himself affirms pag. 11. The matter now in dispute is only about him that officiates But my Paraphrases being not at all intended for the use of Ministers or others in public therefore they are nothing to the purpose of Variations designed for public use exclusive of the Liturgy His next Question is Whether my Paraphrases be ever the better for being only for private use I answer This makes his alledging them in an Argument about publick Variations appear frivolous and impertinent But if he delight in Comparisons a private Minister who makes Variations for private use to promote Uniformity and Devotion and to beget in all a just esteem of the established way of Worship doth much better than he who to shew his ability to vary uses his faculty in public to exclude the established way and thereby breeds a contempt of it and promotes separation from it Pag. 10. I granted pag. 16. That every good man might pray by the ordinary assistance of the Spirit devoutly and fervently even by a Form Mr. S. B. leaves out the main words even by a Form and falls to make Inferences from half my Sentence asking If Men may be so enlightned and affected c. why they may not by the ordinary assistance of the Spirit express their resentments in proper Expressions If he mean in private perhaps they may but that is nothing to our Question which is only about public Prayer if he mean in public I have already given him divers Reasons why this cannot be permitted much less established in a setled Church But in short I will give him here three Reasons First This liberty is needless because there are more proper Expressions already composed by Holy men who had the ordinary assistance of the Spirit than any of us can invent on the sudden Secondly This liberty would be pernicious occasioning Envy among the Clergy and Factions among the People some of the most learned and pious would be despised only for their modesty and others of the most ignorant and profane admired for their fluency and confidence Thirdly Supposing both ways of praying by enjoyned Forms and Extempore were equal yet when our Church being guided by antiquity reason and the practice of other modern Churches hath prohibited that way and prescribed Forms they are certainly the better way for us Pag. 11. He yields at last That the frame and actings of the Soul the exercise of Faith Repentance Love c. are the principal thing in Prayer Now when I had proved that a Minister may do all this and so pray by the Spirit in a Form why may he not be obliged always to use a Form in public Mr. S. B. can object nothing but this If the enjoyned Form do not so well express that sense which he and others have of the Matter of Prayer as other words which occur to him then he cannot be said to pray in or by the Spirit in the full import of the phrase Now this Supposition shews first That these men have a high opinion of their own Invention who think they can devise better words Extempore than our Reverend makers of the Liturgâ— could frame by much study Secondly 'T is plain That using these new Phrases is by his account the full and only import of Praying by the Spirit for he makes varying the phrase necessary to the exercise of it and his Extempore man is singular in nothing else But he should consider this is a Scripture-phrase and the import of it is to be learned from thence wherefore he should have brought some Text where Praying by the Spirit signifies Inventing new Phrases but that he can never do and reason is against his Exposition as well as Scripture for since he owns new Words not to be the principal thing in Prayer no man will believe the Spirits assistance is necessary for the less principal yea where we have proper Phrases already for a needless thing Wherefore when in the use of our Forms our Soul is in good frame and we exercise all proper Graces by the assistance of the Spirit we Pray by the Spirit in all Senses that the phrase is capable of but Two which are of Mr. S. B's own devising first that we do not daily invent new Words nor secondly do we vainly imagine we can invent more proper Words than the Church hath provided After this he runs back to my 15th Page where I had shewed That if Praying by the Spirit signifie making new Words and Phrases then none but the Minister in public prays by the Spirit since the people never invent new Words but the Ministers words are a Form to them The Examiner tugs hard to get off from this Rock and saith first The dispute is only about him that officiates But had he read over the place he pretends to confute he must have seen I was answering Mr. Clarkson who Disc of Lit. pag. 128 129. makes Praying by the Spirit a gift common to all Christians and yet afterwards saith He that was able to conceive a Prayer himself yet made use of prayers formed by others he did not pray as he was able which he makes to be all one with praying by the Spirit The absurdity of which Assertion I proved by this scandalous Consequence of it that then the People whom he affirms to have this Gift in all Ages did never pray by the Spirit because they make use of Forms made by others so that here our dispute was about the People For by this I made it appear how falsly they expounded the phrase of praying by the Spirit by inventing new Words which excludes the People from ever praying by the Spirit at all Secondly Mr. S. B. saith The Ministers prayer is not a Form to the Congregation in the Sense we are discoursing of I answer It is a prayer framed by another and that is Mr. Clarkson's sense of a Form and I think Mr. S. B's too who saith in this very Page if a man restrain himself to the words and phrases put together by others which express not their sense so well as some that occur to them c. Here a Form is defined Words and Phrases put together by others and the using it restraining ones self to those words Now the people are restrained to words and phrases put together by the Minister therefore his Prayer is a Form to them And if one of the Congregation conceive he can express his sense better than his Minister doth and yet sits by silent and uses the Ministers words to express his sense according to Mr. Cl. this man doth not pray as well as he is able and according to Mr. S. B. he prays not by the Spirit in the full import of the phrase which natural yet odious Consequence should make them ashamed of their explaining this phrase of Praying by the Spirit by inventing new Expressions Thirdly Mr. S. B. saith The Congregation may joyn in the spiritual performance of the duty acting Graces suitable to
the occasions and improving others abilities to further their Devotion This he designs to prove That the Ministers prayer is not a Form to the People but I affirm the Congregation who joyn in the Common-Prayer do or may do all this yet I hope Mr. S. B. will not affirm that their joyning in the Spiritual performance acting Graces and using the abilities of the Liturgy-makers to further their Devotion proves the Common-Prayer is no Form to our People Lastly he affirms That the Congregation are not called to express vocally their inward resentments in the fittest words they are able I reply They are commanded to pray by the Spirit in public as well as in private and if they may not use their own Expressions there then they may pray by the Spirit without using their own words and praying fervently is the main import of that phrase Besides he runs from the point to tell us what is the duty of Ministers and what the Peoples For our Question here is Whether their being tied to their Ministers Prayer do not make it a Form to them not Whether they should be tied to his words or no If I grant they ought to be tied to his words that makes them not less a Form to them but I may note that he cannot produce one place of Scripture where as he phrases it Ministers are called to speak all the Office alone or to express their sense in new phrases daily or where the People are forbid to say any part of the Prayers If he cannot shew Scripture for these ways of the Dissenters he is highly to blame to apply the Canting-phrase of A Call which implies a Divine Command to meer human devices 'T is apparent from the best antiquity since the Apostles and from the Jewish Custom that the people joyned both in Praises and Prayers by Responses Repetitions c. contrary to which the Dissenters now confine the People wholly to the Ministers words throughout their Extempore Prayers and then by a wrong exposition of the praying by the Spirit abuse their own Congregations as much as they do those who use the Liturgy and exclude them as well as us from Praying by the Spirit Pag. 12. I granted there was an extraordinary Gift of Prayer in and after the Apostles days the Spirit furnishing some then both with words and matter This I proved by S. Chrysostom who notes it was ceased long before his time and I made it probable that the Original of Liturgies was from Prayers endited at first by these Inspired men and preserved in writing by some for the benefit of after-Ages Hist Lit. pag. 17. Mr. S. B. objects That I have none but S. Chrysostom to vouch for this Gift And is not he a good Evidence for a matter of Fact so near his own time when Mr. S. B. hath not one Father nor Argument to disprove him But he startles at a dreadful Consequence of his own dressing up viz. That this would make Liturgies to be Divine Revelations which he represents as little less than Blasphemy Now to put him out of his affright he must consider First That there is great difference between Holy Scripture written by Inspired men on purpose to be a perfect Rule of Faith and Manners and certainly delivered to us as the very Word of God and Forms occasionally used or composed by some Inspired man accidentally preserved as some Liturgick Forms and some Sayings of the Apostles not Recorded in the New Testament were So that the affirming the Primitive part of Liturgy was made at first by Inspired men doth not equal it to Scripture Secondly This Primitive part of Liturgy is either the very words of Scripture or so pious pure pertinent and agreeable to it that it is no reflection on the Spirit of God to say this was derived from the Prayers of Inspired men Thirdly The agreement of distant Churches so early in the same Forms cannot well be made out unless we allow these Forms were made at first by that one Spirit which inspired all the planters of these several Churches Lastly It is far more arrogant and nearer Blasphemy to ascribe modern extempore Prayers to Inspiration as the People are taught to do to charge the Holy Spirit with the blunders tautologies non-sense and impertinencies of this way must provoke God with a witness I might also here shew that two Popish Impostors first brought up this way of Extempore prayer in England and that many who were great admirers of it have fallen off to Quakerism c. but that is done by other hands I return therefore to the Examiner who adds That some of our latest Liturgies have some Prayers in them whose very frame shews they were not composed by Inspiration If he say this of the modern corrupt Additions to old Liturgies it is nothing to the purpose because we consider nothing here but the Primitive part of these Liturgies If he mean it of our Common-Prayer one of the best and latest Liturgies I affirm the meanest Collect there is fitter to be ascribed to Inspiration than the best Extempore Prayer I ever heard yet we do not equal them to Holy Scripture And now I hope it is plain my Examiner hath said nothing to lessen the value of Liturgies or raise the credit of the Extempore way I will next consider whether he hath any better skill of success in examining Authors than in refuting Scripture Arguments The First Century § 1. pag. 13. TO avoid all Cavil and prevent Fallacies I will first shew what I undertook to prove in this Century which was That the Christians had Forms of Prayer and Praise pag. 21. and a Liturgy or Order at least pag. 22. That their Hymns were certainly in prescribed Forms pag. 25. Their Prayer and Supplication one and approved by the Bishop their Singing alternate pag. 27. This was all I undertook to prove in an Age so full of inspired Pastors and so deficient in Writers wherein as I noted pag. 19 much evidence for Liturgies cannot be expected And if we find some steps made towards a Liturgy invariably used thus early we may be sure as Gifts decreased the use of Forms in every Age must proportionably increase My first proof is from Josephus who saith The Essenes used early in the Morning Prayers delivered them from their Fore-fathers De bell Jud. l. 2. c. 7. now these must be Forms Philo adds They sang Hymns alternately De vit contemp which must be known Forms also and Eusebius who from Philo's description took them to be Christians converted by S. Mark observes their Hymns were the same with those sung in the Church in his time All this the Examiner grants and this is enough for my purpose because it proves That such as were taken to be Christians by their agreement with the Primitive Rites certainly had and used Forms both of Prayer and Praise He only cavils about Eusebius's not mentioning their Forms of Prayer Suppose he do not Josephus
was called Coena wherefore this Phrase applied to Prayers signifies that the Congregation had a share in the Service and shews they were Forms for themselves and for all others And Justin would rather have called them General or Universal than Common-Prayers if he had meant by that Epithet to signifie they were made for all Men. Pag. 21. But the most famous passage in Justin M. is that of the Presidents offering up Prayers and in like manner Thanksgivings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as he is able Mr. Clarkson first produced this place to prove that they used Extempore prayers then at the Eucharist and spent near Ten pages in Quotations to make out that to be the import of this Phrase To this I made two general Replies First If this were the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it would not follow from the Clergies praying so in the Inspired Ages that we must pray so now Secondly That Mr. Cl. was hard put to it for proofs when he laid so much stress on a Phrase that at least is very ambiguous These two Replies Mr. S. B. takes no notice of Thirdly I answered all Mr. Cl's pertinent Quotations and brought others to shew that this Phrase signifies no more than praying and praising God with all possible fervency the Examiner interposes to judge between us and without enquiring into either of our Quotations gives sentence against me and his pretended Reasons for it are these First Because Justin M. for the understanding this Phrase refers us not to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I affirmed but to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little before where he saith The President offers up prayers and praises to God c. and gives thanks for the benefits vouchsafed in the Lords Supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which for any thing he yet knows signifies distinctly and with variety of Expression I reply This passage where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is found speaks only of giving thinks he hath added Prayers of his own head Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies for a long time and not as he fancies distinctly or with variety of Expression as appears by Acts xxviii 6. where when the Viper hung on Paul's Hand the Barbarians expected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a long time that he should have fallen down dead but surely they did not expect this distinctly or with variety of Expression So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot explain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Sense But Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used of the prayers after Baptism which no doubt were agreeable to those at the Eucharist and as I shewed it signifies they were made earnestly devoutly and affectionately which is the import of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the prayers and praises at the Communion So that still it appears Justin M. by both these phrases intended to express the fervency of him that officiated not his using new and various words Pag. 22. Again Secondly Mr. S. B. understands not why it s signifying fervently should exclude the other sense of the Presidents using his ability as to Expressions It seems there are many things he doth not and some he will not understand I doubt the latter is the case here for there is an obvious Reason why this one phrase cannot signifie both in this place viz. because it is not usual for an Author in the same place to use the same phrase in two so different senses and I have shewed the most usual and probable sense is fervently and therefore Mr. Cl. must not build a new Notion upon his new and false Exposition As to the Examiner he would make that sense necessary by a Case which he refers to me to decide viz. Whether a Minister using a prescribed Form with all the fervency he can may be said to pray as well as he is able if he think he can represent his Resentments better by his own Expressions Which Case I thus resolve If the Form he use be our Liturgy and he goes on still to use it notwithstanding the spirit of Pride suggests to him great things of his own abilities He prays better than he is able to do on the sudden in his own Expressions And I cannot believe any considering man of tolerable modesty will say that he is able to express the wants of a public Congregation better especially without study than they are expressed in our acurate Forms drawn up by so many learned and pious Men with great care and judgment wherein all ordinary cases are provided for and to which when public Affairs require it New occasional Forms are added in better Expressions than most of us can put together by study and our utmost care He therefore who prays fervently by such Forms certainly prays as well as he is able Thirdly He adviseth me to look over my Quotations again and see whether they mean no more than vigorous affections Which is a fine way of covering his ill success in examining them He never slips any advantage and from his silence I may conclude he found none here wherefore my proofs for this Sense stand good till he offer something to invalidate them Pag. 23. A further proof that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 relates only to the Affections is because it is frequently applied to praises which I have proved generally were in Forms And I justly taxed Mr. Cl. for applying the phrase only to Prayers since in this and another place of Justin it chiefly if not only relates to the Hymns c. Mr. S. B. falsly cites my words as if I said It only related to the Hymns c. whereas I do think it relates to Prayers but not only nor chiefly to them because in the former place of Justin M. p. 60. it is joyned to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praising God as well as we are able and in the latter place pag. 98. it immediately follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 offering praises as well as we are able And so it doth also in three of those four places which I produced pag. 36 37. Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being so often applied to Praises and chiefly relating to them in these two places of Justin M. and they being for the most part in prescribed Forms it must signifie something which is proper to those who praise God by a Form that is not making new Expressions but fervency But if he will have it in Justin M. equally relate to Prayers it is certain the Prayers and Praises were both alike for he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. pag. 98. He offereth up Prayers and in like manner Thanksgivings c. So that if the Praises were Forms the Prayers were so also Now the Hymns at the Eucharist were one sort of praises instituted by Christ and surely not omitted by this pure Age so near their first appointment and these must be Forms yet these among other Praises were offered up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fervently but not with new