I beleeve that such a gift there was and this indulged as other issues of the Spirit to some persons upon speciall necessities by singular dispensation as the Spirit knew to be most expedient for the present need and the future instruction This I beleeve not because I finde sufficient testimony that it was so or any evidence from the words now alledged but because it was reasonable it should be so and agreeable to the other proceedings of the holy Ghost For although we account it an easie matter to make prayers and we have great reason to give thanks to the holy Ghost for it who hath descended so plentifully upon the Church hath made plentifull revelation of all the publike and private necessities of the world hath taught us how to pray given rules for the manner of addresse taught us how to distinguish spirituall from carnall things hath represented the vanity of worldly desires the unsatisfyingnesse of earthly possessions the blessing of being denyed our impertinent secular and indiscreet requests and hath done all this at the beginning of Christianity and hath actually stirred up the Apostles and Apostolicall men to make so many excellent Formes of Prayer which their successors did in part retaine and in part imitate till the conjunct wisdome of the Church saw her offices compleat regular and sufficient So that now every man is able to make something of Formes of Prayer for which ability they should do well to pay their Eucharist to the holy Ghost and not abuse the gift to vanity or schisme yet at the first beginning of Christianity till the holy Spirit did fill all things they found no such plenty of forms of Prayer and it was accounted a matter of so great consideration to make a Form of Prayer that it was thought a fit work for a Prophet or the Founder of an Institution And therefore the Disciples of John asked of him to teach them how to pray and the Disciples of Christ did so too For the Law of Moses had no rules to instruct the Synagogue how to pray and but that Moses and David and Asaph and some few of the Prophets more left formes of Prayer which the Spirit of God inspired them withall upon great necessities and
great mercy to that people they had not knowne how to have composed an office for the daily service of the Temple without danger of asking things needlesse vaine or impious such as were the prayers in the Roman Closets that he was a good man that would not owne them Et nihil arcano qui roget ore Deos. Pulchra Laverna Da mihi fallere dajustum sanctumque videri Noctem peccatis fraudibus objice nubem But when the Holy Ghost came downe in a full breath and a mighty wind he filled the breasts and tongues of men and furnished the first Christians not onely with abilities enough to frame excellent devotions for their present offices but also to become precedents for Liturgy to all ages of the Church the first being imitated by the second and the second by the third till the Church being setled in peace and the records transmitted with greater care and preserved with lesse hazard the Church chose such Formes whose Copies we retaine at this day Now since it was certaine that all ages of the Church sect. 39 would looke upon the first Fathers in Christ and Founders of Churches as precedents and Tutours and Guides in all the parts of their Religion and that prayer with its severall parts and instances is a great portion of the Religion the Sacraments themselves being instruments of grace and effectuall in genere orationis it is very reasonable to think that the Apostolicall men had not onely the first fruits but the elder Brothers share a double portion of the Spirit because they were not onely to serve their owne needs to which a single and an ordinary portion would have been then as now abundantly sufficient but also to serve the necessity of the succession and to instruct the Church for ever after But then that this assistance was an ability to pray ex sect. 40 tempore I find it no where affirmed by sufficient authentick Testimony and if they could have done it it is very likely they would have been wary and restrained in the publike use of it I doubt not but there might then be some sudden necessities of the Church for which the Church being in her infancy had not as yet provided any publike formes concerning which cases I may say as Quintilian of an Oratour in the great and sudden needs of the Common-wealth Quarum si qua non dico cuicunque innocentiam civium sed amicorum ac propinquorum alicui evenerit stabÃtne matus salutarem parentibus vocem statim si non succurratur perituris moras secessum silentium quaeret dum illa verba fabricentur memoriae insidant vox ac latus praeparetur I doe not thinke that they were oratores imparati ad casus but that an ability of praying on a sudden was indulged to them by a specall aide of the Spirit to contest against sudden dangers and the violence of new accidents to which also possibly a new inspiration was but for a very little while necessary even till they understood the mysteries of Christianity and the revelations of the Spirit by proportion and analogy to which they were sufficiently instructed to make their sudden prayers when sudden occasions did require This I speak by way of concession and probability sect. 41 For no man can prove thus much as I am willing relying upon the reasonablenesse of the Conjecture to suppose but that praying with the Spirit in this place is praying without study art or deliberation is not so much as intimated For 1. It is here implyed that they did prepare some of sect. 42 those devotions to which they were helped by the Spirit {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} when you come together each of you peradventure hath a Psalme {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not every one makes but when you meet every one hath viz. already which supposes they had it prepared against the meeting For the Spirit could help as well at home in their meditation as in the publike upon a sudden and though it is certaine the Holy Spirit loves to blesse the publike meetings the communion of Saints with speciall benedictions yet I suppose my Adversaries are not willing to acknowledge any thing that should doe much reputation to the Church and the publike authoriz'd conventions at least not to confine the Spirit to such holy and blessed meetings They will I suppose rather grant the words doe probably intimate they came prepared with a Hymne and therefore there is nothing in the nature of the thing but that so also might their other formes of Prayer the assistance of the Spirit which is the thing in Question hinders not but that they also might have made them by premeditation 2. In this place praying with the Spirit signifies no sect. 43 other extraordinary assistance but that the Spirit help'd them to speake their prayer in an unknowne Tongue {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} If I pray in a tongue my spirit prayeth but my understanding is without fruit what then I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also Plainly here praying in the Spirit which is opposed to praying in understanding is praying in an unknown tongue where by the way observe that praying with the Spirit even in sense of Scripture is not alwaies most to edification of the people Not alwaies with understanding And when these two are separated Saint Paul preferres five words with understanding before ten thousand in the spirit For this praying with the Spirit was indeed then a gift extraordinary and miraculous like as prophecying with the Spirit and expired with it But while it did last it was the lowest of gifts inter dona linguarum it was but a gift of the tongue and not to the benefit of the Church directly or immediately This also observe in passing by If Saint Paul did so sect. 44 undervalue the praying with the Spirit that he preferred edifying the Church a thousand degrees beyond it I suppose he would have been of the same mind if the Question had between praying with the Spirit and obeying our Superiours as he was when it was between praying with the Spirit and edification of the Church because if I be not mistaken it is matter of great concernment towards the edification of the Church to obey our Superiours not to innovate in publike formes of worship especially with the scandall and offence of very wise and learned men and to the disgrace of the dead Martyrs who sealed our Liturgy with their bloud But to returne In this place praying with the Spirit sect. 45 beside the assistance given by the Holy Ghost to speake in a strange tongue is no more then my spirit praying that is it implies my co-operation with the assistance of the Spirit of God insomuch that the whole action may truly be denominated mine and is called of the Spirit onely
by reason of that collaterall assistance For so Saint Paul joynes them as termes identicall and expressive one of anothers meaning as you may please to read ver. 14 15. 1 Cor. 14. I will pray with the Spirit and my spirit truly prayeth It is the act of our inner man praying holy and spirituall prayers But then indeed at that time there was something extraordinary adjoyned for it was in an unknown Tongue the practise of which Saint Paul there dislikes This also will be to none of their purposes For whether it were ex tempore or by premeditation is not here expressed or if it had yet that assistance extraordinary in prayer if there was any beside the gift of Tongues which is not here or anywhere else expressed is no more transmitted to us then the speaking tongues in the Spirit or prophecying ex tempore and by the Spirit But I would adde also one experiment which S. Paul sect. 46 also there adds by way of instance If praying with the spirit in this place be praying ex tempore then so is singing too For they are expressed in the same place in the same manner to the same end and I know no reason why there should be differing senses put upon them to serve purposes And now let us have some Church Musique too though the Organs be pull'd down and let any the best Psalmist of them all compose a Hymn in Metricall form as Antipater Sidonius in Quintilian Licinius Archias in Cicero could doe in their Verses 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 formes of Liturgy 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 it 's acceptations in Scripture to pray or sing with the spirit neither of them of necessity implies ex tempore The summe or Collecta of the premises is this Praying sect. 47 with the spirit is either 1 when the Spirit stirres up our desires to pray per motionem actualis auxilii or 2 when the spirit teaches us what or how to pray telling us the matter and manner of our prayers 3 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 expresly of it and yet suppose it had we are certain the Holy Ghost hath supplied us with all these and yet in set formes of Prayer best of all I mean there where a difference can be For 1 as for the desires and actuall motions or incitements to pray they are indifferent to one or the other to set formes or to ex tempore 2. But as to the matter or manner of prayer it is clearly sect. 48 contained in the expresses and set formes of Scriptures and there it is supplied to us by the Spirit for he is the great Dictatour of it 3. Now then for the very words No man can assure sect. 49 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 supplied us with abilities more then enough to expresse our desires aliundè otherwise then by immediate dictate But if we will take David's 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 prayers and the probability of their being accepted then when he prayes his Psalter or the Lords Prayer or any other office which he finds consigned in Scripture When Gods spirit stirres us up to an actuall devotion and then we use the matter he hath described and taught and the very words which Christ 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 meane in vocall prayer this is it And thus I have examined the intire and full scope of sect. 50 this First Question and rifled their Objection which was the onely colour to hide the appearance of its naturall deformity at the first sight The result is this Scribendum ergo quoties licebit Si id non dabitur cogitandum ab utroque exclusi debent tamen adniti ut neque deprehensus orator neque destitutus esse videatur In making our Orations and publike advocations we must write what we meane to speake as often as we can when we cannot yet we must deliberate and study and when the suddennesse of the accident prevents both these we must use all the powers of art and care that we have a present mind and call in all our first provisions that we be not destitute of matter and words apt for the imployment This was Quintilian's rule for the matter of prudence and in secular occasions but when the instance is in Religion and especially in our prayers it will concern us nearer to be curious and deliberate what we speak in the audience of the eternal God when our lives and our soules and the honour of God and the reputation of Religion are concern'd and whatsoever is greatest in it self or dearest to us THe second Question hath in it something more sect. 51 of difficulty for the Men that owne it will give leave that set formes may be used so you give leave to them to make them but if authority shall interpose and prescribe a Liturgy every word shal breed a quarrell and if the matter be innocent yet the very injunction is tyranny a restraining of the gifts of the Holy Ghost it leaves the spirit of a Man sterile and unprofitable it is not for edification of the Church and is as destitute of comfort as it is of profit For God hath not restrain'd his Spirit to those few that rule the Church in prelation above others but if he hath given to them the spirit of government he hath given to others the spirit of prayer and the spirit of Prophesie Now the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall for to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdome
to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit And these and many other gifts are given to severall members that they may supply one another and all joyne to the edification of the body And therefore that must needs be an imprudent sanction that so determines the offices of the Church that she cannot be edified by that variety of gifts which the holy Spirit hath given to severall men to that purpose just as if there should be a Canon that but one Sermon should be preached in all Churches forever Besides it must needs be that the devotion of the suppliants must be much retarded by the perpetuiâ—y and unalterable reiteration of the same forme For since our affections will certainly vary and suffer great alteration of degrees and inclinations it is easier to frame words apt to comply with our affections then to conforme our affections in all varieties to the same words When the formes are dayly changed it is more probable that every Man shall find something proportionable to his fancy which is the great instrument of Devotion then to suppose that any one forme should be like Manna fitted to every tast and therefore in prayers as the affections must be naturall sweet and proper so also should the words expressing the affections issue forth by way of naturall emanation Sed extemporalis audaciae atque ipsius temeritatis vel praecipua jucunditas est Nam in ingenio sicut in agro quanquam alia diu serantur atque elaborentur gratiora tamen quae suâ sponte nascuntur And a garment may as well be made to fit the moone as that one forme of Prayer should be made apt and proportionable to all men or to any man at all times This Discourse relies wholly upon these two grounds sect. 52 A liberty to use variety of formes for prayer is more for the edification of the Church Secondly it is part of that liberty which the Church hath and part of the duty of the Church to preserve the liberty of the spirit in various formes Before I descend to consideration of the particulars I sect. 53 must premise this that the gift or ability of prayer given to the Church is used either in publike or in private and that which is fit enough for one is inconvenient in the other and although a liberty in private may be for edification of good people when it is piously and discreetly used yet in the publike if it were indifferently permitted it would bring infinite inconvenience and become intolerable as a sad experience doth too much verifie But now then this distinction evacuates all the former sect. 54 discourse and since it is permitted that every man in private use what formes he please the Spirit hath all that liberty that is necessary and so much as can be convenient the Church may be edified by every mans gift the affections of all men may be complied withall words may be sitted to their fancies their devotions quickned their wearinesse helped and supported and whatsoever benefit can be fancied by variety liberty all that may be enjoyed and every reasonable desire or weaker fansie be fully satisfied But since these advantages to devotion are accidentall sect. 55 and doe consult with weaknesse and infirmity and depend upon irregular variety for which no antecedent rule can make particular provision it is not to be expected the publike constitution and prescribed formes which are regular orderly and determin'd can make provision for particulars for chances and for infinite varieties And if this were any objection against publike formes it would also conclude against all humane Lawes that they did not make provision for all particular accidents and circumstances that might possibly occurre All publike sanctions must be of a publike spirit and designe and secure all those excellent things which have influence upon societies communities of men and publique obligations Thus if publike formes of Prayer be describ'd whose sect. 56 matter is pious and holy whose designe is of universall extent and provisionary for all publike probable fear'd or foreseen events whose frame and composure is prudent and by authority competent and high and whose use and exercise is instrumentall to peace and publike charity and all these hallowed by intention and care of doing glory to God and advantages to Religion express'd in observation of all such rules and precedents as are most likely to teach us best and guide us surest such as are Scriptures Apostolicall Tradition Primitive practise and precedents of Saints and holy Persons the publike can doe no more all the duty is performed and all the care is taken Now after all this there are personall necessities and sect. 57 private conveniences or inconveniences which if men are not so wise as themselves to provide for by casting off all prejudice and endeavouring to grow strong in Christianity men in Christ and not for ever to be Babes in Religion but frame themselves to a capacity of receiving the benefit of the publike without needing other provisions then what wil fit the Church in her publick capacity the Spirit of God and the Church taught by him hath permitted us to comply with our owne infirmities while they are innocent and to pray in private in any forme of words which shall be most instrumentall to our devotion in the present capacity Neque hoc ego ago ut extempore dicere malit sed ut possit And indeed sometimes an exuberant and an active affection sect. 58 and overflowing of Devotion may descend like anointing from above and our cup run over and is not to be contained within the margent of prescribed forms And though this be not of so great consideration as if it should happen to a man in publike that it is then fit for him or to be permitted to expresse it in formes unlimited and undermin'd For there was a case in the daies of the inundation of the Spirit when a man full of the Spirit was commanded to keep silence in the Church and to speake to himselfe and to God yet when this grace is given him in private he may compose his owne Liturgy pectus enim est quod disertos facit vis mentis Ideoque imperit is quoque si mode sint aliquo affectu concitati verba non desunt Onely when in private devotion we use forms of our own making or chusing we are concern'd to see that the matter be pious apt for edification and the present necessity and without contempt of publike prescriptions or irreverence to God and in all the rest we are at liberty * onely in the Lord that is according to the rule of faith and the analogy of Christian religion For supposing that our devotion be servent our intention pious and the petition {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} according to the will of God Whatsoever our expressions are God reads the petition in the Character of the Spirit though the words be
brevia concisa singultantium modo ejecta But then these accidentall advantages and circumstances of profit which may be provided for in private as they cannot be taken care of in publike so neither is it necessary they should for those pleasures of sensible devotion are so farre from being necessary to the acceptation of prayer that they are but compliances with our infirmities and suppose a great weaknesse in him that needs them say the Masters of spirituall life and in the strongest prayers and most effectuall devotions are seldomest found such as was Moses prayer when he spake nothing and Hannah's and our blessed Saviour's when he called upon his Father {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} with strong cries in that great desertion of Spirit when he prayed in the Garden In these praiers the Spirit was bound up with the strictnesse and violence of intention but could not ease it self with a flood of language and various expression A great devotion is like a great grief not so expressive as a moderate passion teares spend the grief and variety of language breathes out the devotion and therefore Christ went thrice and said the same words he could just speak his sense in a plaine expression but the greatnesse of his agonie was too big for the pleasure of a sweet and sensible expression of devotion So that let the devotion be never so great set formes sect. 59 of prayer will be expressive enough of any desire though importunate as extremity it self but when the Spirit is weak and the devotion imperfect and the affections dry though in respect of the precise duty on our part and the acceptation on Gods part no advantage is got by a liberty of an indifferent unlimited and chosen form and therefore in all cases the whole duty of prayer is secured by publike formes yet other circumstantiall and accidentall advantages may be obtained by it and therefore let such persons feast themselves in private with sweet-meats and lesse nourishing delicacies weak stomackes must be cared for yet they must be confessed to have stronger stomackes and better health that can feed upon the wholesome food prepared in the common refectories So that publique formes it is true cannot be fitted sect. 60 to every mans fancie and affections especially in an Age wherein all publike constitutions are protested against but yet they may be fitted to all necessities and to every mans duty and for the pleasing the affections and fancies of men that may be sometimes convenient but it is never necessary and God that suffers drynesse of affections many times in his dearest servants and in their greatest troubles and most excellent Devotions hath by that sufferance of his given demonstration that it is not necessary such affections should be complyed withall for then he would never suffer those sterilities but himselfe by a cup of sensible Devotion would water and refresh those drinesses and if God himselfe does not it is not to be expected the Church should And this also is the case of Scripture for the many sect. 61 discourses of excellent Orators and Preachers have all those advantages of meeting with the various affections and dispositions of the hearers and may cause a teare when all S. Pauls Epistles would not and yet certainly there is no comparison between them but one Chapter of S. Paul is more excellent and of better use to the substantiall part of Religion then all the Sermons of Saint Chrysostome and yet there are some circumstances of advantage which humane eloquence may have which are not observed to be in those other more excellent emanations of the holy Spirit And therefore if the Objection should be true and that conceived formes of Prayer in their great variety might doe some accidentall advantages to weaker persons and stronger fancies and more imperfect judgements yet this instance of Scripture is a demonstration that set and composed devotions may be better and this reason does not prove the contrary because the Sermons in Scripture are infinitely to be preferred before those discourses and orations which doe more comply with the fancies of the people Nay we see by experience that the change of our prayers or our bookes or our company is so delightfull to most persons that though the change be for the worse it more complies with their affections then the peremptory and unaltered retaining of the better but yet this is no good argument to prove that change to be for the better But yet if such compliance with fancies and affections sect. 62 were necessary what are we the neerer if every Minister were permitted to pray his own formes How can his forme comply with the great varity of affections which are amongst his auditors any more then the publick forms described by authority It may hit casually and by accident be commensurate to the present fancy of some of his Congregation with which at that time possibly the publick forme would not This may be thus and it may be otherwise and at the same time in which some feele a gust and relish in his prayer others might feele a greater sweetnesse in recitation of the publike formes This thing is so by chance so irregular and uncertaine that no wise man nor no Providence lesse then Divine can make any provisions for it And after all it is nothing but the fantastique and sect. 63 imaginative part that is pleased which for ought appears may be disturbed with curiosity peevishnesse pride spirit of novelty lightnesse and impertinencie and that to satisfie such spirits and fantastique persons may be as dangerous and uselesse to them as it is trouble some in it selfe But then for the matter of edification that is considerable upon another stock for now adaies men are never edified unlesse they be pleased and if they mislike the Person or have taken up a quarrell against any forme or institution presently they cry out They are not edified that is they are displeased and the ground of their displeasure is nothing from the thing it selfe but from themselves onely they are wanton with their meat and long for variety and then they cry out that Manna will not nourish them but prefer the onions of Egypt before the food of Angels the way to cure this inconvenience is to alter the men not to change the institution for it is very certain that wholesome meat is of it self nutritive if the body be disposed to its reception and entertainment But it is not certain that what a sick man fancies out of the weaknesse of his spirit the distemper of his appetite wildnesse of his fancy that it will become to him either good or good physick Now in the entertainments of Religion and Spirituall repasts that is wholesome nutritive and apt to edifie which is pious in it selfe of advantage to the honour of God whatsoever is good Doctrine or good Prayers especially when it is prepared by a publick hand and designed for publick use by all the
formes according as she judges best for edification 2. When the Apostles upon occasion of the Forme sect. 76 which the Baptist taught his Disciples begg'd of their Master to teach them one he againe taught them this and added a precept to use these very words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} when ye pray say our Father when they speak to God it was fit they should speake in his words in whose name also their prayers onely could be acceptable 3. For if we must speak this sense why also are not the sect. 77 very words to be retained Is there any errour or imperfection in the words was not Christ Master of his language and were not his words sufficiently expressive of his sense will not the Prayer do well also in our tongues which as a duty we are oblig'd to deposite in our hearts and preserve in our memories without which it is in all senses uselesse whether it be onely a pattern or a repository of matter 4. And it is observeable that our blessed Saviour doth sect. 78 not say Pray that the name of your heavenly Father may be sanctified or that your sinnes may be forgiven but say Hallowed be thy name c. so that he prescribes this Prayer not in massa materiae but in formâ verborum not in a confused heap of matter but in an exact composure of words it makes it evident he intended it not onely pro regula petendorum for a direction of what things we are to aske but also pro forma orationis for a set form of Prayer Now it is considerable that no man ever had the fulnesse of the Spirit but onely the holy Jesus and therefore it is also certain that no man had the Spirit of prayer like to him and then if we pray this 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 forme of words pretended to be taught us by the Spirit We are sure that Christ and Christs spirit taught us this Prayer they onely gather by conjectures and opinions that in their ex tempore or conceived formes the Spirit of Christ teacheth them So much then as Certainties are better then Uncertainties and Gods words better than Mans so much is this Set forme besides the infinite advantages in the matter better then their ex tempore and conceived Formes in the forme it selfe And if ever any prayer was or could be a part of that doctrine of faith by which wee received the Spirit it must needs be this prayer which was the onely forme our blessed Master taught the Christian Church immediately was a part of his great and glorious Sermon in the Mount in which all the needs of the world are sealed up as in a treasure house and intimated by severall petitions as diseases are by their proper and proportioned remedies and which Christ published as the first emanation of his Spirit the first perfume of that heavenly anointing which descended on his sacred head when he went down into the waters of Baptisme This we are certain of that there is nothing wanting sect. 79 nothing superfluous and impertinent nothing carnall or imperfect in this prayer but as it supplies all needs so it serves all persons is fitted for all estates it meets with all accidents and no necessity can surprize any man but if God heares him praying that prayer he is provided for in that necessity and yet if a single person paraphrases it it is not certain but the whole sense of a petition may be altered by the intervention of one improper word and there can be no security given against this but qualified and limited and just in such a proportion as we can be assured of the wisdome and honesty of the person and the actuall assistance of the holy Spirit Now then I demand whether the Prayer of Manasses be sect. 80 so good a prayer as the Lords Prayer or is the Prayer of Judith or of Tobias or of Judas Maccabeus or of the Sonne of Sirach is any of these so good Certainly no man will say they are and the reason is because we are not sure they are inspired by the Holy Spirit of God prudent and pious and conformable to Religion they may be but not penn'd by so excellent a spirit as this Prayer And what assurance can be given that any Ministers prayer is better then the prayers of the Sonne of Sirach who was a very wise and a very good man as all the world acknowledges I know not any one of them that has so large a testimony or is of so great reputation But suppose they can make as good prayers yet surely they are Apocryphall at least and for the same reason that the Apocryphall prayers are not so excellent as the Lords prayer by the same reason must the best they can be imagin'd to compose fall short of this excellent pattern by how much they partake of a smaller portion of the Spirit as a drop of water is lesse then all the waters under or above the Firmament Secondly I would also willingly know whether if sect. 81 any man uses the forme which Christ taught supposing he did not tie us to the very prescript words can there be any hurt in it is it imaginable that any Commandement should be broken or any affront done to the honour of God or any act of imprudence or irreligion in it or any negligence of any insinuation of the Divine pleasure I cannot yet think of any thing to frame for answer so much as by way of an Antinomy or Objection But then supposing Christ did tye us to use this Prayer pro loco tempore according to the nature and obligation of all affirmative precepts as it is certaine he did in the preceptive words recorded by S. Luke When ye pray say Our Father then it is to be considered that a Divine Commandment is broken by its rejection and therefore if there were any doubt remaining whether it be a command or no yet since on one side there is danger of a negligence and a contempt and that on the other side the observation conformity cannot be criminall or imprudent it will follow that the retaining of this Prayer in practice and suffering it to doe all its intentions and particularly becomming the great {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or authority for set formes of Prayer is the safest most prudent most Christian understanding of those words of Christ propounding the Lords Prayer to the Christian Church And because it is impossible that all particulars should be expressed in any forme of prayer because particulars are not onely casuall and accidentall but also infinite Christ according to that wisdome he had without measure fram'd a Prayer which by a general comprehension should include all particulars eminent and vertually so that there should be no defect in it yet so short that the
liberty of the Spirit sufficiently preserved that the publick Spirit is free That is the Church hath power upon occasion to alter and increase her Litanies By what argument shall any man make it so much as probable that the holy Ghost is injured if every private Ministers private spirit shall be guided and therefore by necessary consequence limited by the authority of the Churches publick Spirit 4. Does not the Directory that thing which is here called sect. 121 restraining of the Spirit Does it not appoint every thing but the words And after this is it not a goodly Palladium that is contended for and a princely liberty they leave unto the Spirit to be free onely in the supplying the place of a Vocabulary and a Copia verborum For as for the matter it is all there described and appointed and to those determined senses the Spirit must assist or not at all onely for the words he shall take his choise Now I desire it may be considered sadly and seriously Is it not as much injury to the Spirit to restrain his matter as to appoint his words Which is the more considerable of the two Sense or Language Matter or Words I mean when they are taken singly and separately For so they may very well be for as if men prescribe the matter onely the Spirit may cover it with severall words and expressions so if the Spirit prescribe the words I may still abound in variety of sense and preserve the liberty of my meaning we see that true in the various interpretations of the same words of Scripture So that in the greater of the two the Spirit is restrained when his matter is appointed and to make him amends for not trusting him with the matter without our directions and limitations we trust him to say what he pleases so it be to our sense to our purposes A goodly compensation surely 5. Did not Christ restrain the spirit of his Apostles sect. 122 when he taught them to pray the Lords Prayer whether his precept to his Disciples concerning it was Pray this or Pray thus Pray these words or Pray after this manner Or though it had been lesse then either and been onely a Directory for the matter still it is a thing which our Brethren in all other cases of the same nature are resolved perpetually to call a restraint Certainly then this pretended restraint is no such formidable thing These men themselves doe it by directing all of the matter and much of the manner and Christ himself did it by prescribing both the matter and the words too 6. These restraints as they are called or determinations sect. 123 of the Spirit are made by the Spirit himself For I demand when any Assembly of Divines appoint the matter of Prayers to all particular Ministers as this hath done is that appointment by the Spirit or no If no then for ought appears this Directory not being made by Gods Spirit may be an enemy to it But if this appointment be by the Spirit then the determination and limitation of the Spirit is by the Spirit himself and such indeed is every pious and prudent constitution of the Church in matters Spirituall Such as was that of Saint Paul to the Corinthians when he prescribed orders for publick Prophecying and Interpretation and speaking with Tongues The Spirit of some he so restrained that he bound them to hold their peace he permitted but two or three to speak at one meeting the rest were to keep silence though possibly six or seven might at that time have the Spirit 7. Is it not a restraint of the Spirit to sing a Psalme in sect. 124 Meeter by appointment Cleerly as much as appointing Formes of prayer or Eucharist And yet that we see done daily and no scruple made Is not this to be partiall in judgement and inconsiderate of what we doe 8. And now after all this strife what harme is there sect. 125 in restraining the Spirit in the present sense What prohibition what Law What reason or revelation is against it What inconvenience in the nature of the thing For can any man be so weak as to imagine a despite is done to the Spirit of grace when the gifts given to his Church are used regularly and by order As if prudence were no gift of Gods Spirit as if helps in Government and the ordering spirituall matters were none of those graces which Christ when he ascended up on high gave unto men But this whole matter is wholly a stranger to reason and never seen in Scripture For Divinity never knew any other vitious restraining sect. 126 the Spirit but either suppressing those holy incitements to vertue and good life which Gods Spirit ministers to us externally or internally or else a forbidding by publike authority the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments to speake such truths as God hath commanded and so taking away the liberty of prophecying The first is directly vitious in materia speciali The second is tyrannicall and Antichristian And to it persecution of true Religion is to be reduced But as for this pretended limiting or restraining the Spirit viz. by appointing a regular Forme of prayer it is so very a Chimaera that it hath no footing or foundation upon any ground where a wise man may build his confidence 9. But lastly how if the Spirit must be restrained and sect. 127 that by precept Apostolicall That calls us to a new account But if it be not true what meanes Saint Paul by saying The spirits of the Prophets must be subject to the Prophets What greater restraint then subjection If subjected then they must be ruled if ruled then limited prescribed unto and as much under restraint as the spirits of the superiour Prophets shall judge convenient I suppose by this time this Objection will trouble us no more But perhaps another will For why are not the Ministers to be left as well to sect. 128 their liberty in making their Prayers as their Sermons I answer the Church may if she will but whether she doth well or no let her consider This I am sure there is not the same reason and I feare the experience the world hath already had of it will make demonstration enough of the inconvenience But however the differences are many 1. Our Prayers offered up by the Minister are in behalf sect. 129 and in the name of the People and therefore great reason they should know beforehand what is to be presented that if they like not the message they may refuse to communicate especially since people are so divided in their opinions in their hopes and in their faiths it being a duty to refuse comunion with those prayers which they think to have in them the matter of sin or doubting Which reason on the other part ceases for the Minister being to speak from God to the people if he speaks what he ought not God can right himself however is not a partner of the sin as in
Church who are to answer for their souls should judge for them before they say Amen which judgement cannot be without set Formes of Lyturgie My sentence therefore is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} let us be as we are already few changes are for the better For if it be pretended that in the Lyturgie of the sect. 136 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 that there are many errours and inconveniences both in the Order and in 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 inconveniences and disorders of ex tempore and conceived Prayers Where respectively 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 Cōmon-prayer-booke from errours and disorders If these things be in the green tree what will be done in the dry But if it be said the ex tempore and conceived Prayers sect. 137 wil be secured from error by the Directory because that chalkes 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 deceived much more may they when the matter is left 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 are so too of the certainty of which I am not yet fully satisfied And after this I would faine know what benefit sect. 138 and advantages the Churches of England in her united capacity receives by this new device For the publique it is cleare that whether the Ministers Pray before they Study or Study before they Pray there must needs be infinite difformity in the publique Worship and all the benefits which before were the consequents of Conformity and Unity will be lost and if they be not valuable I leave it to all them to consider who know the inconveniences of Publick disunion and the Publick 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 patriâ and will love like Country-men 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 half of Heaven who yet breathe under the same half of the Globe But I ask again what benefit can the publick receive sect. 139 by this Forme or this no Forme For I know not whether to call it Shall the matter of Prayers be better in all Churches shall God be better served shal the Word of God and the best Patternes of Prayers be alwayes exactly followed It is well if it be But there is no security given us by the Directory for the particulars and speciall instances of the matter are 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 an 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 afterward 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 sect. 140 is that it will make an able Ministry Maximus vero studiorum fructus est praemium quoddam amplissimum longi laboris ex tempore dicendi facultas said an exccellent person And it is very true to be able to speak excellent things without long considering is an effect of a long industry and greatest learning but certainly the greatest enemy in the world to its production Much learning and long use of speaking may enable a man to speak upon sudden occasions but speaking without consideration will never make much learning Nec quisquam tantum fidit ingenio ut sibi speret incipienti statim posse contingere sed sicut in cogitatione praecepimus ita facilitatem quoquè extemporalem a parvis initiis paulatim perducemus ad summam And to offer that as a meanes of getting learning which cannot be done at all as it ought but after learning is already gotten in a very great degree is highest mistaking I confesse I am very much from believing the allegation and so will every man be that considers what kinde of men they are that have bin 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 Schooles of the Prophets And that I may disgrace no mans person we see Trades-men of the most illiberable 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 of spirit as the best among them Sed nec tumultuarii nec fortuiti sermonis contextum mirabor unquam quem jurgantibus etiam mulierculis superfluere video said Quintilian And it is but a small portion of learning that will serve a man to make conceived Formes of Prayer which they may have easily upon the stock of other men or upon their own fancy or upon any thing in which no learning is required He that knows not this knowes nothing of the craft that may be in the Preachers trade But what Is God better served I would fain 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 is served by a publick then when by a private Spirit I cannot imagine what accruements will hence come to the Publick it may be some advantages may be to the private interests of men For there are a sort of men whom our Blessed Saviour noted Who doe devour Widowes houses and for a pretence 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 be charged with unnecessary length yet we see that most of these men they that are most eminent or would be thought 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 this that there is no promise in Scripture that sect. 141 he who prayes ex tempore shall be heard the better or that he shall be 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 XV Ages without all command or warrant of Scripture that it is unreasonable in the nature of the thing against prudence and the best wisdome 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 prescribe to us in external Formes of Worship that it is much to the disgrace of the first Reformers of our Religion that it gives encouragement to the Church of Rome 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 throwing out too much as casting off too little which is the more likely because they wanted No Zeal to carry them far enough He that considers the universall difformity of publick Worship and the no means of Union no Symbol of publick Communion being publickly consigned that all Heresies may with the same authority be brought into our Prayers and offered to God in the behalf of the people with the same authority that any truth may all the particular matter of our Prayers being left to the choice 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 Devotion of the most solemne Dayes and the most publick Meetings and then lastly that there are diverse parts of Lyturgie for which no provision at all is made in the Directory and the very administration of the Sacraments let so loosely that if there be any thing essentiall in the Formes of Sacraments the Sacrament may become ineffectuall for want of due Words and due Administration 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 Mindes the conformity of Practise the truth of Perswasion and the salvation of Souls are so much concerned as they are in the publick Prayers of a whole nationall Church An unlearned man is not to be trusted and a Wise man dare not trust himselfe he that is ignorant cannot he that is knowing will not FINIS Quest 1. Isocrat in Panathen Eccles. 5. 2. Alex. ab Alex. l. 2. c. 14. Idem l. 4. c. 17. Ibidem In vita Proaeresii Ephes. 4. 12. Ephes. 2. 8. 1 Cor. 12. 9. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Epist. Iud v. 20 1 Tim. 4. 14. 2 Tim. 1. 6. So as that hereby they become not slothfull and negligent in stirring up the gifts of Christ in them But that each one by meditation by taking heed c. may be carefull to furnish his heart and tongue with further or other materials c. Preface to the Directory Rom. 8. 26. * Eph. 5. 18 19. * Col. 3. 16. Vid. Act. 19. 21. 16. 7 8 9 10. Etiam Veteres Prophetae disposuerunt se ad respondendum propheticè Et vaticinia admoto plectro aut hausto calice dederunt Gen. 44. 5. Scyphus quem furati estis ipse est in quo Dominus meus bibit in quo augurari solet Dixit Oeconomus Iosephi Et afferte psalterium Dixit Eliseus 2 Reg. 3. 15. Domiâ—â—on interrogaturus Vid. Erasmi Epist. ad Jo. Eckium Epist. 1. 20. i Cor. 7. a Homil. 16. in Numer b Lib. 5. contr. eunom. c. penult c Lib. 8. in LucaÌ„ c. 16. Sunt ne mei sunt ne tui imo sunt gemitus Ecclesiae aliquando in me aliquando in te August eodem modo quo S. August dixit Deo Conqueror tibi Domine lachrymis Jesu Christi de quo dictum est Heb. 5. 7. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} De extemporali dicendi facultate Quintil. l. 10. c. 7. Quest 2. 1 Cor. 12. 7. Quintil. dial de Oratorib Quintil 1 Cor. 14 18. Quintilian * Quale ect illud apud Tertull de privatìs Christianorum precibus non quidem ab alio dictatis sed à Scripturarum fontibus derivatis Illuc suspicientes Christiani manibus expansis quia innocui capite nudo quia non erubescimus denique sine monitore quia de pectore oramus pro omnibus Imperatoribas vitam illis prolixam imperium securum domum tutam exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum orbem quietum quaecunque hominis Caesaris vota sunt 1 Cor. 4. 1. Gen. 20. 7. Actâ— 6. 4. 2 Chron. 29. 30 * Mat. 5. 1. Mat. 6. 9. Luke 11. 2. Proaeres ap. Eunapium Gal. 3. 2. Vid. Scalig. de emend. tempor de Judaeor magn. Allelujah * Imò totus Canon consecrationis tam similis est ferè idem in verbis apud Graecos Latinos Arabas Armenios Syros Egyptios AEthiopas ut nisi à communi fonte qui nisi Apostolorum non est manare non potuerit Unde intelligi datur quia multum erat ut in Epistolâ totum illum agendi ordinem insinuaret quem Vniversa per orbem servat Ecclesia ab ipso ordinatum esse quod nulla morum diversitate variatur S. Aug. ep. 118. Greg. l. 7. cp. 63. Hier. lib. contr. Pelag. * Eligo in his verbis hoc intelligere quod omnis vel pene omnis frequentat Ecclesia ut precationes accipiamus dictas quos facimus in celebratione Sacramentorum antequam illud quod est in Domini mensâ incipiat benedici orationes cum benedicitur ad distribuendum comminuitur quam totam orationem pene omnis Ecclesia Dominica oratione concludit 8. Aug. cp. 59. q. 5. ad illud Pauli Obsecro primum omnium fieri obsecrationes Col. 3. 16. Epist. 119. c. 18. In theophrast. charact Ap. Euseb 1. 7. c. 24. Et Walafr Strab. c. 25. de reb. Eccles. Apoc. 15. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Hesych vide S. August ep. 59 q. 5. in hunc locum descripsi verba ad §. 86. ut quisque de Scripturis sanctis vel de proprio ingenio potest provocatur in medium Deo canere Tertull. Apolog 1 Cor. 14. Horat. Epist. l. 2. cp. 1. Epist. ad Antiochen memorantur etiam in 25 Canone Apostolorum * De proprio ingeuio de pectore sine monitore we finde once in Tertullian Altare Damas cenum S. Cyprian op. 27 1 Tim. 2. 5. Seneca l. 5. ep. 40 Quintil. lib. 10. cap. 7. Plin. Panegyr Trajan dictum Quintilian de extemporal facult. l. 10. c. 7. Quint l. 10. c. 7. Idem ibid. Lucian Rhetor praecept {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Quint l. 10. 7.
Nothing can be regular and orderly that is hasty and precipitate and therefore unlesse Religion be the most imprudent trifling and inconsiderable thing and that the worke of the Lord is done well enough when it is done negligently or that the sanctuary hath the greatest beauty when it hath the least order it will concerne us highly to thinke our prayers and religious offices are actions fit for wise men and therefore to be done as the actions of wise men use to be that is deliberately prudently and with greatest consideration Well then in the nature of the thing ex tempore sect. 12 formes have much the worse of it But it is pretended that there is such a thing as the gift of prayer a praying with the spirit Et nescit tarda molimina spiritus sancti gratia Gods Spirit if he pleases can doe his worke as well in an instant as in long premeditation And to this purpose are pretended those places of Scripture which speak of the assistance of Gods spirit in our prayers Zech. 12. 10. And I will poure upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Hierusalem the spirit of grace and supplication But especially Rom. 8. 26. likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered c. From whence the Conclusion that is inferred is in the words of Saint Paul that we must pray with the Spirit therefore not with set formes therefore ex tempore The Collection is somewhat wild for there is sect. 13 great independency in the severall parts and much more is in the Conclusion then was virtually in the premises But such as it is the Authours of it I suppose will owne it And therefore we will examine the maine designe of it and then consider the particular meanes of its perswasion quoted in the Objection It is one of the Priviledges of the Gospel and the sect. 14 benefit of Christ's ascension that the Holy Ghost is given unto the Church and is become to us the fountain of gifts and graces But these gifts and graces are improvements and helps of our naturall faculties of our art and industry not extraordinary miraculous and immediate infusions of habits and gifts That without Gods spirit we cannot pray aright that our infirmities need his help that we know not what to aske of our selves is most true and if ever any Heretick was more confident of his owne naturalls or did ever more undervalue Gods grace than the Pelagian did yet he denies not this but what then therefore without study without art without premeditation without learning the Spirit gives the gift of prayer and it is his grace that without any naturall or artificiall help makes us pray ex tempore no such thing the Objection proves nothing of this 15. Here therefore we will joyne issue whether the sect. 15 gifts and helps of the Spirit be immediate infusions of the faculties and powers and perfect abilities Or that he doth assist us onely by his aides externall and internall in the use of such meanes which God and nature hath given to man to ennoble his soule better his faculties and to improve his understanding That the aides of the Holy Ghost are onely assistances to us in the use of naturall and artificiall meanes I will undertake to prove and from thence it will evidently follow that labour and hard study and premeditation will soonest purchase the gift of prayer and ascertaine us of the assistance of the Spirit and therefore set Formes of Prayer studied and considered of are in a true and proper sense and without Enthusiasme the fruits of the Spirit First Gods Spirit did assist the Apostles by waies extraordinary sect. 16 and fit for the first institution of Christianity but doth assist us now by the expresses of those first assistances which he gave to them immediately Thus the Holy Ghost brought to their Memory all sect. 17 things which Iesus spake and did and by that meanes we come to know all that the Spirit knew to be necessary for us the Holy Ghost being Authour of our knowledge by being the fountaine of the Revelation and we are therefore {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} taught by God because the Spirit of God revealed the Articles of our Religion that they might be known to all ages of the Church and this is testified by S. Paul he gave some Apostles and some Prophets c. for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the of Son God unto a perfect man c. This was the effect of Christ's ascension when he gave gifts unto men that is when he sent the Spirit the verification of the promise of the Father The effect of this immission of the Holy Ghost was to fill all things and that for ever to build up the Church of God untill the day of consummation so that the Holy Ghost abides with the Church for ever by transmitting those revelations which he taught the Apostles to all Christians in succession Now as the Holy Ghost taught the Apostles and by them still teaches us what to believe so it is certaine he taught the Apostles how and what to pray and because it is certaine that all the rules concerning our duty in prayer and all those graces which we are to pray for are transmitted to us by Derivation from the Apostles whom the Holy Ghost did teach even to that very purpose also that they should teach us it follows evidently that the gift of prayer is a gift of the Holy Ghost and yet to verifie this Proposition we need no other immediate inspiration or extraordinary assistance than that we derive from the Holy Ghost by the conveyance of the Apostolicall Sermons and Writings The reason is the same in Faith and Prayer and if sect. 18 there were any difference in the acquisition or reception faith certainly needs a more immediate infusion as being of greatest necessity and yet a grace to which we least cooperate it being the first of graces and lesse of the will in it then any other But yet the Holy Ghost is the Authour of our faith and we believe with the Spirit it is Saint Paul's expression and yet our belief comes by hearing and reading the holy Scriptures and their interpretations Now reconcile these two together Faith comes by hearing and yet is the gift of the Spirit and it saies that the gifts of the Spirit are not extasies and immediate infusions of habits but helps from God to enable us upon the use of the meanes of his owne appointment to believe to speake to understand to prophesie and to pray But whosoever shall looke for any other gifts of the sect. 19 Spirit besides the parts of nature