being a form or our using it as such be a fault both these may be charged on our Saviours account who yet knew no sin though he used divers forms and why we should be such professed enemies to what our Saviour declared himself so much a friend especially if we consider how much the formes used by him were beneath that which he commanded us I fear a satisfactory reason can be scarcely given Nay when we doe the same thing in other parts of Gods Worship why should we disallow our selves in this The Scriptures which we read are formes There are formes of Doctrine and formes of wholesome words formes of praysing God and praying unto him in the words of Abraham Jacob Moses Deborah David Solomon Hezekiah c. and when we may and ought to bless and praise God in some of these forms why ought we not also to pray unto God in this It seems forms are lawful in our praises in the administration of both Sacraments in our benedictions yea and our excommunications too onely in our prayers they are not so And is not this greatly to be wondred at that in our Generation men should so much dote upon and contend for petty forms of Discipline which till of late dayes were never fancied to be either in the Scriptures of God or the practice of his Church for which notwithstanding the veil of the Temple yea the very bowels of the Church are rent and Christ himself seems to be crucified afresh when this form so positively prescribed in Scripture so universally practised by the Church in all ages is most undeservedly and unworthily exploded Our Saviours own practice was a sufficient warrant for the Primitive Church to compose and make use of forms of Prayer in the publick worship of God and that promise of his which also implies a precept was a firm ground of raising their faith and hope of obtaining a blessing on them I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall aske it shall be done for them c. And indeed it will require the serious study experience wisedome and premeditation of more then one Disciple to express the necessities of all the people of God and suit them to the capacities and affections of them all And now having already given you a series of the use of forms in the service of God under the Old Testament and seeing the use of this prayer is disliked chiefly because it is a form I am even necessitated to say somewhat of the use of forms also under the New And that they that seek a stumbling-block may find none I shall choose to doe it in the words of pious and approved men who are above all exception And such an one in the first place I take Mr. Calvin to be who in his Epistle to the then Protector of England sayes thus As for formes of Prayer and Ecclesiastical rites I greatly approve that there be set formes from which the Pastors may not depart in their offices and whereby provision will be made to assist the simplicity and indiscretion of some and the consent of all Churches may more visibly appear and it will prove a remedy against the desultory levity of some men that still affect innovations as I have shewed saith he that the Catechisme it self serves for this purpose so therefore there ought to be a set form of Catechisme a set form of the administration of the Sacraments and of publick prayer The worst that Mr. Calvine said of the English Liturgy when it was newly purged from the dross of Popery being importuned by some dissenting English at Franckfort to pass his censure upon it was this that the things most obvious to exception were tolerabiles ineptiae trifles that might be tolerated rather then contended about and his toleration of the worst implies his approbation of the rest Upon one of these grounds the heathen themselves made use of formes which indeed were grown more universal then the Church her self ne fortè aliquid praeposterè dicatur lest any unfit thing should be spoken they read their Prayers before their sacrifices out of a book And in truth as at the building of the Temple there was no noise of axes and hammers heard but all the materials were hewed and formed before hand so in the publick service of God we should use all lawful means to secure our selves from those weaknesses indecencies and miscarriages to which we are all subject Marosius tells us that adstata pietas officia c. It is both lawful and expedient in the constant duties of Piety as well private as publick to use preconceived forms whereby both the mind and tongue may be guided in the performance for this saith he was the constant practice of the Church in all ages and grounded upon most firm testimonies of Scripture Next Alsted sayes That certain formes of prayer have been alwayes used in the Church and although to pray in a right manner be a gift of the holy Ghost tamen formulae precum divinitus praescriptae c. yet formes of prayer which are by divine prescription are not to be neglected as the precepts of living well are not therefore to be despised because the holy Spirit doth work Holiness in us Bishop Andrewes reproves an imagination against Orabo Spiritu praying in the Spirit 1 Cor. 14. 15. by finding fault with a fit Liturgy which they call stinted Prayers and giving themselves to imagine Prayers at the same instant whereby it is plain they so occupy their minds with devising what to say next that their spirit is unfruitful no less then the others understanding and both the understanding of the mind and the affection of the spirit are there necessarily required And again St. Cyprian saith It was ever in Christs Church counted an absurd thing ventilari precs inconditis vocibus the absurdity whereof would better appear if seeing under prayers here Psalmes and spiritual Songs are contained both being parts of Invocation they would have no stinted Psalmes but conceive their songs too and so sing them for in truth there is no more reason for the one then for the other but Gods Church hath ever had as a form of Doctrine both of Faith in the Creed and of life in the Decalogue so of Prayer too which from Acts 13. 2. the Fathers in all ages have called a Liturgy or the Service of God So the Reverend Bishop And Alsted sayes Eruditio eruditionum est Symbolum Virtus virtutum est Decalogus Litania litaniarum est Oratio Dominica I shall close this with that which D. Wilkins hath said of this subject who after a debate pro and con for Prayer by form and without form concludes That generally it is both lawful and necessary to prepare our selves as for the gift in general so for every particular Act of it by premeditating if we have leisure
true devotion there is much difference between the use of a prayer in a known tongue where possibly the expressions and the necessary blessings desired by him may inflame his affections and in an unknown tongue where in all probability no such effect can follow I think if we should preach all our Sermons in Latine and so pray before our people we should do less good upon the unconverted then we may by Gods blessing in English There is utterly a fault as Master Mayer observeth in those Popes that promise pardon for the saying of seven Pater noster's and as many Ave Maria's every day and it is a fault too as he addeth so to detract from this Prayer as to account 〈◊〉 better or not so worthy as a mans own conceived Prayer which is derogatorie and arrogant Dr. Owen Whether innumerable poor souls are not deluded and hardned by satisfying their Consciences with the use of this forme never knowing what it is to pray in the Holy Ghost Reply The right use of this form never deluded or hardned any nor is it easie to think how any that hath in faith and knowledge used this Prayer should not also endeavour for other inlargements Instruct a poore soul in the right use of this and there is no such method in the world to fit him for praying in the Holy Ghost and therefore to oppose the use of this form under a pretence of satisfiing the Conscience therewith to pray in the Holy Ghost is no pious or laudable Artifice as if this Prayer were exclusive of the Grace of the Spirit or as if that Holy Spirit had refused the waters of Siloah that goe softly and chosen to reside in troubled waters and whirle-winds Dr. Owen And whether the asserting this forme of words hath not confirmed many in their Atheisticall blaspheming of the Holy Spirit of God and his Grace in the prayers of his people Reply Cujus contrarium This I dare affirm with equal truth and confidence that not the asserting but the disusing and condemning this form of words hath confirmed many in their Atheistical blaspheming of the holy Spirit of God and his Grace in the Prayers of his People I offer this instance which is notoriously known When a Minister of God of great integritie and abilitie for many such there be beyond all contradiction that use this form cannot repeat this Pryaer but a great part of his auditors in some Congregations instantly conceive an invincible prejudice against both his Person and services as if there were an impossibility of being edified by them Can any good thing come out of Nazareth yea and when some actually withdraw from the Ordinance of Christ as if the Preaching of the Gospel by such men were foolishness indeed this is not far from an Atheistical blaspheming of the Holy Spirit of God and his grace in the Prayers of his People and this effect hath not been produced by the asserting but by the laying aside the use of this form in our Prayers as a fruitless carnall ordinance which hath made too many of our people to conceit of it as so much Collquiutida that maketh all the Service of God unsavourie And in my best observation I could never discover that it was the designe of those that assert this form to cast any contempt upon other well-ordered Devotions although contrarily the practice and pleading against the use of this bringeth a certain disrespect both upon this Forme and upon all other Prayers to which this is annexed But what if the asserting of a commanded duty doe confirme some in causeless prejudices It is better that others be scandalized without our fault then Christ be disobeyed and dishonoured by our fault The preaching of the Gospel is a rock of offence and a savour of death to many shall these evil effects be charged upon the Gospel as the proper products thereof God forbid Indeed the wilfull neglect of an injoyned duty and fixing of contempt upon a Precept of our Saviour and upon the universall practice of his Church in all Ages may make wary Christians jealous of some other practices of such men for we all know they have not the Spirit who despise the Word and it is as well known that to speak against some opinions and practices which in our generation pretend much to the Spirit is neither Atheisticall nor blesphemous I suppose therefore we may safely walke by this rule Not to judge of our duty by the event but by the lawfulness thereof and the authority of its prescription If any draw an ill conclusion from good premises it is his fault not ours When Christ hath commanded a duty we must doe it though all the world should be offended at it Fiat justitia ruat coelum Dr. Owen And whether the repetition of these words after men have been long praying for the things contained in them as the manner of some is be not so remote from any pretence or colour of warrant in Scripture as that it is in plain terms ridiculous Reply That our Saviour intended we should use other Prayers besides this I doubt not and what warrant the use of this hath in Scripture let every Christian Reader judge I am sure the reviling of this Practice hath none And now it is too apparent who it is that casteth reproch on this Prayer when the repetition of it is in plain terms pronounced ridiculous that stomach must be very foul that nauseates manna it self It cannot be adjudged ridiculous in our Saviour to prescribe this form twice and how cometh it to be so to use it once It was not ridiculous in him to use the same words three times on the same occasion in a great agony nor in David to bless God six and twentie times in the same words annexed to other Nor is it adjudged ridiculous to use frequent variations of words on the same matter in our Prayers nor when we have gone over the heads of our Sermons more then once to recount them again in our Prayers and yet when we have prayed to God and being conscious of the imperfections and failings of our Prayers both as to the matter and manner doe continue them in Christs own words as a supply of those defects this is pronounced in plain termes ridiculous The Prophet speaketh of some that have swords in their lips such a sword is this thorough the sides of Christs Ministers teacheth his own I end this with a note of Master Mayer As a wrestler saith he having used his best skill and strength to over come in wrestling yet finding the getting of the victory to be very hard he reinforceth himselfe at the last with all his might force and skill together that be may carry away the prize So the Christian man wrestling as Jacob with God by Prayer in the end reinforceth himselfe in this Prayer that he may not depart unblessed Dr. Owen When Master Beedle or any on his behalfe hath answered
for it both matter order and words for though it be a gift of the Spirit yet it is not to be expected that it should suddenly be infused into us without any premeditation of our own no more then the gift of preaching for which the ablest Ministers are bound to prepare themselves with diligence and study there being not any ground for a man to expect more immediate supplies from above in the duty of Prayer then in that of preaching And page 15. Because there will be sometime a necessity that our affections should follow and be stirred up by our expressions which is especially to be aimed at when we pray in publick in reference to those that joyn with us and will very often fall out likewise in our secret devotions therefore it is requisite that a man should be alwayes furnished with such premeditated forms as may be most effectual to this end namely to excite the affections and to this purpose if those heads which will be alwaies pertinent and of continual necessity were comprehended in some set forms studied with care and diligence they might perhaps be more serviceable for the stirring up our faith and affections then they could otherwise be if they did proceed onely from our own sudden conceptions and page 17. Such crude notions and confused matter as some by their neglect in this kind will vent doth rather nauseate and flat the devotion then excite it page 18. There is nothing more unsuitable to the solemnity of this duty to that reverence which we owe to the Divine Majesty then to be speak him in a loose careless empty manner And to that objection from Matthew 10. 19. Take not thought how or what ye shall speake for it shall be given you in that same houre He answers When men may use the common means it is a great presumption to depend upon extraordinary helps such as were there promised to assist them in special services The son of Sirach saith Before thou prayest prepare thy self and be not as one that tempts the Lord he that rusheth upon this duty without using the common means of fitting himself for it doth tempt God Of this those are guilty who depend so much upon immediate infusion as to neglect all previous study This de jure concerning the lawfulness and great conveniency of formes The matter o fact and the constant use of them in the Church hath been sufficiently testified already from those ancient Liturgies before named many of which though as all Protestants grant have been lamentably adulterated by the additions and alterations of late Sophisters doe yet retain manifest impressions of antiquity so that though it may be disputed concerning them as about Theseus his ship at Athens whether it were the same ship or not every part almost being changed yet it was granted that such a ship there had once been Even so certain it is there were Liturgies in those Primitive times though we cannot affirm of any one Liturgy now commended to us under those Apostolical names that it is compleatly the same as it was of old Rivet indeed reckoneth those Liturgies among zizania or tares which were sowne by the enemy while the husbandmen slept but certainly the husbandman had sown good seed in those fields though the enemy tooke the advantage of sowing suddenly after them the foundation was good though ungodly men built hay and stubble on it St. Augustine observed many corruptions in these publick devotions in his time but yet highly commended the praiers of the Church Utinam tardi corde c. I would to God that they who are of a slow heart would so hear our disputes that they would also consider our prayers which the Church hath alwayes had and will have unto the worlds end The Magdeburgenses have this observation from St. Cyprian that the rite observed in the publick Prayers of the Church was this The Priest at the beginning of Prayer did stir up the people to a devout calling on God saying Sursum corda Lift up your hearts and they answered We lift them up unto the Lord and they adde Formulas quasdam precationum sine dubio habuerant They had without doubt certain forms of Prayer Origen hath some remains of those ancient forms he sayes they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordained Prayers to some of which he often alludes as on Jeremy Frequenter in oratione dicimus c. We often say in our prayers Grant this O heavenly Father grant us a portion with thy Prophets and the Apostles of thy Christ. Eusebius saith that Constantine had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his Army and Family and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 studied premeditated and appointed prayers The Councel of Laodicea speaks of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Liturgy of Prayer and that at the entrance into the Church first the Prayer of the Catechumeni was said then that of the Penitents and lastly that of the Faithful And the Councel of Carthage ordained thus Quicunque preces aliunde desumit c. Whoever did frame any other prayers should first consult with his more learned brethren The Milevitan Councel took care that the Prayers of the Church and no others should be used Then St. Basil Though we are bid to pray concinually saith he yet may we not despise the prayers of the Church And Concil Gangren hath made one Canon to this end Ne orationes Ecclesiae contemnantur That the Prayers of the Church be not contemned The chief Objection against the use of forms of Prayer is for ever silenced by Doctor Preston The Objection is this That in stinted Prayers the Spirit is straitned when a man is tied to a form then he shall have his Spirit as it were bounded and limited that he cannot go beyond that which is prescribed and therefore say they it is reason a man should be left to more liberty as he is in conceived Prayer and not tied to a strict form To this I answer saith he that even those men that are against this and that use this reason they do the same thing dayly in the congregation for when another prayes that is a set form to him that hears it I say it is a set form for put the case that he which is the hearer and doth attend another praying suppose that his spirit be more inlarged it is a straitning of him he hath no more liberty to go out he is bound to keep his mind intent upon that which the other prayeth and therefore if that were a sufficient reason that a man might not use a set form because the spirit is straitned a man should not hear another pray though it be a conceived Prayer because in that case his spirit is limited it may be that the hearer hath a larger heart a great deal then he that speaks and prayes so that there is a bounding straitning and limiting of the Spirit to him and therefore that reason
own thereunto and for fear of failing in this would they devoutly use the very form too as Christ hath injoyned them it would prove an excellent remedy against the above named evils and surely when neither in matter nor form we express any care to resemble this Architype we do as much as in us lieth make void this injunction of our Saviour Again this mischief hath been the product of disusing this Prayer that some whom we should judge more sober and knowing Christians by their profession if they hear a Minister summe up his devotions in it though he be a person of excellent parts and pietie they presently conceive a prejudice against him as being a man of a carnal formal temper and of a different perswasion from themselves and so deprive themselves of that Spiritual comfort and edification which otherwise they might receive by his Ministery yea it hath been known that on the very repetition of this Prayer some have immediately withdrawn themselves from the Ordinances of God and so forsaken their own mercies for whom my hearts desire is that they may have time and hearts in humilitie and faith to say this Prayer once at least before they die and God forbid that I should ceas to pray for them in another form of our Saviour Father forgive them they know not what they do If for thirtie or fortie years since or any age of the Church beyond that home to our Saviours time it should have been adjudged scandalous to use the Lords Prayer the Creed or the Commandements or any should have made it the mark of a faithful Disciple to omit these things the present Church would doubtles have branded the authors of that Opinion for Arch-hereticks and yet not this opinion onely but the practice too hath like a gangrene so spread it self over the face of the land and the hearts of the people that those Ministers are generally excluded from the number of Christs faithful and able Disciples who devoutly repeat these things And if this maladie only were cured I shall account this labour happily bestowed But beside this some sober men whose judgements and practices have been for the use of this prayer as a form being called to pray in Congregations of a contrarie perswasion to avoid the Charybdis of giving a groundless offence have run on the Scylla of disobeying Christ and swerving from their own principles as if they were ashamed of Christ and of his words in an adulterous generation And who knowes whether for our wilful neglect of this one many among us have not been justly deprived of other of Gods Ordinances and given up to contempt of them But there are yet sadder effects then these The disuse of it by some hath been improved to a contempt of it in others in so much that they whose dutie it was to have blessed God for it as for a Jacobs ladder to lift them nearer Heaven have degenerated so far from Christianitie as to thank God they have forgotten it and to abhor the teaching of it to their children as if it were some unluckie spell or charm yea and what is enough to make us all tremble have quaked at the repetition of it These are sad considerations and cannot be denied to be for the most part the proper effects of omitting this prayer and as ever we hope to have them cease we should joyn with one consent to remove the cause and renew our first love to this Ordinance bring back again with joy and gladness this Ark to the House of God and prove if he will not open the windows of heaven and pour down his blessings upon us To such as have conscienciously continued the use of this prayer I say as the Angel did to the Church of Philadelphia Hold thou that fast which thou hast Let no man take thy Crown it hath not been nor ever will it be a barren or fruitless prayer unless want of faith and true devotion in us do hinder its efficacie Take heed of a hastie perfunctorie posting of it over as if the words were too hot for our mouths whereby we may cause our good to be evil spoken of Let it be uttered with deliberation and servencie in faith and an actual apprehension of those mercies which we want and chieflie desire under each Petition that both our own and our peoples judgements and affections may accompanie it And on all occasions open this box of precious ointment or in a plain and familiar Exposition of the chief parts of it unto the people that the spices thereof may send forth their smell even a sweet savour of reconciliation and acceptation with God a savour of Pietie Charitie and Life unto the people cautionate them against formalitie and lio-labour onelie in this prayer which as the flie which Solomon speaks of will cause the whole composition to corrupt The drawing nigh unto God with the lips though in this most excellent Prayer while the heart is far from him will turn this Sacrifice of God into an offering of fools and therefore instruct them how every desire of theirs may and all their present wants and requests ought to be referred to and expressed in one of these Petitions the diligent Reader may see what Reverend Mr. Ball hath written to this purpose And let none thinke it enough to use it as a form onely but let him study to conform all his more solemn devotions to the matter and method of it and so we shall be sure to observe our Saviours injunction and obtain his blessing It remains onely now that we wipe off those Objections that stick on this practice which although as so many Vipers on Saint Pauls hand coming out of the fire which contentious spirits have kindled may seem to argue its guiltiness of divers accusations yet after that we have had the patience to look on them awhile we shall see them fall off of their own accord and the sight thereof I hope will cause the Objectors to change their minds The first Objection is this The form related by St. Matthew doth differ from that in St. Luke as in the fourth Petition what St. Matthew expresseth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 day by day St. Luke renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 day by day and in the fifth Petition for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St. Matthew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St. Luke Our debts our trespasses which varietie of readings argueth that it was not intended for a form of words to be precisely so used It is more then probable that our Saviour did deliver it both times in the same words they that hold it was but once delivered must of necessitie acknowledge it but our Saviour using the same Syriack Dialect which the Apostles afterward expressed in Greek as their own style guided them it is almost impossible to think how they should accord better considering that although the Holy Ghost did assist them in calling things