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
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
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
ars and sciences and from whatsoever else God and good Lawes provoke us to by proposition of rewards But if Yea as most certainly God will best crowne the best endeavours then the spirit of prayer is greatest in him who supposing the like capacities and opportunities studies hardest reads most practises most religiously deliberates most prudently and then by how much want of meanes is worse then the use of meanes by so much ex tempore prayers are worse then deliberate and studied Excellent therefore is the Counsell of Saint Peter 1. Epist. Ch. 4. v. 11. If any man speake let him speake as the Oracles of God not lightly then and inconsideratly If any man minister let him doe it as of the ability which God giveth great reason then to put all his abilities and faculties to it and whether of the two does most likely doe that he that takes paines and considers and discusses and so approves and practises a forme or he that never considers what he saies till he saies it needs not much deliberation to passe a sentence Onely me thinks it is most unreasonable that we should be bound to prepare our selves with due requisites to hear what they shall speak in publique and that they should not prepare what to speak as if to speak were of easier or of lesse consideration than to heare what is spoken or if they doe prepare what to speak to the people it were also very fit they prepar'd their prayers and considered before hand of the fitnesse of the Offertory they present to God Lastly Did not the Pen-men of the Scripture write sect. 32 the Epistles and Gospels respectively all by the Spirit Most certainly holy Men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost saith Saint Peter And certainly they were moved by a more immediate motion and a motion neerer to an Enthusiasme then now adaies in the gift and spirit of Prayer And yet in the midst of those great assistances and motions they did use study art industry and humane abilities This is more than probable in the different stiles of the severall Bookes some being of admirable art others lower and plaine The words were their owne at least sometimes not the Holy Ghosts And if Origen Saint Hierome and especially the Greek Fathers Scholiasts and Grammarians were not deceived by false Copies but that they truly did observe sometimes to be impropriety of expression in the language sometimes not true Greek who will think those errours or imperfections in Grammar were in respect of the words I say precisely immediate inspirations and dictates of the Holy Ghost and not rather their owne productions of industry and humanity But clearly some of their words were the words of Aratus some of Epimenides some of Menander some of S. Paul This speake I not the Lord Some were the words of Moses even all that part of the Leviticall Law which concerned divorces and concerning which our blessed Saviour affirmes that Moses permitted it because of the hardnesse of their hearts but from the beginning it was not so and divers others of the same nature collected and observed to this purpose by a Origen b S. Basil c Saint Ambrose and particularly that promise which S. Paul made of calling upon the Corinthians as he passed into Macedonia which certainly in all reason is to be presumed to have been spoken humanitùs not by immediate inspiration and infusion because S. Paul was so hindred that he could not be as good as his word and yet the Holy Ghost could have foreseen it and might better have excused it if Saint Paul had laid it upon his score but he did not and it is reasonable enough to believe there was no cause he should and yet because the Holy Ghost renewed their memory improved their understanding supplied to some their want of humane learning and so assisted them that they should not commit an errour in fact or opinion neither in the narrative nor dogmaticall parts therefore they writ by the Spirit Since then we cannot pretend upon any grounds of probability to an inspiration so immediate as theirs and yet their assistances which they had from the Spirit did not exclude humane arts and industry but that the ablest Scholar did write the best much rather is this true in the gifts and assistances we receive and particularly in the gift of Prayer it is not an ex tempore and an inspired faculty but the faculties of nature and the abilities of art and industry are improv'd and ennobled by the supervening assistances of the Spirit And if these who pray ex tempore say that the assistance they receive from the Spirit is the inspiration of words and powers without the operations of art and naturall abilities and humane industry then besides that it is more then the Pen men of Scripture sometime had because they needed no extraordinary assistances to what they could of themselves doe upon the stock of other abilities besides this I say it must follow that such Prayers so inspired if they were committed to writing would prove as good Canonicall Scripture as any is in Saint Paul's Epistles the impudence of which pretension is sufficient to prove the extreme vanity of the challenge The summe is this Whatsoever this gift is or this sect. 33 spirit of prayer it is to be acquired by humane industry by learning of the Scriptures by reading by conference and by whatsoever else faculties are improved and habits enlarged Gods Spirit hath done his worke sufficiently this way and he loves not either in nature or grace which are his two great sanctions to multiply miracles when there is no need And now let us take a man that pretends he hath the sect. 34 gift of Prayer and loves to pray ex tempore I suppose his thoughts go a little before his tongue I demand then Whether cannot this man when it is once come into his head hold his tongue and write downe what he hath conceived If his first conceptions were of God and Gods Spirit then they are so still even when they are written Or is the Spirit departed from him upon the sight of a Pen and Inkhorne It did use to be otherwise among the old and new Prophets whether they were Prophets of prediction or of ordinary ministery But if his conception may be written and being written is still a production of the Spirit then it followes that set forms of prayer deliberate and described may as well be a praying with the Spirit as sudden formes and ex tempore out-lets Now the case being thus put I would faine know what sect. 35 the difference is between deliberate and ex tempore Prayers save onely that in these there is lesse consideration and prudence for that the other are at least as much as these the productions of the Spirit is evident in the very case put in this Argument and whether to consider and to weigh them be any
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
vel per ignorantiam vel per minus studium sit compositum left through ignorance or want of deliberation any thing be spoken in our Prayers against faith good manners Their reason is good and they are witnesses of it who hear the variety of Prayers before and after Sermons there where the Directory is practised where to speak most modestly not onely their private opinions but also humane interests and their own personall concernments and wilde fancies born perhaps not two dayes before are made the objects of the peoples hopes of their desires and their prayers and all in the mean time pretend to the holy Spirit Thus farre we are gone The Church hath 1 power sect. 96 and authority and 2 command 3 and ability or promise of assistances to make publike formes of Liturgie and 4 the Church alwaies did so in all descents from Moses to Christ from Christ to the Apostles from them to all descending Ages for I have instanced till Saint Austine's time and since there is no Question the people were {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as Balsamon saies of those of the Greek Communion they used unalterable formes of Prayers described out of the Books of publike Liturgy it remains onely that I consider upon what reason and grounds of prudence and religion the Church did so and whether she did well or no In order to which I consider 1. Every man hath personall needs of his owne and sect. 97 he that understands his owne condition and hath studied the state of his Soule in order to eternity his temporall estate in order to justice and charity and the constitution and necessities of his body in order to health and his health in order to the service of God as every wise and good man does will find that no man can make such provision for his necessities as he can doe for his owne caeteris paribus no man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of the man and therefore if he have proportionable abilities it is allowed to him and it is necessary for him to represent his owne conditions to God and he can best expresse his owne sense or at least best sigh forth his owne meaning and if he be a good man the Spirit will make intercession for him with those unutterable groanes Besides this every Family hath needs proper to it in the capacity of a Family and those are to be represented by the Master of the Family whom men of the other perswasion are apt to consesse to be a Priest in his own Family and a King and Sacrorum omnium potestas sub Regibus esto they are willing in this sense to acknowledge and they call upon him to performe Family duties that is all the publike devotions of the Family are to be ordered by him Now that this is to be done by a set forme of words sect. 98 is acknowledged by Didoclavius Nam licet in conclavi Paterfamilias verbis exprimere animi affectus pro arbitrio potest quia Dominus cor intuetur affectus tamen publicè coram totâ familia idem absque indecoro non potest If he prayes ex tempore without a Set forme of prayer he may commit many an uâ—decency a set and described forme of prayer is most convenient in a Family that Children and Servants may be enabled to remember and tacitely recite the prayer together with the Major domo But I relie not upon this but proceed upon this Consideration As private Persons and as Families so also have Churches sect. 99 their speciall necessities in a distinct capacity and therefore God hath provided for them Rulers and Feeders Priests and Presidents of religion who are to represent all their needs to God and to make provisions Now because the Church cannot all meet in one place but the harvest being great it is bound up in severall bundles and divided into many Congregations for all which the Rulers and Stewards of this great Family are to provide and yet cannot be present in those particular Societies it is necessary that they should have influence upon them by a generall provision and therefore that they should take care that their common needs should be represented to God by Set formes of Prayer for they onely can be provided by Rulers and used by their Ministers and Deputies such as must be one in the principe and diffused in the execution and it is better expression of their care and duty for the Rulers to provide the bread and blesse it and then give it to them who must minister it in small portions and to particular companies for so Christ did then to leave them who are not in the same degree answerable for the Churches as the Rulers are to provide their food and breake it and minister it too The very Oeconomy of Christ's Family requires that the dispensations be made according to every man's capacity The generall Stewards are to divide to every man his portion of worke and to give them their food in due season and the under-servants are to doe that work is appointed them so Christ appointed it in the Gospel and so the Church hath practised in all Ages inde enim per temporum successionum vices Episcoporum ordinatio Ecclesiae ratio decurrit ut Ecclesia supra Episcopes constituatur omnis actus Ecclesiae per eosdem Praepositos gubernetur when the Rulers are few for the Ecclesiasticall regiment is not Democraticall and the under offices many and the companies numerous for all which those few Rulers are bound to provide and prayer and offices of devotion are one of the greatest instances of provision it is impossible there should be any sufficient care taken or caution used by those Rulers in the matter of prayers but for them to make such prescript formes which may be used by all companies under their charge that since they are to represent all the needs of all their people because they cannot be present by their persons in all Societies they may be present by their care and provisions which is then done best when they make prescript Formes of prayer and provide pious Ministers to dispense it 2. It is in the very nature of publike prayer that it be sect. 100 made by a publike spirit performed by a publike consent For publike and private prayer are certainly two distinct duties but they are least of all distinguished by the place but most of all by the Spirit that dictates the prayer and the consent in the recitation and it is a private prayer which either one man makes though spoken in publike as the Laodicean Councell calls {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} private Psalmes or which is not attested by publike consent of minds and it is a publike prayer which is made by the publike spirit and consented to by a generall acceptation and therefore the Lords prayer though spoke in private is a publike forme and
therefore represented plurally and the place is very extrinsecall to the nature of prayer I will that men pray every where lifting up pure hands and retiring into a Closet is onely advised for the avoiding of hypocrisie not for the greater excellency of the duty So that if publick Prayer have advantages beyond private Prayer or upon its own stock besides it the more publick influences it receives the more excellent it is And hence I conclude that set Formes of Prayer compos'd and used by the Church I mean by the Rulers in Conjunction and Union of Heads and Councells and used by the Church I mean the People in Union and society of Hearts in Spirits hath two very great advantages which other Prayers have not For first it is more truly publick and hath the benefit sect. 101 of those helps which God who never is deficient to supply any of our needs gives to publick persons in order to publick necessities by which I mean its emanation from a publick and therefore a more excellent spirit And secondly it is the greatest instance of union in the world for since God hath made Faith Hope and Charity the ligaments of the communion of Saints and Common prayer which not onely all the Governours have propounded as most fit but in which all the people are united is a great Testimony of the same Faith and a common hope and mutuall charity because they confesse the same God whom they worship and the same Articles which they recite and labour towards the same hope the mighty price of their high calling and by praying for each other in the same sense and to the same purpose doing the same to them that I desire they should doe for me doe testifie and preserve and increase their charity it followes that common and described prayers are the most excellent instrument and act and ligament of the Communion of Saints and the great common terme of the Church in its degrees of Catholike capacity And therefore saith S. Ignatius {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} All meet together and joyne to common Prayers {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} let there be one minde and let there be one prayer That 's the true Communion of Christians And in pursuance of this I consider that if all Christian sect. 102 Churches had one common Lyturgie there were not a greater symbol to testifie nor a greater instrument to preserve the Catholick Communion and when ever a Schisme was commenc'd and that they call'd one another Heretick they not onely forsook to pray with one another but they also altered their Formes by interposition of new Clauses and Hymnes and Collects and new Rites and Ceremonies onely those parts that combin'd kept the same Lyturgie indeed the same Formes of Prayer were so much the instrument of Union that it was the onely ligament of their Society for their Creeds I reckon as part of their Lyturgie for so they ever were so that this may teach us a little to guesse I will not say into how many Churches but into how many innumerable atomes and minutes of Churches those Christians must needes be scattered who alter their Formes according to the number of persons and the number of their meetings every company having a new Forme of Prayer at every convention And this consideration will not be vaine if we remember how great a blessing unity in Churches is and how hard to be kept with all the arts in the world and how every thing is powerfull enough for its dissolution But that a publick Forme of Lyturgie was the great instrument of Communion in the Primitive Church appeares in this that the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or excōmunication was an exclusion à communicatione orationis conventus omnis sancti commercii from the participation of the publick meeting and Prayers and therefore the more united the Prayer is still it is the greater instrument of Union the Authority and Consent the publick Spirit and common Acceptation are so many degrees of a more firme and indissoluble Communion 3. To this I adde that without prescribed Formes issues sect. 103 of the publick Spirit and Authority publick Communion cannot be regular and certain as may appear in one or two plain instances It is a practise prevailing among those of our Brethren that are zealous for ex tempore or not enjoyned Prayers to pray their Sermons over to reduce their Doctrine into Devotion and Lyturgie I mislike it not for the thing it self if it were regularly for the manner and the matter alwayes pious true But who shall assure me when the Preacher hath disputed or rather dogmatically decreed a point of predestination or of prescience of contingency or of liberty or any of the most mysterious parts of Divinity and then prayes his Sermon over that he then prayes with the Spirit Unlesse I be sure that he also Preached with the Spirit I cannot be sure that he Prayes with the Spirit for all he prayes ex tempore Nay if I hear a Protestant preach in the Morning and an Anabaptist in the Afternoone to day a Presbyterian to morrow an Independent am I not most sure that when they have preached contradictories and all of them pray their Sermons over that they do not all pray with the Spirit More then one in this case cannot pray with the Spirit possibly all may pray against him 4. From whence I thus argue in behalfe of set formes sect. 104 of prayer That in the case above put how shall I or any man else say Amen to their prayers that preach and pray Contradictories At least I am much hindered in my devotion For besides that it derives our opinions into our devotions makes every School-point become our Religion and makes God a party so farre as we can intit'ling him to our impertinent wranglings Besides this I say while we should attend to our addresses towards God we are to consider whether the point be true or no and by that time we have tacitely discours'd it we are upon another point which also perhaps is as questionable as the former and by this time our spirit of devotion is a little discompos'd and something out of countenance there is so much other imployment for the spirit the spirit of discerning and judging All which inconveniences are avoided in Set formes of Liturgy For we know beforehand the conditions of our communion and to what we are to say Amen to which if we like it we may repaire if not there is no harme done your devotion shall not be surpriz'd nor your communion invaded as it may be often in your ex tempore prayers and unlimited devotions 5. And this thing hath another collaterall inconvenience sect. 105 which is of great consideration for upon what confidence can we sollicite any Recusants to come to our Church where we cannot promise them that the devotions there to be used shall be innocent nor can we put
the other case the people possibly may be 2. It is more fit a liberty be left in Preaching than sect. 130 Praying because the addresse of our discourses and exhortations are to be made according to the understanding and capacity of the audience their prejudices are to be removed all advantages to be taken and they are to be surprized that way they lie most open But being crafty I caught you saith Saint Paul to the Corinthians And discourses and arguments ad hominem upon their particular principles and practises may more move them than the most polite and accurate that doe not comply and wind about their fancies and affections Saint Paul from the absurd practise of being baptized for the dead made an excellent Argument to convince the Corinthians of the Resurrection But this reason also ceases in our prayers For God understandeth what we say sure enough he hath no prejudices to be removed no infirmities to be wrought upon and a fine figure of Rhetorick a pleasant cadence and a curious expression move not him at all No other twinings and compliances stirre him but charity and humility and zeale and importunity which all are things internall and spirituall It was observed by Pliny Deos non tam accuratis adorantium precibus quam innocentiâ sanctitate laetari gratioremque existimari qui delubris eorum puram castamque mentem quam qui meditatum carmen intulerit And therefore of necessity there is to be great variety of discourses to the people and permissions accordingly but not so to God with whom a Deus miserere prevails as soon as the great Office of 40 houres not long since invented in the Church of Rome or any other prayers spun out to a length beyond the extension of the office of a Pharisee 3. I feare it cannot stand with our reverence to God sect. 131 to permit to every spirit a liberty of publike addresse to him in behalf of the people Indeed he that is not fit to pray is not alwaies fit to preach but it is more safe to be bold with the people then with God if the persons be not so fit In that there may be indiscretion but there may be impiety and irreligion in this The People may better excuse and pardon an indiscretion or a rudenesse if any such should happen than we may venture to offer it to God 4. There is a latitude of Theology much whereof is sect. 132 left to us so without precise and cleare determination that without breach either of faith or charity men may differ in opinion and if they may not be permitted to abound in their owne sense they will be apt to complaine of tyranny over Consciences and that Men Lord it over their faith In prayer this thing is so different that it is imprudent and full of inconvenience to derive such things into our prayers which may with good profit be matter of Sermons Therefore here a liberty may well enough be granted when there it may better be denied 5. But indeed if I may freely declare my opinion I sect. 133 thinke it were not amisse if the liberty of making Sermons were something more restrain'd then it is and that either such persons onely were intrusted with the liberty for whom the Church her selfe may safely be responsive that is to men learned and pious and that the other part the Vulgus Cleri should instruct the People out of the fountaines of the Church and the publike stock till by so long exercise and discipline in the Schooles of the Prophets they may also be intrusted to minister of their owne unto the People This I am sure was the practise of the Primitive Church when preaching was as ably and religiously performed as now it is but in this I prescribe nothing But truly I think the reverend Divines of the Assembly are many of them of my mind in this particular and that they observe a liberty indulg'd to some Persons to preach which I think they had rather should hold their peace and yet think the Church better edified in their silence then their Sermons 6. But yet methinks the Argument objected so farre sect. 134 as the ex tempore Men make use of it if it were turned with the edge the other way would have more reason in it and instead of arguing Why should not the same liberty be allowed to their spirit in praying as in preaching it were better to substitute this If they can pray with the Spirit why doe they not also preach with the Spirit And it may be there may be in reason or experience something more for preaching and making Orations by the excellency of a mans spirit and learning then for the other which in the greatest abilities it may be unfit to venture to God without publike approbation but for Sermons they may be fortunate and safe if made ex tempore Frequenter enim accidit ut successum extemporalem consequi cura non possit quem si calor ac spiritus tulit Deum tunc adfuisse cum id evenisset veteres Oratores ut Cicero dicit aiebant Now let them make demonstration of their Spirit by making excellent Sermons ex tempore that it may become an experiment of their other faculty that after they are tried and approv'd in this they may be considered for the other And if praying with the Spirit be praying ex tempore why shall not they preach ex tempore too or else confesse that they preach without the Spirit or that they have not the gift of preaching For to say that the gift of Prayer is a gift ex tempore but the gift of Preaching is with study and deliberation is to become vain and impertinent Quis enim discrevit Who hath made them of a different Consideration I mean as to this particular as to their Efficient cause nor Reason nor Revelation nor God nor Man To summe up all If any man hath a mind to exercise sect. 135 his Gift of Prayer let him set himself to work and compose Bookes of Devotion we have need of them in the Church of England so apparent need that some of the Church of Rome have made it an objection against us and this his Gift of Prayer will be to edification But otherwise I understand it is more fit for oftentation then any spirituall advantage For God hears us not the sooner for our ex tempore long or conceived Prayers possibly they may become a hindrance as in the cases before instanced And I am sure if the people be intelligent and can discerne they are hindred in their Devotion for they dare not say Amen till they have considered and many such cases will occurre in ex tempore or unlicenc'd Prayers that need much considering before we attest them But if the people be not intelligent they are apt to swallow all the inconveniences which may multiply in so great a licence and therefore it were well that the Governours of the