and through Jesus Christ To God onely as the chief best and most perfect good through Christ as our Mediatour in whom we have accesse to the throne of grace Prayer is not a work of nature but of grace The principall authour thereof is the holy Ghost Man indeed doth poure out his soul unto the Lord but he is first taught moved and enabled thereunto by the Spirit of grace so that prayer is Gods gift and mans act The matter of our prayer is diverse according to the sundry occasions which happen in this life but ever it must be agreeable to the word and will of God Understanding faith humilitie reverence fervencie holinesse and love are required to that prayer which is acceptable unto God and doth procure audience In prayer with others especially in publick prayer where the minister is the mouth of the people the use of the voice is necessarie for the edification of the hearers for they cannot joyn in supplication and yield their consent unlesse they heare and understand what is prayed for In solitary prayer the voice and words are very usefull but not necessary usefull to stirre up affection and prevent rovings not necessary because it is the soul only that doth animate prayer A man may pray fervently and speak never a word but words be of no worth if the heart be absent Prayer endited by the Spirit and poured out by a sanctified soul is ever sweet and pleasant melodie in the eares of God though the tongue keep silence and the phrase of speech be rough and unpolished But let the outward frame of words be never so smooth and well set together the prayer is not pleasing unto God if therein we crave things unlawfull and impertinent if it be read or uttered without intention of heart understanding faith c. Neverthelesse in prayer with others specially in the publick assemblie words and decent phrase must not be neglected because all things must be done gravely and to edification To place devotion in words is superstition to hunt after quaint terms is foolish vanity but to neglect a decent and comely manner of speech is barbarousnesse Seeing then the use of the voice is not of the essence of prayer no man of understanding will deny that to be an holy and acceptable prayer which proceedeth from a sincere and upright heart feeling its own or others wants and craving supply thereof according to Gods will whether the petitions be put up in the self-same or in other words And yet because the ordinances of God must be kept from contempt in the publick assembly it is good neither to be over-neat nor over-homely but to use such a mean as doth most tend to the glory of God and good of Gods people Here a question is moved Whether a stinted Liturgie or set form of prayer publick or private be lawfull in the deviser or user A penned or stinted prayer I call Prayer in respect of the matter and externall form because the matter is delivered in form of a prayer or supplication tendred to God though properly it is not a prayer as it is penned or printed but as it is rehearsed as our prayer with understanding feeling of our wants humilitie confidence c. The controversie is not of this or that prescript form in particular much lesse of one faulty or erroneous but of a prescript form in generall Whether it be lawfull especially in the publick assembly to appoint any prescript or set form of prayer though for matter never so sound and allowable For if the exception be against this or that form in respect of the matter or maner of imposing then the question should be Whether this prayer for matter or manner of imposing be erroneous not Whether a stinted form of prayer or Liturgie be lawfull It is not questioned whether a man may ask things unlawfull or impertinent in prayer for the matter of our prayer must be agreeable to the word of God and our present occasions A prayer for matter and externall form holy and fit may by accident be sinfull in the user viz. when it is repeated without understanding or intention of the heart Of this there is no doubt It is granted also that no one prescript and stinted form of prayer or Liturgie is simply necessary either in publick or private for then our Saviour Christ who would not be wanting to his church in things necessarie would by his Apostles expressely have set down one to be an exact and unchangeable rule to all Christians and churches to the worlds end both for matter and form words and method whereunto they should have been tied and that alwayes But seeing our Saviour hath commanded no such unchangeable form it is not the Necessity but the Lawfulnesse of a stinted Liturgie or set form of prayer that is pleaded for and that as a matter of order not of religion or substantiall means of worship For in this sense there is no means of worship expedient which is not necessary by commandment It was never held that a man should so tie himself or be tied alwayes to a set form without variation that he should never offer up any prayer unto God as occasion is offered and necessitie requireth but what he findeth in his book Such use of a set and stinted form of prayer we do not acknowledge nor seek to perswade But to reade prayer as a prayer upon a book or to make known unto God the desires of our heart in a set form of words devised by others or our selves when the things we beg are allowable fit and necessary and when it is done with right affection is contrary to no precept or commandment directly or by lawfull consequence Amongst them that oppose a set form of prayer we may observe differences in opinion The ancient brethren of the Separation as M r Smith calleth them for distinction condemn all stinted forms of prayer to be used as a prayer Thus they dispute against set or stinted forms of prayer that it is a devise of man an Idole-prayer a stinting of the Spirit the substituting of a book in the room and stead of the holy Ghost a drawing nigh to God with the lips when the heart is removed farre from him That if set forms be lawfull then one may make anothers prayer buy his prayers at a book-binders shop carry them about in his pocket with many the like Which arguments whatsoever their weight be strike at all set forms and not at this or that onely prescribed in this or that manner M r Robinson hideth the matter as much as well he may by such like additions as these of matter and manner The thing saith he you should have endeavoured to prove is That your Divine service-book framed by man and by man imposed to be used without addition or alteration as the solemn worship of your church is that true and spirituall manner of
thing is found there follow all necessarie requisites to the true and complete being thereof But a prescript from of prayer sound and fit for matter grave for the manner of penning and read or uttered as our prayer with knowledge faith reverence and fervencie of affection hath the true matter and form of prayer For the matter of our prayers are those common blessings and speciall good things which according to the will and pleasure of God we are to beg of him for our selves and others The true form of prayer I speak of prayer uttered with the voice is the outward disposition and frame of words and the inward elevation and lifting up of the heart to God by the holy Ghost Will any man say that all these things cannot be observed in a stinted form of prayer common experience will confute him Who knoweth not the matter of many prescript forms of prayer to be good and necessary for all men All our wants and particular occasions are not mentioned or laid open in the prayers conceived by the minister or governour of the family and yet no man judgeth them for that cause unlawfull though imperfect It is not then prejudiciall to the lawfull use of a prescript form that many particulars which we stand in need of are not therein mentioned Can it not be read or uttered with right disposition of heart how then can we sing with joy or praise God with cheerfulnesse in a stinted or set form of words Is it not easier to cry for what we need with feeling then to return praise with love and joyfulnesse for what we have obteined He that will confesse it possible to give thanks aright in a set form of words devised by others or invented of himself cannot deny the same in prayer with any shew of truth or colour of reason Men may read it viz. the Lords prayer and humane liturgies with understanding and feelling saith M r Ainsworth Again If in the ordinary use of the Lords prayer publick and private without addition or variation all things required in prayer by the word of God may be observed then a stinted form of prayer may have the true matter and form of prayer or all things required in prayer may be observed in a stinted form But in the ordinary use of the Lords prayer publick and private without addition or variation all things required in prayer by the word of God may be observed For the matter there is no word in the Lords prayer which doth not ordinarily in great measure and in the main alwayes concern every Christian mans estate though he cannot reach unto all things comprehended in this prayer And all our wants are conteined within the compasse of the Lords prayer and may be deduced thence though they be not in â—lat terms expressed Infinite things are included in the Lords prayer which the weak and imperfect faith of the godly cannot reach unto but such and so much reach the weak faith hath that the child of God doth and may with comfort and profit use the Lords prayer as a prayer The Lords prayer is both the foundation of our godly prayers and the prayer of prayers Some weights and measures may be as rules to others and used as weights and measures themselves Concupiscence is both sin and the cause of sin Of ancient times the Lords prayer was used in all publick Liturgies and was of frequent use among private Christians Tertullian fitly calleth it The law of prayer and breviary of the Gospel Calvine The rule That it may be used with right disposition and affection of soul is confessed by them that dislike all stinted forms and testified by the experience of all Christians Therefore the Lords prayer may lawfully be used as a prayer both in publick and private by ministers and people weak and strong But first we are willed to note That the forms mentioned in scriptures of the old Testament are but for some speciall occasions and commanded to the church not from every ordinary church-officer priests and Levites but onely from the Prophets who had an extraordinary immediate calling from God who might as well deliver for scripture-oracles the truth of God taught by them as any forms of prayers and praises This we have observed and do acknowledge the forms of psalmes prayers and praises given by the Prophets immediately called and chosen of God to be parts of the sacred Canon to which it is not lawfull for particular churches or the whole church in generall to adde the least jot or tittle But this is not to the point in hand For we do not reason thus That seeing the Prophets by extraodinary and immediate calling gave speciall forms of prayer or praises to the church upon speciall occasion which are parts of the Canon therefore the church may do the like But thus we conclude and that according to the truth That seeing holy men have prescribed and the faithfull have used these forms not by extraordinary inspiration or speciall prerogative but upon grounds common to them and us the like forms may be prescribed and used without speciall commandment And seeing the Prophets and holy men of God by inspiration gave certain psalmes or forms of prayer and praise unto the church to be use upon speciall occasion which have the true matter and form of prayer and praise when they be used as a prayer or thanksgiving in faith reverence humility c. according to the present occasion therefore prayer uttered in a stinted form of words or read upon a book as a prayer may come from the spirit and be tendred to God with right affection A man may reade when he prayeth and the eye may guide the heart when the holy Ghost doth lift up and make it able to poure forth its desires unto the Lord. And if those forms of prayers and praises which are parts of the scripture may have the true nature matter form of prayer c. when they be used in faith and by the power of the holy Ghost enabling us to pray or praise the Lord in that form other forms of prayers or praises fit for matter may have the true matter form of prayer or praise when they be used in faith by the power of the holy Ghost as occasion requireth For the prayers recorded in holy scripture have not the true nature and form of prayer in respect of us because they are recorded in scripture but as they are used by us in holy manner upon fitting occasion and other forms fit for the matter used in such manner as God commandeth in faith humility reverence c. by the quickening power of the Spirit have the true matter and form of prayer as well as they But those forms are not the devise of man as be the other True as they be part of holy scripture they are of God both in respect of matter and form but as
proved already Why may they not as lawfully command to preach by reading of Homilies as to pray by reading of the Liturgie both which are contrary to the institution of Christ and the holy scriptures The two feet upon which the dumb ministery standeth like Nebuchadnezzars image upon the feet of iron and clay are the book of Common prayer and of Homilies the reading of the former which is the right foot serving them for Prayer and the other for Preaching Which feet if they were smitten as were the other with the stone cut without hands the whole Idole-priesthood would fall and be broken a-pieces as that other image was This objection presupposeth that there is some great affinity betwixt a stinted Liturgie and an idle ministry which is a bare conjecture For in the Primitive church the abettours mainteiners and in part devisers of stinted Liturgies have and for ever shall be renowned in the church of God for their constant continuall and unwearied pains and industry in preaching the Gospel It is a thing notoriously known and confessed that Cyprian Ambrose Chrysostome and Augustine did all of them allow and approve and some of them devise stinted forms of Liturgies and yet who almost for diligence and labour in teaching the people in the wayes of salvation to be compared unto them Of their learning and zeal it is needlesse to say any thing For three of them there is plentifull testimony that they preached every day in the week and yeare at least once or twice without fail Ye heard yesterday Ye shall heare to morrow is common in their tractates and homilies Augustine even to the extremity of his sicknesse preached the word of God in his church cheerfully and boldly with a sound mind and judgement without any intermission at all The like diligence is noted in others who lived before and about those times in all which a stinted Liturgie was in use And generally the Fathers in the primitive church presse the knowledge of the scriptures residence upon his charge diligence in reading meditation prayer and instruction of the people as duties requisite and necessary and by no means to be neglected or omitted of the minister They also exhort the people not onely to heare the word of God but to learn it by heart to instruct and warn one another to sing psalmes conferre religiously begin and end their feasts with solemn prayer reade the scriptures in their houses and discourse thereof one with another for their mutuall profit and edification and to call their families children wives servants friends and neighbours together and to repeat the sermons they heare at church-together after the sermon ended Such exhortations are common and ordinary in them who approved stinted Liturgies Let one of you take in hand the holy book and by the heavenly words having called his neighbours about him let him water and refresh both their minte and his own Being at home we may both before and after meat take the holy books in hand and thereof receive great profit and minister spirituall food unto our souls Gregorie disalloweth that such should attend to singing and modulation of the voice who should apply themselves to the office of preaching Hierome cut short the lessons when whole books were read in order before that so there might he time for preaching Durantus himself misliketh the men that extra modum ordinem orationes multiplicant unde auditores sibi ingratos efficiunt populum Dei potiùs fastidio avertunt quà m alliciunt And Petrus de Aliaco counselleth quòd in Divino officio non tam â—nerosa prolixitas quà m devota integra brevitas servaretur A stinted Liturgie then in it self doth not abbridge nor hinder the liberty of preaching or prayer according to the speciall present occasions nor ought it so to do For when the minister of the Gospel is bound to be instant in season and out of season to teach exhort reprove with all long suffering and patience these necessary and wholesome functions of the holy ministery must not be trust out or hindred And it is not hard to shew the wisedome and moderation of the churches in their prescribed catechismes stinted prayers and exhortations in the administration of the sacraments c. to be such that they have allowed time convenient both for preaching and prayer according as God hath enabled his messengers In these times of this reformation the pains of such whom God stirred up first to preach the Gospel and instruct the people in the wayes of salvation was almost miraculous and yet generally they approved and devised a publick stinted form of Liturgie As for Homilies they were first allowed in the church not to uphold or maintein an ignorant ministery or to supply his defect that should take pains but would not much lesse to shut out preaching but to supply the casuall defect of preaching through the weaknesse and infirmitie of the minister CHAP. V. A stinted form of prayer doth not quench the Spirit THe Spirit of Grace enableth us to pray and maketh requests for us but worketh by means It instructeth us what to ask not in what phrase of speech It stirreth up in us holy desires but giveth not abilitie suddenly and without help to expresse and lay open our hearts in fit method and words significant As the Spirit doth perswade and assure the heart that the scripture is the word of God not witnessing of the letters syllables and words but of the matter and saving truth therein conteined So the Spirit instructeth us to pray by opening our eyes to see our misery and inflaming our hearts with a longing desire of mercy and relief in the mediation of Jesus Christ but it giveth not abilitie evermore to utter and expresse these our desires in fit and decent phrase of speech Abilitie of speech is a common gift of the Spirit which the Lord bestoweth upon good and bad Yea many times gracelesse persons are herein preferred before the most sincere and upright and many an honest heart can cry aloud for mercy who is scarce able to utter one distinct and perfect sentence in fit words and order Let no man except that ministers have better abilities For when the Apostle saith the Spirit is given to help our infirmities who know not how to pray as we ought he speaketh of all beleevers as well others as ministers private prayers as well as publick And whosoever is enabled or provoked to lift up any one sigh or grone unto God or to make apologie for himself in the mediation of Christ in any manner it is by the holy Ghost These things considered I suppose all men will grant 1. That it is lawfull for a man before-hand to meditate on his own particular wants and the necessities of others and that he may more fully understand and more sensibly be affected with them to reade good books which unfold the
particular sinnes against the law of God the state of man by nature and the condition of the Saints and of the church as also to think upon the works of Gods providence and how he is pleased to deal with his people in all places 2. The better to stirre up confidence and affection and to furnish himself with words and matter it is not unlawfull nor unprofitable to reade the prayers of the godly registred in holy scripture or published in other godly books to observe the matter of their prayer their ferventnesse in praying and the arguments wherewith they pressed their suits and contended for audience 3. After a man hath collected matter for prayer by meditation and reading he may studie to digest it into due order and method and to expresse his requests in fit and decent speech and the same so conceived he may utter as a prayer according as occasion shall offer it self The reason may be thus contracted If the Spirit of God doth work by means and stir up good desires but giveth not abilitie to expresse our desires in fitting significant words 〈◊〉 it is lawfull for us to use all godly means to stirr up the graces of God in us and premediate how we may utter our requests in such form and manner as may best serve for our quickning and the edification of others And if the use of a premeditated form of words in prayer do not stint the Spirit in a sinfull manner a set form of prayer cannot be condemned as injurious to the Spirit The Spirit of God is the onely sufficient help which God giveth us to help our infirmities in the time of prayer Rom. 8. 26. Gal. 4. 6. Zech. 12. 10. We confesse most willingly that prayer is not a work of nature wit or learning but of the Spirit of grace True desire or abilitie to pray is not bred in us by nature nor procured and gotten by our study and industry but proceedeth onely from the holy Ghost as the authour and efficient and this is proved by the places quoted But ability to pray standeth in the lifting up of the soul unto God not in the ample expression of our desires according to the various occasions in fit words and pressing them with forcible arguments Prayer is the immediate work of the Spirit But no text of scripture doth in such sense make the holy Ghost the authour of prayer or helper of our infirmities as that it should be unlawfull to make use of outward means to furnish the soul with matter stirre up the graces of God in the heart and blow the coals of the spirit For then we must not reade the scriptures nor other godly books we may not meditate or conferre the better to fit us for prayer Peradventure it will be said the Spirit of God is our onely helper in the time of prayer so that at other times we may use helps to stirre up the graces of the Spirit but not in the time of prayer And if this distinction be found in scripture or by sound reason may be deduced out of scripture we must hearken unto it but if it be of our selves whiles we pleade against the devises of men we maintein devises The Spirit of grace is at all times the sole mover and enabler of us to pray and the use of lawfull helps and such as suite with the nature of prayer are at no time unlawfull As it is fit to meditate and reade before we pray so in prayer it is lawfull to kneel lift up the eyes and hands use the help of the voyce and the benefit of a Christian friend to stirre up affection Therefore for the lawfulnesse of book-prayer we may dispute thus If it be lawfull to use externall helps in time of prayer the better to stirre up affection then book-prayer is not to be condemned for this that the Spirit of God is the onely or sufficient help that God giveth to help our infirmities in the time of prayer But it is lawfull to use externall helps in time of prayer The Spirit alone either immediately or by means sanctified and ordained by himself maketh requests for us yea it is by the immediate teachings and suggestions of the Spirit that all our requests must be put up no other helps are mentioned or can be collected in the present action of prayer I will not stand to enquire how these things can agree together what is meant by the immediate teachings of the Spirit or how the Spirit maketh requests either immediately or by means The Spirit alone and that immediately is the authour of prayer but by means he ministreth varietie of matter order and words But what are we to understand by means sanctified and ordained by himself If means ordained by speciall institution it is too strait and hard to conceive what they be If means allowed by God as those whereby we may furnish our selves with words and matter for prayer as reading godly books conference meditation on the works of God c. a stinted form of prayer is a means sanctified And here I desire it may be noted in what sense a form of prayer is called a means or furtherance not as a means or form of worship properly so called but as in fit words and phrases it presenteth to our minds or memories what we ought to beg agreeable to the word of God as the frame of words and matter kept in memory may be called and is reputed a stinted form A stinted form of prayer quencheth the Spirit It is a quenching of the Spirit to reade another mans prayer upon a book That quencheth the Spirit which is as water to cool or allay or exstinguish the heat of that holy fire which cannot be imputed to a set form of prayer either by authoritie of scripture or sound reason Reading godly books is an exercise profitable to stirre up the graces of Gods Spirit in us were it not a wonder if reading a godly prayer should produce the contrary effect As in the ministery of the word the corruption of mans heart and the hainousnesse of sinne may more lively and fully be discovered for his humiliation then he is able of himself to set it forth so in prayer penned by a goldy andwell experienced Christian the case of a distressed soul may more pithily and amply be deciphred and anatomized then he of himself is able to lay it open And in such case to deny this lawfull help is to take away a crutch from the lame and bread from the hungry In the very act of prayer it is lawfull to use outward helps whereby we may be enabled to pray better and shall it not be lawfull for a burdened soul perplexed with doubtings overwhelmed with bitter anguish to use the help of a book that he might the better unfold and lay open his misery into the bosome of his loving Father The ample and particular laying open of our necessities doth ease the
heart and move affections and when this may be done better by the help of a book in prayer then of our selves how can the use thereof be accused as the quenching of the Spirit It is the Spirit indeed that doth help us in our infirmities but we must use means to stirre up the graces of the Spirit in us He quencheth not the Spirit who laboureth to blow the coals of grace and useth all helps afforded in most ample and particular manner to unburden his heart before the Lord. He doth not substitute his Christian friends in the place of the word and Spirit who not able to lift up his own soul by reason of griâ—vous straitnesse and pressure of heart doth crave his help and assistance in prayer And may not a godly book supply the lack of Christian companion When we are dull and out of order we may joyn with others in prayer for our relief and quickning why then should it be intolerable to make this benefit of a godly book A set form of prayer may be committed to memory and uttered from it doth that also quench the Spirit It is not safe they say for a minister to limit himself alwayes to one form of prayer though devised by himself But if it be a quenching of the Spirit an humane invention forbidden in the second commandment if it cannot be made by the Spirit if it be not that true and spirituall worship which God requireth it is not lawfull ordinarily nor once for minister or private christian in publick or private in case of distresse or otherwise for the objection is generall That all stinted forms of prayer do quench the Spirit and these mitigations of safe alwayes and for a minister are a plain concession there is no force in the reason These stinted forms do quench the Spirit of prayer in that they deprive the church and minister of that libertie of the Spirit of prayer which God would have them use stinting the minister yea all the ministers of the kingdome to the same measure of the Spirit not onely one with another but all of them with him that is dead and rotten Nothing is here objected against our stinted form which may not with like truth be alledged against the reading of a prescribed and set translation the use of the Lords prayer a set form of blessing singing of psalms and baptizing in these precise words I baptize thee c. For in these things it may be said The minister yea all the ministers in the kingdome are stinted to the same measure of the Spirit c. And if in those particulars that form of reasoning be of no weight in this it is but an empty sound A stinted form depriveth not the minister or church of that libertie of the Spirit which God would have them use seeing they may use that notwithstanding as the severall occasions of the church or people shall require If all ministers throughout the Christian world should put up the same holy and just petitions to God in the same phrase of speech as in the words of the Lords prayer they should neither stint the Spirit to one measure nor deprive the church of the liberty of the Spirit seeing the measure of the Spirit standeth not in words and forms but in fervent sighs and groans and they have time and libertie to pray besides as God shall enable them and the present occasions of the assembly require And if it must needs be that in a stinted form the Spirit is stinted to one measure then all stinting of the Spirit is not quenching of the Spirit For the minister doth not quench the Spirit if he stint it in respect of time and occasions Suppose sundry private Christians in the assembly do excell their pastour in the gift of prayer the wife excell the husband the child or servant excell the master or governour is the Spirit quenched in them when it is stinted for the time to their measure in prayer Suppose divers Christians meeting upon occasion the weakest in gifts be put to pray for the rest is the Spirit in them quenched because it is stinted to his measure The question is not of prayer devised by a mans self or of limiting the Spirit in the people but of prayer devised by others and imposed and of limiting the Spirit of the minister the first is lawfull the second sinfull The question is of a publick stinted form of prayer or Liturgie Whether it quench the Spirit in the minister or the people and Whether it quench the Spirit because it stinteth it Whether the form be devised by others or by a mans self imposed or voluntarily taken up that is nothing to the matter in hand but Whether it quench the Spirit because for the time it is limited to that form of words And if we look into the matter it self the Spirit of God may be quenched in a mans self no lesse by the rude customary use of a form devised by a mans self then by a form imposed by others and it may be as prejudiciall to the comfort of Gods people And if we consult the scripture where shall we find this distinction of limiting the Spirit by prayer devised by a mans self or devised of others of stinting the Spirit in respect of time occasion form of prayer uttered out of memory or read upon a book But the distinction it self hath been confuted already together with the assertion That a stinted prayer doth quench the Spirit It cannot properly be said saith one that the Spirit is limited by his own ordinance but when the Spirit of the minister is straitned by forms prescribed to him by men without Gods ordinance and appointment then the Spirit is limited and stinted indeed But this is a bare repetition of what was said before without proof or reason and besides a strange description of limiting the Spirit is nothing but a proof of one thing by the same And here I desire two things may be noted First though many reasons in shew be brought against the use of stinted prayer yet when the matter cometh to the upshot they are barely one and that nakedly affirmed Stinted prayer is unlawfull because in reading book â—prayer he doth not exercise his own but another mans gifts Is this reason good No for in reading scripture out of a translation he exerciseth another mans gifts But stinted prayer is the devise of man A child of twelve or thirteen yeares old may reade a stinted prayer as well as the minister The same may be said of reading the Scriptures But stinted prayer is the devise of man It is unlawfull to stint the Spirit Yet this is done in praying with others But stinted prayer is the devise of man So that all hangeth upon this string for the confirmation whereof nothing is alledged Secondly they take that for granted evermore which should be proved or prove the same by the same as Stinted prayer doth
that councel that forbad vulgar psalmes in the service of God and those forms of service which are not antea probata in concilio vcl cum prudentioribus collata lest haply some things against faith either through ignorance or want of consideration should be composed That they never sought a razing of the communion-book but a filing of it after the pattern of that care which former examples set them wherein they thought some things reteined which might well have been spared They have evermore condemned voluntary Separation from the congregations and assemblies or negligent frequenting of those publick prayers They have ordinarily and constantly used the communion-book in their publick administrations and still mainteined unitie peace and love with them who in some particulars have been of another judgement All this is so notoriously known that it is wast labour to produce testimonies herein As for the reading of a stinted form it may be it is not constant in all reformed churches exacted of every minister at all times but that it is not used at all is more then I can credit and if they exact not the use of the same form continually the thing it self they greatly approve If any man desire an instance of their doings let him compare the prayer which Beza constantly used before and after sermon with the Geneva-book of common prayer And if they impose not their forms upon all congregations to be used of necessitie but leave it free to use them or some other in substance one and the same yet this is certain they disallow their opinion who condemn all stinted forms and Liturgies as vain superfluous humane inventions a strange worship and breach of the second commandment CHAP. VIII The people may lawfully be present at those prayers which are put up unto God in a stinted form of words and partake in divine ordinances administred in a stinted Liturgie THe authour of the Letter formerly cited telleth us That against our prayer-book divers men have pleaded after a different manner First some arguments saith he are proper to the Separatists quà tales viz. 1. That it is offered up in a false church 2. With a false ministery 3. In the behalf of the subjects of the kingdome of Antichrist These are properly theirs being the grounds whereupon they make a totall Separation from all the churches in this land as no churches of Christ These I approve not yet note them that you may see upon how different grounds the same position is mainteined by severall persons and that you may be delivered from the prejudice which hindreth many from receiving those truthes because they fear the reproch of Brownisme Secondly there are other grounds which are common to all that plead for the puritie of Christs ordinance and which do not necessarily inferre such Separation but onely serve to shew the unlawfulnesse of that practice and of communicating therein Thus farre the Letter Wherein to let passe other things we may take notice of a twofold Separation from the worship of God amongst us acknowledged the one totall as from a false church false ministery and subjects of the kingdome of Antichrist the other partiall from the stinted Liturgie and ordinances of worship dispensed in a stinted form And this latter onely is approved by this authour but not the former of which we make no question But whereas he saith his grounds upon which he buildeth his last Separation are common to all that plead for the puritie of Christs ordinances therein he is much mistaken For his grounds are one and the very same with the Brownists whereby they condemn all stinted Liturgies acknowledged by no reformed church in the world nor by particular pastours in any church but themselves And if they take not themselves to be the onely pleaders for the purity of Christs ordinances they cannot shew that these reasons have been approved or positions allowed by any pleaders for reformation in any time or age of the church The reasons brought to confirm the unlawfulnesse of communicating in the ordinances of worship amongst us administred in a stinted Liturgie are of two sorts Some condemne all stinted forms and Liturgies devised by men others concern our book of common prayer more particularly as it is charged with sundry faults and corruptions The first as they concern the ministers who make use of a stinted Liturgy have been examined already Now I come to examine them both as they concern the people and therefore lay down this proposition That in case it should be unlawfull in some respects for the minister of the Gospel or governour of the family to reade or pronounce without book a prescript form of prayer devised by another yet no reason can be shewed why it should be unwarrantable for the people child servant wife to be present at such prayers in the congregation or family I speak not of prayer for the matter erroneous and naught but stinted and read For if the matter be faultie the prayer is not good because conceived and if good and pure it is not made evil and hurtfull to the hearers because it is read First what letteth why the hearers heart may not follow a prescript form of words holy and good either in confession of sinnes request or thanksgiving What letteth I say that the hearers hearts may not profitably go with the same both to humble quicken and comfort The people child servant are commanded to examine and prepare themselves before they draw nigh into the presence of the Lord But where are they commanded to look whether the minister or governour do pray by the Spirit immediately or out of his memory in a set form of words conceived beforehand or suggested without premeditation in the same form of words ordinarily with little or no variation unlesse it be upon speciall occasion or in different order method and phrase euery day whether he reade his prayer or pronounce it onely And if God have laid no charge upon their conscience to inquire into these and such like particulars before they joyn in prayer voluntarily to withdraw our selves from the ordinances of worship in these respects what is it but to adde unto his word When things agreeable to the will of God are begged of God every day in the same form of words as the things begged are the same it is not either the stinted form of words or the presenting of requests by reading them upon a book that can make the prayer unprofitable much lesse abomination in respect of him that joyneth If the minister in that case pray coldly or without affection his sinne cannot hinder the blessing of God from the people If the governour be weak in naturall gifts as memory or utterance or spirituall as knowledge c the lawfull use of a stinted form in that case is not denyed by some as a needfull help to supply defect And if the governour to help his weaknesse make use of a stinted form whether
further or whether the latter take away again what they seem to grant In these things they consent First that all publick Liturgies and stinted forms of prayer be unlawfull a breach of the second commandment both in the deviser and user Secondly that private forms of prayer if lawfull for weak Christians and babes in Christ are unlawfull for strong men in Christ or Christians that have received some growth in godlinesse Thirdly that a Christian weak or strong may not lawfully be present at the prayers of the congregation read or rehearsed out of a stinted Liturgie nor at the sacraments administred in a stinted form of Liturgie as it is with us The Question then hath three branches First whether a set form of prayer sound and pertinent for substance of matter grave and simple for the order and manner not prejudicing abbridging or hindring by the length thereof the preaching of the word and prayer fitted to the speciall occasions may in any sort be tolerated in the church or read by the minister of the word in the publick assembly and congregation of Saints Secondly whether it be lawfull specially for a strong Christian to use a set form of prayer as prayer or upon any occasion to reade as prayer a prayer upon a book Thirdly in case it should be unlawfull for the minister or master of the family to reade or use a prescript form of prayer whether it should be unlawfull also for the people children or servants to be present at such assemblies where the said prayer is read or used To these a fourth may be added to prevent all exceptions whether it be lawfull for a Christian to be present at that service which is read out of a book in somethings faulty either for matter or form In the affirmative the assertion is That a stinted Liturgie or form of prayer both publick and private is lawfull and in some respects necessary both in the congregation family and closet That a minister godly learned and faithfull may sometimes stand in need of the help of a publick Liturgie or stinted form of prayer in publick and may make use of a stinted form at other times when it is not necessarie in respect of inabilitie or indisposition That though it should be unlawfull for the minister or governour of the family to use such stinted forms yet may the people in the congregation and inferiours in the family be present at such prayers without sinne or scruple of conscience yea though the prayers be read out of a book in somethings questionable for matter or form So that voluntarie and willing Separation from the prayers of the congregation and ordinances of worship for that cause onely is sinfull in many respects Thus I have laboured plainly to state the question that I might neither be misled my self nor lead others into any by-path whiles they take their aim amisse And these particulars I purpose to discusse in the fear of God with the spirit of meeknesse according to the scriptures and trust by plain sincere and upright dealing to make it evident that I seek nothing but the maintenance of the truth the puritie of Gods worship the increase and exercise of all holy gifts and grace in his servants and the peace and comfort of his people CHAP. II. All things essentiall to prayer may be observed in a prescript form THe two former points may be confirmed joyntly and severally by these reasons following 1. That is a lawfull prayer wherein the desires of our hearts are lifted up or poured out unto God for Divine blessing according to his will in the name of Jesus Christ by the help of the Spirit of grace But in a set or stinted form of prayer the desires of the heart may be lifted up or poured out unto God according to his will c. Or That form of prayer is just and lawfull wherein all things essentiall to prayer or necessarily required in the word of God may be observed But all things essentiall to prayer or necessarily required in the word of God may be observed in a prescript form or read prayer What is required in holy prayer more then this That the matter be allowable and fit the manner holy reverent fervent and faithfull our wants laid open and petitions forced with as strong or stronger reasons and arguments then we are able of our selves to presse them with And may not a prayer holy and meet for the matter thereof be read or uttered with humility feeling of our wants earnestnesse of desire holinesse of affection and faith in Gods promises In reading the scripture the eye doth lead the heart and yet it may be read with judgement reverence meeknesse and joy why may not the same affections be moved in a prescript form and read prayer What necessitie is there that the heart and eye should be at variance in this duty when they may be conjoyned in the other Asaph and his brethren could praise God in a form of words set down by the prophet David And if a prescript form of words may be allowed in Thanksgiving which is one part of prayer it cannot be condemned in Petition The matter of our requests must fit the occasion so must the matter of our thanks and praise The Spirit of grace teacheth us to pray and the same Spirit moveth us to return praise for benefits received We must pray with the spirit and we must praise with the heart In the dedication of the temple Solomon used the very words of the psalme which David vowed to use at the bringing in of the Ark into his house Jehoshaphat in that excellent thanksgiving which he made appointed the priests and Levites to use a prescript form of words So did Hezekiah Zerubbabel and Jehushua And if we may sing psalmes with the spirit and with understanding with feeling and joy of heart as it is commanded in a form of words stinted and prescribed it cannot be thought a thing impossible to pray with affection in a stinted and prescribed form The differences which some put between Praysing God with a psalme and Calling upon Gods name are little to the purpose do not at all touch the force of the argument For thus the reason standeth In singing psalmes penned by the prophet David or other holy men of God the eye doth lead the heart no lesse then it doth in a stinted form of prayer and yet they may be sung after an holy manner with grace in the heart therefore a stinted form of prayer may be read or said without book with that affection of heart which God requireth in prayer And let the differences be as broad as they will in other things in this they do agree This reason may be drawn into another form thus Whatsoever hath the true matter and form of prayer that is truly and properly a prayer For where the true matter and form of a
if it be uttered with the lips without the intention of the heart it is a bare similitude and if the other be read or uttered after an holy manner with that affection which God requireth in prayer it is true and acceptable prayer Words without the heart are but empty sounds whether read or pronounced out of the memory or ex tempore and if the voice be joyned with the heart it is pleasant melody though our petitions be read out of a book But the book then saith he supplieth the room of the word and spirit Nothing lesse For the word of God directeth us what to ask even when we reade our prayers upon a book so long as we crave with understanding things agreeable to the will of God And the spirit doth enable and stirre us up to desire that which is according to Gods will and our necessity We may utter requests with our lips in conceived prayer without the aid and assistance of the holy Ghost and so we may in a penned prayer but offer up the sighs and grones of the heart we cannot without his grace It is no more lawfull to use any strange manner of prayer then it was to use strange fire or strange incense in time of the law Psal 141. 2. Apoc. 8. 3 4. But a stinted form of prayer is a strange manner of prayer The proposition we grant if rightly understood otherwise symbolicall and analogicall arguments if the proposition be not rightly taken are very dangerous But a stinted form of prayer is no strange manner of worship because in it all things required to the nature of true prayer may be observed In the word of God we have direction given to whom for what with what heart and affection to what end a man ought to pray but in what method or frame of speech he is to be a petitioner we find nothing prescribed in particular neither do we judge any thing necessary more then this That order decency and edification be observed That which hath the common nature definition use and end of worship but wanteth Divine authority and institution to make it approved and true worship that is strange in the worship of God But the method and phrase of speech hath not the common nature definition use or end of worship or prayer belonging unto it As conceived prayer so a set form of prayer is for substance and nature agreeable to the rules of direction delivered in the word of truth though for method and words both the humane Let our brethren set down out of the word of God what is necessarily and essentially required to the nature and being of true prayer shew if they be able that some one or other condition or requisite cannot be observed in a prescript or stinted form If this cannot be done as I think it never hath nor can be how dare they esteem or style it a strange worship They tell us God hath not ordained that manner of worship But this phrase the manner of worship is used two wayes first as it noteth the substantiall means of worship ordained of God by speciall institution secondly as it is put for the outward order or form how this worship or means of worship is performed A third signification might be added as when we say the third commandment teacheth in what manner the name and ordinances of God are to be used Now if it be taken in the first or third signification the outward frame of words order and method is neither means nor manner of worship either in preaching prayer or administration of the sacraments If in the second the word of God doth not prescribe any particular form stinted or not stinted as necessary but doth warrant both as allowable For where nothing is in particular commanded touching the externall form of words and order in which our petitions should be presented to the Lord there we are left at liberty And to put religion in reading or uttering words in a stinted or conceived form where God hath laid no bond upon the conscience what is it lesse then superstition If the phrase of speech be modus or medium cultûs as it is referred to the second commandment then it is instituted commanded and determined of God in particular then that and none other is lawfull and necessary for so it is in all parts of his positive worship Those sacramentall signes which God hath designed in the covenant are necessary and those onely lawfull and if method and phrase of speech be medium cultûs in the same sense the like must be said of that also In substance a prayer read and conceived is all one and the one is no more a strange manner of worship then the other And here let it be observed that all these objections are made against all use of stinted or read prayers publick or private voluntary or imposed sound and pertinent as well as corrupt and cannot be restrained to a form imposed upon the minister of the congregation to be used continually and that corrupt and faulty The matter if supposed to be alike from God as being truth and according to sound doctrine the manner in that we call conceived prayer is the same which nature teacheth and scripture approveth and is the onely way in which the prayers of all holy men recorded in scripture since Christ have been carried as the Papists themselves grant But for the manner or way of book-prayer we have not so much as example in scripture for it The strength of this reason let us view in the like M r Smith would prove the originals not to be given as helps before the eye in worship Because upon the day of Pentecost and many yeares after the churches of the new Testament did use no books in time of spirituall worship but prayed prophesied and sung psalmes merely out of their hearts Acts 2. 4 42. 10. 44 48. 19. 6. 1. Cor. 14. 15 17 26 37. Because no example can be shewed of any man ordinary or extraordinary that at or after the day of Pentecost used a book in praying prophesying and singing of Psalmes if yea let it be done and we yield And against the use of translations for the hearers thus he argueth The Prophets and Apostles wrote books but did never divide their books into chapters and verses Seeing therefore that chapters and verses were of mans invention hence it followeth before chapter and verse came in the hearers could not turn to search their books in time of hearing The Apostles in quoting testimonies of the prophets do not quote chapter and verse but onely say It is written The scripture saith The holy Ghost saith thereby teaching us that there is no use of chapter and verse for searching in time of hearing Never was there mention made of any hearer that ever had his book to search in time of hearing The reasons be the same and yet I perswade my self they
had been sinne for the poor woman to bring a pigeon that was not of ability to bring a lamb For her extreme necessitie had freed her from the law but authoritie she had none to institute one rite in the place of another If we apply these instances to the matter in hand they will not hold For God never forbad a stinted form of prayer never gave commandment that whosoever did offer the sacrifice of prayer should bring a conceived prayer nor by dispensation speciall and peculiar warranted him that wanteth a conceived to bring a book-prayer And if the cases be like I should think the Lord would have prescribed a set form for the weak and feeble Christian as he hath appointed the oblation of the poor woman and not left him to seek up and down he knoweth not where and to bring an humane invention in stead of pure and true worship And if the Lord have determined any set form in that caâ—e then the weak Christian must use that alone and none other Let this distinction passe for currant and what commandment is there which may not be deluded For consonant to these positions we may say Images must not be devised for worship but in some case of necessitie for they may be naturall helps to teach or stirre up affection as well as a book may be a naturall help to supply some defect in prayer The minister must not use wine milk or rose-water as the outward signe in baptisme unlesse it be in some case of necessity as a naturall help to supply the defect of water The midwife must not baptize out of the case of necessity when the minister is at hand but in case of necessity she is a naturall help to supply the defect of a minister The pastour must be apt to teach unlesse it be in case of necessity when an ignorant man is chosen to supply his room A man must not defraud or circumvent his neighbour it is true unlesse it be in case of necessity This also seemeth strange that a book should be a naturall help to supply some defect in case of necessitie and cease to be naturall when voluntarily used as an help and furtherance by him that needeth it not The conclusion of all is this That a stinted publick form of prayer is the breach of no commandment no forbidden invention of man either in the deviser or user in the case of necessity or otherwise CHAP. IIII. It is as lawfull to pray unto God in a form of words devised by others as to sing psalmes to the praise of God in a stinted form of words prescribed by others IF it be lawfull to sing psalmes to the prayse of God in a stinted form of words prescribed by others and devised by man then likewise to pray unto God in a stinted form devised by others For as prayer is an ordinance of God and a branch of his worship so is singing of psalmes to the prayse of God As God hath left no stinted form of prayer for his church whereunto he hath tied all men and all churches no more hath he prescribed any stinted form of singing as necessary for all times and churches in the new Testament As the one must be done with the heart and spirit so the other As in the one the words are devised by men and prescribed by others so in singing of psalmes If the one be the invention of man a strange prayer the similitude of a prayer the other is an invention of man a strange psalme the similitude of a psalme And if a man be disposed to reason against singing of psalmes in a form of words devised by others he might more plausibly argue That in the infancy of the church when God saw a set form of psalmes to be necessarie he inspired holy men to pen holy and divine psalmes which might be of use for that time when such worship was required but in the times of the new Testament no set form of singing is prescribed of God no authoritie is given to the church or ordinary officers to prescribe any set form which might be of use to all churches there is neither precept for nor precedent of any prescript form of singing in the scripture since Christs time all essentiall parts of Gods worship may be performed without it as appeareth by the examples of the primitive churches and seeing God never commanded nor promised to accept any such stinted forms it is a manifest breach of the second commandment These and such like arguments do make as strongly in every point against a stinted form of psalmes as against a prescript form of prayer But I have not read that the singing of psalmes in a prescript form devised by others is unlawfull Singing of psalmes and praying differ many wayes as Many psalmes are for instruction onely and those psalmes which contein prayers are written for our instruction In prayer the minister alone uttereth the words the people adding their Amen in the end but in singing every person in the church pronounceth every word and syllable aloud The psalmes are parts of scriptures wherein God speaketh unto us teaching and instructing us and we our selves and one another mutually Prayers are poured forth in prose psalmes in verse In prayer we beg things necessary for our selves and others in psalmes we praise God for mercies received c. It is vain to examine or alledge these or such like differences because they make nothing to weaken the force of the argument For be the differences never so many in these and other particulars in this they agree that they be parts of worship to be performed according to the will and commandment of God and therefore if a stinted form of prayer be unlawfull because not commanded or ordained of God a stinted form of psalmes not bearing the Lords stamp must come under the same censure unlesse they can plead speciall dispensation for it And if a prescript form of psalmes not commanded of God be allowable and may be used in Gods service a stinted form of prayer is unjustly censured for that reason It is a received rule A Quatenus ad Omne valet argumentum If stinted prayer be unwarrantable because it is not appointed of God a stinted form of singing not commanded must not be used If a prescript form of singing not commanded of God be approveable in his sight for that cause a stinted form of prayer must not be disliked One circumstance that putteth a materiall difference in the thing or person from whence the argument or reason of likenesse is drawn is sufficient to weaken its force but twentie particular differences betwixt the branches of worship weaken not an argument drawn from the agreement of the branches in the common nature of worship Of which sort this is The Anabaptists may put many differences betwixt circumcision and baptisme and yet the argument is good against them Infants of Christian parents ought to be baptized
the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost it doth not become an unhallowed ordinance if the church shall take order that the minister shall baptize in this and none other form in these and none other words When God calleth a man forth to bear witnesse to the truth he must not draw back but give testimony thereunto But when Christ calleth us to worship him according to his will we must not absent our selves for the sinne of others under pretense of bearing witnesse to that we are not called unto We must not violate the ordinances of the Lord to partake in his ordinances But if the matter of prayer be just holy and good a Christian shall violate no ordinance of Christ by his presence but by his absence It is not enough to prove our vocall prayers to be good because the words be good and expresse good petitions but it is further required that it proceed from ability which the Spirit of God bestoweth on him who uttereth the words to fit his request to the present occasion John 4. 24. 1. Cor. 14. 15 16. 1. Pet. 4. 7. Is it their meaning that he that prayeth acceptably hath abilitie to fit his words according to the present occasion or onely that he discerneth in some measure the words of prayer to fit the time and occasion of the people with whom he prayeth If in the first sense the passages of the scripture cited will not bear them out If in the latter it is nothing against the use of stinted prayer Besides when we speak of joyning with others is it necessary to the acceptance of prayer that he which is the mouth of the rest to God should be able by the guidance of the Spirit to utter request fitting the present occasion and in fitting words Suppose he be destitute of the Spirit or of that measure of the Spirit may not the good and holy requests which he putteth up by the direction and help of others be accepted in behalf of them that pray in the Spirit and poure out their prayers before God in holy affiance To joyn with the people of God in prayer and participation of the sacraments is not a matter arbitrary which may be done or left at pleasure but necessary when God calleth and giveth opportunitie And if God hath promised to heare such prayers and by his blessing some good may be gotten by them a Christian must be well advised how he withdraweth himself least whiles he pleaseth himself too much in some scrupulous conceits he prejudice his soul Prayer is Gods ordinance whereunto all Christians are bound to apply themselves a stinted Liturgie is allowed of God provided it be sound holy and pure both for words and matter And if any sinne be committed in the reading or use thereof a Christian may perform whatsoever office the Lord requireth at his hand as a private or publick person without Separation The reading of service and the tedious length thereof doth even tire attention to more quickening ordinances A stinted Liturgie is so to be moderated that 〈◊〉 ordinance of God may have its fit seaâ—â—â— and the length give place to edification For what ordinances God hath conjoyned they must not be rent asunder nor one so advanced as others be neglected Without controversie their profanenesse is to be condemned who out of a loathing of the holy things of God distaste the length of a Liturgie and cry out of tirednesse when indeed all holy ordinances are distastfull Let us therefore consider a little what time the churches of God have taken and allowed for their publick service and what exercises have been there performed that we may truly judge whether the length of a Liturgie is justly to be taxed or the blame of tirednesse to be laid upon our security and carelesnesse Upon extraordinary occasion on the day of a solemn fast the Levites read in the book of the law one fourth part of the day and another fourth part of the day they confessed and worshipped Their ordinary assemblies for publick worship continued for the space of three houres sc from the third houre untill mid-day and from the ninth houre untill the evening It was not ordinary to begin their assembly in the morning but not to break up untill mid-day was ordinary Herein with prayer and exhortation they had their lectures or sections of the law and prophets so large that to reade them distinctly as without question they were would take up a good space of time And if that very service of God in the Jewish synagogues which our Saviour did approve with the presence of his owne person and preaching had so large portions of the law and the prophets together with many prayers used day by day we must not alledge tirednesse when it is but sloth In the primitive church it may be no certain time is noted how long the assemblies continued we must guesse at the length by that which was done in their solemn assemblies When they met together for the worship and service of God the Fathers prayed before and after the sermon wishing to their hearers eternall blessings and entreating of God the pardon of sins c. The scriptures of the prophets and apostles were read quamdiu hora patitur and after the reading of such portions of scripture followed the Sermon or word of exhortation which failed not on the Lords day Their Sermons or as they are called Tractates Disputations Doctrines Homilies Conferences were confined ordinarily to a certain space or time that they might not alienate or weaken the minds of their hearers Hence are those frequent excuses of longer speech and dayly complaints of the straits of time that they could not finish what was begun or intreat thereof so fully as was expedient It may probably be thought the usuall time they took for the Sermon was the space of an houre or thereabouts Before the sermon they read some portion of the Old and New Testament as did the church of the Jews in their Synagogues out of the Law and the Prophets And the lessons which they read did usually yield texts for the Preachers so that the reading it self of the Law the Psalmes the Epistles Gospels reverently used did not prejudice preaching but further it rather The manner was at the first to reade and interpret whole books before them in order unlesse it were on the feasts of the Nativity Easter Pentecost c. when speciall texts were wont to be chosen for the solemnity of those times But those feasts being past they returned to their accustomed task And beside the ordinary exposition of whole books in order it is observed by some that they read the whole Bible from the beginning to the end within the space of one yeare specially in great congregations which were held every day which custome continued untill the yeare of Christ DCCCVI or thereabouts In those frequent congregations
A FRIENDLY TRIALL OF THE GROUNDS TENDING TO SEPARATION In a plain and modest Dispute touching the Lawfulnesse of a stinted Liturgie and set form of Prayer Communion in mixed assemblies and the Primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keyes Tending to satisfie the doubtfull recall the wandring and to strengthen the weak By JOHN BALL ISAIAH 8. 20. To the law and to the testimonie if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them PSAL. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path ¶ Printed by Roger Daniel printer to the Universitie of Cambridge For Edward Brewster and are to be sold at his shop at the Bible on Fleet-bridge 1640. To the Christian Reader sound judgement the spirit of wisdome uprightnesse of heart and sweet communion with GOD. Christian READER IT is commonly professed though not so well known and observed as it ought that Satan is alwayes busie to solicite and our own deceitfull hearts ready to turn aside from the wayes of peace and comfort either to the right hand or to the left To say nothing of the lamentable state of heathen Infidels Turks and Jews who know not God nor believe the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST Amongst them that professe Christianity some are so deeply plunged into superstition that the truth of God and the ordinances of grace are not prized in comparison of their own vain and fruitlesse traditions And others on the contrary do so farre distast all inventions whatsoever as they speak in Gods worship as they reject that which beareth the stamp and image of God and might be greatly profitable to their souls Many come profanely to the Lords table and pollute the holy things of God to their own destruction Others through groundlesse fears of defilement do withdraw themselves from ordinances Divine and the society of the godly because some unworthy are not debarred To satisfie this latter sort who offend out of weaknesse misguided judgement not of stubbornesse and contempt and to settle them that are staggering I have penned this poore rude treatise nothing doubting but the truth will be able to maintein it self and that the beauty thereof will procure favour and acceptance though it come arayed in a very homely garment A stinted form of prayer hath been challenged as an image forbidden in the second commandment a forged and devised worship unlawfull both in them that use it and those that joyn therein To remove this scruple I have shewed the use of a stinted Liturgie lawfull and allowable by the word of God of ancient use in the churches of Christ approved by all reformed churches at this day Upon which occasion many things are disputed touching the meaning of the second commandment the nature of true and false worship and what it is to pray by the Spirit Many are the objections which are made against set forms of prayer and particularly against our book of common prayer all which I have endeavoured to answer severally and not because they are of so great weight but because I desired fully to satisfie every doubt and roll away every stone I met withall If one and the same thing be oft repeated I desire it may be considered that one and the same objection for substance is often brought forth though perhaps in new aray and every plain-hearted Reader for whose use I principally intend this labour is not able to apply an answer once given to sundry objections in colour diverse though for substance the same And I suppose the prudent will think it more reasonable that the wise in heart be burdened with over-much then that the weak should remain unsatisfied through some defect Some stagger at this that ignorant profane notorious offenders are admitted to the Lords table and conceive that communicating with such in the ordinances of religion they are partakers of their sinne And sure it is a thing to be lamented with tears of bloud that the body and bloud of our Saviour CHRIST should be profaned the house and church of God defiled the name of the Lord dishonoured religion blasphemed and the blind notorious profane permitted to rush upon their own perdition But it is not for private persons to take that upon them which belongeth not unto their place nor being invited by CHRIST to excommunicate themselves because such as are notoriously wicked be not admonished kept back or censured The main ground of the former doubt and all others tending to Separation seemeth to be this That the power of the keyes is primitively given to the community of the faithfull as the first receptacle For then they conceive that it perteineth to them to censure offenders or else to separate from them Then likewise it will more probably be concluded as they think That that society which hath not the power of CHRISTS keyes is not the true church of CHRIST Therefore to raze the foundation of Separation and at once to overthrow their main objections this question is more largely disputed wherein is shewed by evidence of Scripture That the power of the keyes is given by Jesus Christ the Lord and King of his church and great Shepherd of his sheep to the church-governours whom he hath appointed to rule and feed his flock in his name and to whom they must give account If any man shall think these things are small and not to be insisted upon he may please to consider How small soever the things in themselves seem to be the evil consequences that follow thereupon be both many and great It is no small matter to bury that under the condemnation of false worship which the Lord the authour of all truth the determiner of his true pleasing and acceptable worship doth allow in his service It is no small offense to forsake the prayers of the congregation to depart from the table of the Lord when he calleth to feast with himself and to break off society and communion with the churches of Christ where he doth cause his flock to rest at noon to fill the hearts of weak Christians with doubts and distractions as not knowing what to do or which way to take to spend time in reasonings and disputations of this kind which might much more profitably be employed in the practice of repentance and holy obedience to expose religion to contempt and the truth of God to reproch amongst them that delight to speak evil These are sad effects of this Separation which is here opposed Is it not lamentable to see poore Christians who sincerely thirst after the waters of life and long to meet the Lord in his holy ordinances cast into doubts and fears about the things which so nearly concern their comfortable walking with God and salvation of their souls May not this tend to the discouragement of divers that are coming on and turn them who are halting clean out of the way The rents and divisions which have been in the
worshipping God which he hath appointed Again That these stinted and devised forms do quench the spirit of prayer which God would have them use stinting the minister yea all the ministers of the kingdome to the same measure of the spirit not onely one with another but all of them with him that is dead and rotten and so stinting the spirit which the Lord giveth to his ministers for his church and that so strictly as till the stint be out it may not suggest one thought or word otherwise or when it is out one more then is prescribed Neverthelesse his drift is plainly to disprove all stinted forms as it is evident by that he writeth in answer to some objections For Grant saith he that these words of Christ PRAY AFTER THIS MANNER AND VVHEN YE PRAY SAY are to be interprâ—ted as these men would have it yet do I except against their service-book in a double respect The first is That the reading of prayers upon a book hath no justification from them If it be said that to commit a certain form of words to memory and from it to utter them and to reade them upon a book be all one I deny the consequence and though I approve not the former yet is the latter farre worse And in another place You speak not properly no nor truly in saying you Pray stinted prayers for you Read them and who will say Reading is Praying or if you so say or do is it agreeable either to his ordinance or common reason And in the page cited last before He that readeth hath another speaking to him as it were even him whose writing he readeth and himself speaketh not to God but to the people Thus also he speaketh concerning the Lords prayer We may use a petition two or more or all in or of it even word for word if so the holy Ghost by whose immediate teachings and suggestions all our requests must be put up do direct us and that we apply the same words to our needs And in the same section So neither is the reading of this prescript or repeating it by memory praying Now let the indifferent consider and give sentence whether this be not to condemn all set forms of prayer to be used as prayer And if more then down-weight be required his fourth reason against the stinted form of service in use in our church will put this beyond all exception For thus he disputeth As it were a ridiculous thing for a child when he would ask of his father bread fish or any other thing he wanted to reade it to him out of a paper so it is for the children of God especially for the ministers of the Gospell in their publick ministrations to reade unto God their requests for their own and the churches wants out of a service-book wherein they are also stinted to words and syllables So that all other respects and considerations laid aside for what advantage soever alleadged the simple use of a stinted Liturgie or form of prayer to be used as a prayer is disallowed of them And if this be once accorded the other respects will easily be wiped away at least in regard of the users and them that joyn in prayer and participation of the sacraments In the copie of a letter lately published against stinted Liturgies the Authour willeth us to consider That the Liturgie he excepteth against was devised by men viz. other men whom God hath not called to such a work as to invent forms of prayers which should be used by all the churches in the land for their prayers and That it is imposed upon the minister and the people of necessity That it is stinted both in matter and words to be used without variation and That the service is read out of a book many wayes faulty and corrupt But look to most of the reasons brought to shew the justnesse of this exception and they make against all sorts of stinted forms used as prayers and not against a form corrupt and faulty imposed in such or such a manner as namely these God did never command to use nor promise to accept such a worship in which respect it is the manifest breach of the second commandment God hath appointed other helps for prayer which are sufficient without this Publick prayers offered up by the minister in church-assemblies must be framed according to the present and severall occasions of the church and people of God as also mens private prayers ought to be ordered which cannot be done when men are stinted to forms If you draw any conclusion from these premises it must be That all stinted forms are unlawfull not That a form corrupt and faulty is to be disallowed But if the foresaid cautions be added by way of distinction or limitation as if all stinted Liturgies were not disliked but such onely as be imposed as necessary to be used without variation and for matter or form corrupt and faulty then the reasons fight directly with the conclusion and hang no otherwise together then if a man should thus dispute All stinted forms of prayer are not to be disliked but corrupt onely imposed as necessary because God did never command nor promise to accept any stinted service or devised worship For what purpose therefore these cautions were added let others judge whether by way of aggravation onely or to set the greater lustre upon the position or for some other advantage Some others professe That they oppose not all nor any set form simply as such but are perswaded in many cases there is a lawfull use to be made of them but such a set form as is prescribed amongst us for matter and manner they affirm to be against the second commandment and a sin in the maker and deviser of it to such an use and a sin in the user of it according to that devise or making But the lawfull use of such forms publick or private they allow onely in some case of necessity which cannot fall out in a minister of the Gospel or any man else who deserveth the name of a strong Christian For they suppose abilities in all ministers and in every man else who hath his wits exercised to discern good and evil and deserveth to be esteemed a strong man in Jesus Christ Their words be these Set forms have their proper place and lawfull use onely where abilities are not as a naturall means and help to further some branch or other of that we call Prayer or conceived prayer as to supply defect of invention memory utterance or the like So the lawfulnesse of it lieth onely in a case of some necessity The difference then betwixt them so farre as I can gather standeth in this one thing That these latter allow some lawfull use of a stinted private form of prayer in some cases of necessity which the others altogether condemned But whether they dissent in any other particulars or no it is needlesse to enquire
opposite to the true worship which must in speciall be instituted by God But a stinted form of prayer is not opposite to that worshop which must in speciall be instituted by God False worship forbidden in the second commandment is in common nature use and end one with that positive worship which is there commanded But a stinted form of prayer is a matter of order and not for common nature use and end one with the true and pure worship of God there commanded The pure worship of God in spirit and truth is set against the worship of images But the pure worship of God in spirit and truth is not opposite to the worship of God in a stinted form of words Against a generall negative commandment no speciall act affirmative is lawfull unlesse the same be specially warranted by the Law-giver But some stinted forms of prayer are lawfull which are not in speciall warranted by the Law-giver viz. such as we have liberty to use but are not tyed to use by any necessity of precept If a publick stinted form of prayer be a breach of the second commandment then all publick stinted forms whereof there is the same formall reason and consideration both for persons and things are breaches of the second commandment at all times and in all men for it cannot be that a perpetuall commandment should be interpreted to forbid an act to one man when if the formall reason and consideration be the same in all it doth not forbid the same to every man But every publick stinted form of prayer whereof there is the same formall reason and consideration is not a breach of the second commandment in all men and at all times For there is the same formall reason and consideration of a publick stinted form of prayers to Christians now that there was formerly to the Jews The same formall reason and consideration I say not of this or that particular rite or ordinance which did peculiarly agree to them in respect of the speciall manner of dispensation proper to those times but of a stinted form in generall which was proper to them in no consideration but common to us with them As for example If the priests might blesse in a stinted form of words the ministers of the Gospel may do so likewise If the Levites might praise God in a stinted form of thanksgiving the ministers of the Gospel may use the Lords prayer as a prayer without addition or variation But all use of a stinted form of prayer and thanksgiving was not a breach of the second commandment in the priests and Levites If a stinted arbitrary prayer be the breach of the second commandment then is conceived prayer when uttered a sin likewise For they both agree in the matter as of God in externall phrase of speech and words boâ—h are of men in that which maketh stinted prayer a breach of the second commandment if it be a breach there is no difference Therefore we conclude That a stinted form of prayer is not a breach of the second commandment Means of Divine worship not ordained of God be unlawfull But a stinted form of prayer is a means of Divine worship not ordained of God Means of worship not to contend about words are of two sorts Some substantiall which are so means of worship as they be worship it self as the word is used when we speak of worship taught in the 2. commandment So the sacraments are means of worship branches of positive worship taught in that precept And in this sense all means of worship allowable are necessary by Divine precept and we are bound in conscience to apply our selves to them as Gods ordinance and not we onely but all the churches throughout the world For such ordinances of God pertein to the substance of worship whereof nothing can be changed or taken away but the worship is changed and another made Others are mere accidents to the substantiall means and deserve not to be called means of worship and if so called it is very improperly concerning which God hath given no particular commandment in his word whereunto the conscience is not bound either to apply it self unto them or to witnesse against them and of this sort are the circumstances of time place order method phrase and stinted form of words in the administration of the holy things of God which are no parts of the worship but honest circumstances of the celebration consonant to the generall rules given in scripture for the right administration of Divine ordinances but not commanded or disallowed in particular For generall rules are not commandments of this or that in particular but approbations of any particular this or another agreeable to those rules The apostle in commanding that all things be done in order doth not command this or that particular order nor forbid this or that in particular because it is not ordained of God For if all such means or worship shall be properly worship then not onely preaching but the church pulpit bells bell-man the phrase and method of sermons then each particular form of prayer the hower and order shall be worship because they are furtherances thereof If all such means of worship must be ordained of God or they shall be unlawfull God must have no worship at all from us in the means which he himself hath ordained because it is impossible to use the means he hath ordained and not to do many things which he hath not instituted Book-prayer is a manifest breach of the second commandment The reason I conceive is because words are signes of our conceits and notes of the things themselves writing is a signe or picture of the thing signified and so words devised by men and books of stinted prayers are images or pictures of our own devising And in this sense onely can a stinted prayer be called a devised worship For the matter of the prayer is of God it is the frame of words and method onely that can be challenged to be of man and if devised words be not images condemned I cannot comprehend how the externall form should be an apparent breach of the second commandment But if this reason be ought worth it is a manifest breach of the second commandment to preach pray administer the sacraments or reade the scriptures in a prescribed translation nay in a vulgar tongue For in preaching and prayer the matter is of God holy and good but the words and phrases of men In translations the matter is immediately inspired of God but the words are devised of men The sacrameÌ„ts are Gods ordinances by speciall and expresse institution but what shall we say of the outward form of words used in the administration If words devised by men be images condemned by the commandments do we not make one commandment of God crosse to another when we say that God requireth these things at our hands and yet condemneth all devised words without which they
cannot be performed Particular duties affirmative against a generall negative commandment must have expresse warrant by way of prerogative and derogation from the generall commandment wherein we must not go one jot beyond signed commission Thus Abraham was commanded to offer up his son Isaac which otherwise had been against the sixth commandment Thus the sacraments are commanded to the church which for the church to devise of her self is against the second commandment and therefore it is unlawfull to institute other sacraments then God hath appointed or adde sacramentall signes to them which the Lord hath instituted But to affirm the same of devised words in prayer preaching administration of the sacraments and reading of the scriptures sc that they were instituted of God by particular warrant and by speciall prerogative and derogation would be exceeding strange Signes religious then are of two sorts 1. Vocall if they may be called signes metaphysicall under which I comprehend naturall gestures as they are expressions of the inward affection and these are not simply forbidden or commanded in the second commandment nor do simply pertein to the second commandment but to the precept rather which requireth the inward affection it self 2. Reall and such as in common nature use and end be one with the positive ordinances of God and these are the images forbidden in the second precept And seeing for the affirmative part positive worship as it is to be approved mainteined and exercised purely according to the institution is the object of that commandment it seemeth that prayer as it is directed unto God onely in the mediation of Jesus whether inward or outward conceived in heart or declared by word or gesture cannot be referred as a branch of positive worship to the second commandment When men pray to idols or saints departed inwardly or outwardly they sinne against the first commandment If with carnall imaginations before an image they break the second if lightly vainly irreverently with the lips alone they sinne against the third But the method words or phrase of speech as such is neither condemned in the second commandment nor doth belong unto it Mens inventions in Gods worship are forbidden in the second commandment But stinted prayer is the invention of man never instituted nor approved of Christ in his Testament Must this go for currant without limitation proof or explication That all inventions of men in Gods worship are forbidden in the second commandment What then shall we say to all devised words and phrases used in Gods service What to all set forms of catechismes studied sermons interpretations of the scriptures the contents of chapters the titles of sundry books of scripture What to the divisions of thē into sections chapters and verses the interlineary glosses divers readings marginall references the reading of one part this week another the next What of the building and ordering of synagogues for the sanctification of the sabbaths the fashion of gathering for the repair of the temple in Joash his time the swearing to the covenant under Asia the ordination of holy feasts and fasts upon occasion What of the forms and gestures used in oathes of conceived prayer it self of set forms of worship studied before and kept in memory as some distinguish in the same form and with like truth we may argue against them mens inventions in the worship of God are forbidden by the second commandment But set forms of catechismes studied sermons interpretations of the scripture c. are mens inventions The conclusion that followeth from these premisses is evidently false therefore some one of them if not both is false also For of truth nothing but truth can follow And what they can answer to the premisses of this latter argument the same will be sufficient to overthrow the other Catechizing is Gods ordinance but this or that form of catechisme in respect of method and phrase of speech is the collection and composition of man Reading the scripture is allowed of God but the division of the law into fiftie three or fiftie foure greater sections and the subdivision of these into lesser sections the partitions of severall books into chapters and the division of them into verses the appointing of this or that portion of the law the prophets and the evangelists to be read ordinarily upon this or that day is the invention or devise of man Preaching is commanded of God so is the interpretation of the scripture but the phrase and method of sermons is of men The matter of scripture is the immediate truth of God but the words and phrases which are as vessels to convey this truth unto us I speak of translations not of the originall text are humane and not of God by immediate inspiration God commandeth us to call upon his name both in publick and private but the words wherein we expresse our desires are our own both in conceived and stinted prayer These are humane in respect of the word and form Divine in respect of the matter And here it must be observed that positive worship or means for these two in this sense are all one opposed to humane inventions is that which must be warranted by particular institution and not by the light of reason according to the generall rules of scripture As for example the sacraments are positive worship or means of worship and they have particular expresse institution but the form or manner of administration as it respecteth decency order and edification is not positive worship or means thereof in the sense before mentioned and therein it sufficeth if all things be done according to the generall rules of scripture the light of reason directing in particulars what is decent and to edification So then devised worship is unlawfull but it is lawfull to worship God in a form of words devised for the form is not worship but the prayer tendred in that form Mens inventions in Gods worship that be of the same nature and use with true worship or means of worship ordained of God be unlawfull but method order phrase of speech devised by man was never judged an invention unlawfull Book-prayer in an image or similitude of spirituall prayer which indeed it is not and the book as idoles supplyeth the place of the world and spirit The accusation is grievous but if we crave a reason thereof we shall find them as farre to seek as forward to accuse Is it onely a similitude of prayer because it hath onely the externall form of prayer but wanteth the soul and life thereof They might easily answer themselves As it is penned or printed it hath onely the externall form and so it is not properly a prayer but as it is rehearsed with understanding affiance of heart and fervency it hath the true and whole nature of prayer And by what reason can a book-prayer be called an image of true prayer which will not agree to prayer first conceived and then uttered For
quench the Spirit Why so Because the Spirit is straitned by forms devised by men which is as much in plain terms as to say It is stinted in our sense because it is stinted And the like might be noted in other arguments Where is the consideration of the people had when the forms now are the same for matter and manner that they were almost an hundred yeares ago and at the first dawning of the Gospel the same for the Court Universities and the meanest congregation in the Countrey Might not the same be objected against the use of a set translation singing of psalmes the use of the Lords prayer for this fifteen hundred yeares without alteration for these are the same now that they were many yeares agone or at least may be the same for Citie Countrey Court Universitie and the meanest villages There are some common blessings which we and others dayly stand in need of and those it is lawfull to ask dayly in a set form of words Thus we may pray euery day for encrease of faith patience love meeknesse the forgivnesse of sinnes the continuance of those outward blessings which we enjoy freedom from or victory over temptations c. Thus there is no petition in the Lords prayer which doth not alwayes in the main concern every Christian mans estate And if the matter of our prayers may be the same daily in the Citie the Countrey Court and Universitie in this and former ages the same phrase of speech method and form externall may be lawfull fit and expedient For it is not the repetition of the same words in prayer every day that displeaseth the Lord but the ignorant rash cold customary superstitious and irreverent pouring out of words before him that is distastfull to his Majesty Variety of phrase doth not delight the Lord neither will he reject the desires of an humble and contrite heart because they are tendred often in one and the same phrase of speech And if the matter of prayer be the same in places of greatest wealth and poorest condition and the same form of blessing baptizing singing of psalms and putting up their petitions to God be fit and decent for them all it can be no prejudice to a stinted Liturgie that it is the same in all places and throughout all ages if the language be the same For this doth argue it to be the more not the lesse fit and that the greater not the lesse regard is had to the people The reason in brief is this It is lawfull to ask the same common blessings of God every day in all assemblies and congregations both of the City Country Court and University met together to call upon God therefore the same stinted form of prayer or Liturgy may be lawfull in the greatest city and meanest village in this and the ages following whether read or uttered out of memory for pronouncing cannot make an evil matter good nor reading simply make prayer good and holy to become sinfull Publick prayers offered up by the minister in the church-assemblies must be framed according to the present and severall occasions of the church and people of God which cannot be done when men are stinted to those forms Occasions are ordinary and common or more speciall In a stinted form prayers may be offered up by the minister according to the common and ordinary occasions of the church and people of God assembled though not according to the speciall occasions which may happen now and then or more particularly concern this or that person For if the same blessings are dayly to be craved he prayeth according to the present occasions that asketh the same blessings of God If it be said There be many occasions of particular use for the congregation and others which are not mentioned expressely that proveth not That a man cānot in a stinted form pray according to the severall occasions but that some stinted forms do not meet with all and every particular occasion which is easily granted But if a stinted form meet not with every mans occasions or not so particularly as it ought doth it hence follow that in a stinted form a man cānot pray according to the present occasions at all If this be the conclusion I fear we shall find few conceived prayers which must not come under the same sentence It may argue the imperfection of a stinted form not the unlawfulnesse it maketh somewhat against the sole use of a set form at all times against the simple use it maketh nothing It is found by lamentable experience that when men began to observe that custome there was great quenching of the Spirit and very few there were who did know and observe the true nature and the manner of prayer How is this confirmed by experience If ever the Christian church had no stinted form of prayer lamentable experience will testifie what great coolings and decayes there was in the church before a stinted form was in use If ever the faithfull did by the Spirit of adoption cry Abba Father they have learned to pray by the Spirit since the use of a stinted form as well as before Whatsoever may be thought of the two first ages for the space of fourteen hundred yeares the churches have had their stinted Liturgies The reformed churches since God was pleased to restore light again to the world have approved a stinted Liturgie Was there none or few in all this tract of time who did know or understand the true nature or manner of prayer none or few that in spirit or truth did call upon the name of the Lord The securitie of all ages hath been lamentable both before and since the use of a stinted form but that a stinted form was the cause of securitie and dulnesse can never be proved CHAP. VI. In scripture there be prescript forms of blessing prayers salutations c. which may lawfully be used IN scripture we find prescript forms of blessing prayers and thanksgiving both ordinary and extraordinary approved of God which might be used by the priests Levites and Saints or faithfull people and that upon deliberation usually constantly as occasion was offered and not by the immediate motion of the Spirit I say not that the preists in blessing or the Saints in prayer were necessarily bound to those very words and syllables But they might lawfully use them and without sinne We find also stinted forms of salutations valedictions and blessing which have been often used and may lawfully be used still without variation though we be not necessarily obliged thereunto Our Saviour also prescribed a set form of baptizing which we observe constantly without addition or variation though we be not tied by absolute necessity to rehearse the same words in the same syllables No substantiall change is to be admitted which may alter the sense but the very form of speech
speech may be used also as occasion shall require For none is absolutely commanded and all things required by the word of God in prayer may be observed in the one no lesse then in the other In this whole answer therefore which cometh so often in the second branch they strengthen our reason as much as can be desired against themselves In the other they look not to the point in hand nor the force of the reason Those forms mentioned 2. Chron. 29. 30. are in the same place expressely said to be composed by those that were Prophets and Seers as in other places of purpose as it were to prevent imitation an ordinary rise to imagery The forms mentioned were given no question by the inspiration of the Spirit and so is the Lords prayer the form of baptizing and other psalmes registred in holy scripture But the application of those particular forms to this on that purpose was not by an extraordinary motion of the Spirit but upon grounds common to others with them upon like occasion or in cases analogicall And if in that respect it be not lawfull to imitate their practice I would gladly know by what warrant we sing the psalmes of David or other holy prophets inspired of God or use a set translation c. Upon what grounds may they compose a catechisme for the edification of the people of their particular charge or gather together and alledge scriptures in their studied sermons either for instruction exhortation rebuke or comfort If they have not warrant from these and such like practices of the people of God it will prove in their construction but the precept or devise of man The composure of those psalmes was by the immediate inspiration of the holy Ghost wherein no man not immediately inspired may presume to imitate them but forms given by inspiration are thus farre for our imitation that we may use the same words or other words devised of our selves to the same purpose sc to expresse and lay open the conceits and desires of our soul Hezekiah did not compose that form but commanded the Levites to make use of it being already composed But how imitation herein should be a rise to imagery I cannot conceive To adde unto or detract from the word of God or his ordinances is great presumption to imitate the Saints in that particular which they did by immediate inspiration and could not do without such inspiration is intolerable boldnesse But where God hath given a pattern of prayer thanksgiving or administration of the sacraments to imitate our samplar in the selfsame words or other words devised by our selves or others is no rise to imagery If this be a rise to imagery every time a Christian maketh use of the Lords prayer in his prayers or the prayers of holy men recorded in scripture he setteth up an image he that deviseth a set form of prayer for one that needeth and he that in case of necessity useth such a devised prayer setteth up an image and every time they pray preach catechize administer the sacraments or meditate of holy things with reference to the scripture they set up images These consequences I am assured they detest let me entreat them to consider whether they do not follow necessarily upon their premisses Those that mean to defend the imposition of a stinted form of prayer to any purpose do what they can to bear us in hand that these prayers are of like nature with those in scripture and speak of them as if the composition and framing of them were by some propheticall or apostolicall Spirit or at least which will be all one in effect by a Spirit or gift extraordinary What opinion the true church of God hath had of a stinted Liturgie we shall see in the next argument But that she hath ever or at any time born us in hand that those prayers were of like nature with those in the scriptures that is given by immediate inspiration or parts of canonicall scripture is an unjust imputation For they know that all reformed churches since the light of the Gospel began to shine forth unto the world untill this day do allow and maintein the use of stinted prayers catechismes confessions and professions of faith a stinted form of singing psalmes c. did ever any of them bear the world in hand that their prayers or composures are propheticall or from an extraordinary spirit Divers godly and learned ministers have soundly and to purpose mainteined the lawfulnesse of a stinted form against them of the Separation in former times did they ever write or speak that the prayers or Liturgie was framed by an Apostolicall spirit I have not seen all men that have written upon this subject upon any occasion and therefore cannot say that never any man did so speak of them but sure I am if any man have so written he is neither the onely man nor the chief which hath set his hand to maintein the expediency of a stinted Liturgie If any one hath spoken unadvisedly the cause hath no credit by his defense nor can it receive prejudice by his weaknesse It hath been objected against some dislikers of a stinted form that they conceit their extemporany prayers to come from the immediate inspiration of the holy Ghost and if a man should rake into every writing and set every speech upon the tentours he might say as much for it as can be said in this particular But at the best this is but to go about the bush This is that which I hold and plead for That by the word of truth a stinted Liturgie or form of prayer is allowable and in some respects expedient CHAP. VII The churches of God have both used and approved a stinted Liturgie THE Jews before the coming of our Saviour Christ used a prescript form of prayer and praise or thanksgiving in the celebration of the passeover and that which they used was as it is probable approved of our Saviour Christ himself The Christian churches of ancient times for the space of this fourteen hundred yeares at least if not from the apostles times have had their stinted Liturgies and all reformed churches at this day do not onely tolerate but approve as very expedient a set form of prayer or Liturgie There is no mention from Moses to Christ of any Liturgie devised by man Which might not have been concealed if it had been for the edification of the church to set up such means of worship as Liturgie read publickly for the prayers of the church That there was no prescribed Liturgie particularly ordained and determined of God is freely confessed but that there was none in use is not proved by the silence of the scripture For the scripture was given to be the perfect rule of faith and manners but setteth not down particular customes or observations according to the generall rules of religion To let passe many take this one for instance The
people the imposer and user Plain dealing is a jewel Moreover to take away the ambiguitie of the word a stinted form may be set apart for publick use two wayes Either as sanctified to be the immediate and infallible rule of prayer a substantiall or proper means of worship holy by institution and necessary in conscience in respect of Divine commandment and in this no publick Liturgie is or ought to be set apart because none is prescribed of God none such can be devised or appointed of men Or it may be set apart where no one being determined by God one is freely chosen and agreed upon for publick use as consonant to the generall rules of scripture for orders sake to testifie consent in matters of faith and for the help of them that may stand in need not as the immediate and infallible rule of prayer nor as a proper means of worship nor as holy above others nor necessary in point of conscience and in this sense a Liturgy or stinted form may be set apart and it cannot well be conceived how it should generally be used unlesse it be set apart that is unlesse one be chosen amongst many and agreed upon to testifie consent In a stinted form or Liturgie two things are to be considered the matter it self which if holy and good is of God as in conceived prayer and the externall method order and phrase of speech which is not determined by God as whether it shall be in these and these words suddenly conceived or more solemnly composed devised by others or invented by our selves And seeing neither of these is determined it is the devise of man to place opinion of worship holinesse or necessitie in either of them simply considered Our Saviour never joyned with them in their prayers though he came often to their synagogues and meetings but alwayes either to preach unto them or reprove them for their humane inventions taking the opportunitie of their meetings for this very end A stinted Liturgie is challenged to be an humane devise condemned by the second commandment because it is not prescribed in the word The like exception upon just grounds do I make to this answer It is an humane devise a corrupt addition because it hath no warrant from the scripture Why did our Saviour go up to the feast of the passeover according to the custome when he was twelve yeares old onely to preach unto them and reprove their humane inventions and not to keep the passeover Did he ordinarily resort to the synagogues and was he present at the lectures of the law and prophets and did not joyn in prayer He himself telleth us it behooved him to fulfill all righteousnesse and was not this one branch of that righteousnesse he was to fulfill It is true he resorted thither to preach the Gospel and reprove the corrupt glosses of the scribes and Pharisees but to preach the Gospel and joyn in prayer with the people of God in covenant are things that may well stand together Our Saviour reproved the humane inventions of the scribes and Pharisees but did he ever reprove them simply for their stinted Liturgie or teach the faithfull not to joyn with the rest in their synagogues in any part of their stinted Liturgie If he came to the synagogues merely to take the opportunity of their meetings did he celebrate the last passeover with his disciples merely for that end likewise And if any man will be so unadvised and rash to say no more it will not avail For unto their custome of finishing the passeover with certain psalmes there is not any thing more probable then that the holy Evangelist doth evidently allude saying that after the cup delivered by our Saviour to his apostles they sung an hymne and went forth to the mount of Olives And some adde as the nature of some hymnes require it may be there was a common foot of the song wherewith the disciples answered unto our Saviour Christ first singing If they did use such without good warrant it will be no warrant to us and if they had warrant from God for any forms they used about the passeover c. if we have warrant from God we may do the like And we know we must go by rule and not by unwarranted example in all things about Gods worship Warrant is twofold One of precise institution determination and commandment and thus all substantiall parts and proper means of worship must be warranted But this warrant is not necessary to a stinted Liturgie unlesse it be determined of God in speciall And if that be true which some confidently affirm that reading cannot be prayer or that in reading a man cannot speak unto God or that read-prayer is an idole-prayer either it cannot be that by speciall institution a stinted prayer should be prescribed to be read or speciall institution is not sufficient to make it warrantable This I note here once again to perswade men more considerately to view over their positions and shew to how little purpose they ofttimes answer that this or that form is not the invention of man Another warrant there is according to the generall rules of scripture where nothing is particularly determined and thus a stinted Liturgie is warranted both to the Jews and Christians which is sufficient Also the example of our Saviour Christ resorting ordinarily to the synagogues and never speaking one word either to his disciples or other faithfull to beware of joyning with the rest in any part of their stinted Liturgies is to us warrant abundantly sufficient not to withdraw our selves from prayer or other ordinances of God because administred in a stinted Liturgie The spirit of the people should joyn with the ministers spirit in prayer according to the ordinance of Christ who ordereth no more to their parts in that case then to joyn with him and to testifie it by saying Amen And if the prayer be sound fit and holy what hindreth why the people may not testifie their consent by saying Amen If the governours neglect to stirre up the graces and gifts of the Spirit in themselves and so deprive the people of the benefit of their gifts must not the people make use of such gifts as they use if not their own then others The worship it self is vain fruitlesse and unwarrantable No branch of Gods worship consisteth in this That our prayers be presented to God in this or that method order or phrase of speech in a form of speech devised by others or invented by our selves suddenly conceived or premeditated long before varied every time we pray or one and the same often reiterated as occasion requireth And if the worship it self be vain and unwarrantable it must be either because the form of prayer is devised by himself and uttered in a stinted form or devised by others and not by himself If the former then no prayer is Gods ordinance which is
not uttered without premeditation settled and digested or at least which is not immediately suggested by the Spirit in respect of words and phrase of speech If the latter then devised worship is not forbidden in the second commandment but worship devised by another For that prayer which should be pure worship if devised by a mans self is unlawfull worship when devised by another And so devised worship or prayer is not condemned but worship or prayer devised by another man And if this be not the devise of man I know not what is Can this alter the nature of the worship in the hearer or him that joyneth that the words in prayer are invented by another studied by the governour or more suddenly conceived In the judgement of some Divines the three first commandments are thus distinguished each from other That the first commandment conteineth all those our duties towards God which are naturall The second all those duties in Gods speciall worship which are instituted and either of these is both inward and outward The third commandment requireth the well using of both these and of all other things which come of God If this distinction be allowed a stinted form as such doth not at all belong to the second commandment For instituted worship and not the order or manner of performance is the matter of the second commandment Stinted prayer is unlawfull because a man in devising it doth not exercise his own gifts Though he exercise not his gifts in devising it in reading or uttering it as a prayer he may set his understanding judgement faith hope love humility fervency and other graces of Gods Spirit on work And if the minister do not may not the people exercise their gifts in hearing and so though it be unlawfull to him it is not so to them Stinted prayer voluntarily taken up upon a mans self is not so much unlawfull but prayer imposed upon men because in such case they subject themselves to mans ordinance in Gods worship This is a strange description of mans ordinance in the worship of God or of worshipping God after the ordinances of men For thence it will follow that the same devised worship voluntarily taken up hath some allowance as the ordinance of God and ceaseth onely to be of God when it is imposed Whereas the ordinances of men in Gods worship condemned in scripture are not mere matters of order forms of words and phrases circumstances of time and place determined by men according to the generall rules but matters of worship devised besides and against the word of God and are unlawfull whether voluntarily taken up and devised of our selves or imposed by others A prescribed set form is not agreeable to the word of God for circumstance because the prescribing of it is to set apart or sanctifie it for such an use without Gods command and so to idolize it above other prayers In what sense a stinted form of prayer is or may be set apart hath been shewed before But this description of setting apart or prescribing is a mere devise barely affirmed without any shew of reason What is here objected against a prescribed form may be affirmed of a prescribed place time and order for the celebration of Divine ordinances which are of the same nature with it and no more determined by the word of God And suppose the minister or governour maintein some erroneous conceit touching the prescribed form of prayer are the people children or servants hereby authorized to withdraw themselves from such prayers or the prayers themselves made unacceptable to such as know how to use them aright One man is of opinion that a prescribed form is better then another another that a prescribed form is unlawfull one that it is best ordinarily to use a stinted form another that he is to pray alwayes according to the present occasion in a different order and phrase of speech In these cases if the least errour do stain the prayers to others that they may not lawfully joyn together with whom shall the faithfull joyn at all Is not this to fill the conscience with scruples and the church with rents Errours and abuses personall they rest in the persons so erring and stain not others It is harsh to affirm that such hath been the estate of the church ever since the death of the apostles almost if not before that a Christian could not without sinne joyn with any publick assembly in prayer or participation of the sacraments that he must either separate from the prayers of the assembly and depart from the sacraments or derogate from the authoritie of God and worship him after the ordinances of men For if such was the state of the Christian church from that time what is become of those great and pretious promises made to the church in the times of the Messias Did the church begin to draw and give up her breath both in one day Many things were amisse in the church many corruptions did begin to bud in the apostles times and after their departure did put forth with greater vigour and the saints of God I doubt not offended many wayes through ignorance and infirmity which God in mercy was pleased to pardon unto them But that the state and condition of the church was such that a Christian could not hold communion in prayer and the sacraments with the churches of God is contrary to the many promises in scripture made to the churches of the New Testament It is true the scripture doth forewarn us of an apostasie from the faith and the mystery of iniquity began to work in the apostles dayes and after their death things declined more and more But that within an age or two after the apostles departure out of this life things were so corrupted that the godly might not hold communion with the church in prayer and participation of the sacraments is more then an advised Christian will dare to affirm or think But if a stinted form of prayer be unlawfull both to minister and people to him that administers according to it and them that joyn a Christian might not safely joyn in any church-assembly or congregation in prayer or participation of the sacraments within few ages after the death of the apostles if at all Unlawfull commands in matters of religion especially cannot be obeyed without sinne Hos 5. 11. and it is a sinne to walk after them many wayes In matters of religion if the commands of men be contrary to the commands of God for substance or matter of the thing commanded we must obey God rather then men But if the command of man be for substance of matter agreeable to the rules of scripture pressed onely with too great strictnesse or severitie it is not evermore against God nor our superiours nor the present age and posterity nor ourselves to yield obedience If it be an holy form of baptisme voluntarily to baptize into
his good pleasure If their ministery was true in some respects and false in others then the ministery is not absolutely false which in some respect is not pure as it ought and is to be desired then also it is no sin to communicate in a false ministery in some respect so farre to wit as it hath truth in it and doth carry the stamp of God The priests scribes and Pharisees were of the tribe of Levi which was set apart for the ministery yet might they be strangers thieves robbers murderers which the sheep of Christ will not heare that is follow or be led by them For the ministers whom our Saviour chargeth as thieves and murderers were of continuall succession of Levi and Aaron especially and it is to be understood of them who teach false doctrine and not of them who enter without a lawfull outward calling And to enter by Christ the doore teaching him alone to be the onely Saviour and Mediatour is the note of a good shepherd To heare them is not simply to communicate with them in the ordinances of God which the godly and faithfull among the Jews might not refuse to do with the Scribes and Pharisees who were thieves and robbers but to receive their doctrine and embrace their errours which was evermore unlawfull The thieves and murderers in the church of the Jews sprung up with them and continued amongst them and neither departed themselves nor were cast out by others that had authority In the Christian church divers false teachers ravening wolves Antichrists rose up not from among the Heathen or Jews but in and from themselves whereof some went out from the church and separated themselves others were cast out by excommunication and delivered up unto Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme others were tolerated in the church either because their heresies were not so pernicious at the first or the better side had not power to cast them out or they preached fundamentall truths but of evil minds These in respect of outward order were lawfully chosen or called and yet false prophets discovered by their doctrine not by their calling and some of them continuing in the church the faithfull are warned to beware of their errours that they be not infected by them but not forbidden to partake at the ordinances of worship because they are present And if we look into the Scriptures of the old and new Testament we shall never find the prophets called true or false in respect of their outward calling but in respect of their doctrine A man may have a lawfull outward calling to the ministery and yet be a false prophet because he preacheth the lying visions of his own heart But we shall never find him called a false prophet who teacheth the truth as he hath received it of God because in some particular his calling might be excepted against And seeing he that speaketh the truth to edification exhortation rebuke and comfort of Gods people according to the command of God is a true prophet he that speaketh the dreams of his own heart is a false prophet It were good if they in whose mouthes the chalenge of false prophets is rifest would better weigh how they themselves expound and apply the scriptures in their writings or prophesyings lest notwithstanding any outward church-state or calling as they pretend they be deeper wounded by the rebound of their accusations this way then their adversaries For whosoever will be pleased to trie and examine the matter unpartially shall find their quotations of scripture to be many impertinent forced wrested miserably abused without all fear or reverence Let no man therefore be dismayed at their great confidence big words multitude of scripture-proofs or pretended grounds from others whose principles they put in practice for if they be particularly examined they will either disclaim the cause or put weapons into thy hands truly to fight against and put them to flight But for the present I forbear to enter into particulars because I desire the satisfaction of the more moderate sort who though they scruple communion in some particulars above handled do yet dislike that totall Separation which others make and that bitternesse of spirit wherewith they prosecute their cause The Lord in tender mercy look down upon his church make up the breaches which sinne hath made remove the stumbling-blocks and occasions of offense recall such as are gone astray cause his truth to shine more and more in our hearts and teach them that fear his name to walk in love and by an holy unblamable conversation in all things to approve the soundnesse of their faith and sincerity of their religion before all men for the comfort of their souls the edification of others and the glory of his great name through Jesus Christ our Lord. FINIS The generall heads conteined in this Book CHAP. I. OF a stinted form of prayer pag. 1. CHAP. II. All things essentiall to prayer may be observed in a prescript form pag. 12. CHAP. III. A stinted Liturgie or publick form of prayer is no breach of the second commandment pag. 23. CHAP. IIII. It is as lawfull to pray unto God in a form of words devised by others as to sing psalmes to the praise of God in a stinted form of words prescribed by others pag. 54. CHAP. V. A stinted form of prayer doth not quench the Spirit pag. 83. CHAP. VI. In scripture there be prescript forms of blessing prayers salutations c. which may lawfully be used pag. 97. CHAP. VII The churches of God have both used and approved a stinted Liturgie pag. 106. CHAP. VIII The people may lawfully be present at those prayers which are put up unto God in a stinted form of words and partake in Divine ordinances administred in a stinted Liturgie pag. 122. CHAP. IX It is lawfull for a Christian to be present at that service which is read out of a book in some things faultie both for form and matter pag. 157. CHAP. X. It is lawfull to communicate in a mixt congregation where ignorant and prophane persons be admitted to the sacrament pag. 187. CHAP. XI Of holding communion with that assembly in the worship of God where we cannot perform all duties mentioned Matth. 18. 15 16 17. pag. 216. CHAP. XII The community of the faithfull much lesse two or three separated from the world and gathered together into the name of Christ by a covenant are not the proper and immediate subject of power ecclesiasticall pag. 231. CHAP. XIII An examination of sundry positions laid down by M r Jacob in his Exposition of the second commandment tending to Separation pag. 282. FINIS Octob. 9. 1639. Imprimatur Cantabrigiae Ra. Brownrigg Procan Psal 50. 15. 1. Tim. 2. 5. John 10. 23. Ephes 2. 18. Rom. 8. 26. 1 Cor. 14. 16 28. Orig. contra Celsum lib. 8. Ambr. in 1 Cor. 14. Hieron ad Heliodor Epitaph Nepotian August De Magist lib. 1 Idem De
Of singing modulation of the voice Augustin Confess l. 9. c. 6 7. l. 10. cap. 33. Of 〈…〉 together Ambr. Hexamer l 3. c. 5. Responsoriis psalmorum cantu virâ—â—um mulierum virginum parvâ—lorum consonus undarum fragor resultaâ— And 〈…〉 orantis populi consistens quis extra ecclesiam vocem spectet celebres hymnorum sonitus See Conc. Carthag 4. can 10. 〈…〉 cap. 132 133. Harm Confess confess Helvet cap. 23. Zanch. De 〈…〉 Dâ— pol. eccl l. 1. cap 15. Bellarm. De oper in part cap. 14. 16. 〈…〉 carucrint nec ab aliis damnatae sunt Pamel in Câ—pr De â—rat Dom. noâ— 6. Copy of a Letter pag. 11. In religion there is no truth but grounded upon the scriptures no errour or heresie but repugnant to the scriptures no hereticks but refuted by scriptures Whitak Against Rainolds chap. 3. Object 4. Answ See Moller in Psalm epist dedicat Object 2. Copy of a Letter pag. 12. Answ 1. Cor. 11. 14. Object 5. Copy of a Letter pag. 13. Who put this instrument into your ministers hands Christ in his Testament appointed none such Ainsw Arg. answ pag. 59. Johnson De precâ—â— lit pag. 36 37. Answ Object 6. Mal. 1. 14. Robins Justificat against Bern. pag. 475 476. He is accursed that bringeth not the best offerings that he hath Mal. 1. 14. Greenwood pag. 10. Ainsw Of the use of the Lords prayer See Paget Arrow c. 3. Answ 2. Sam. 7. 7. Acts 4. 37. 5. 4. 1. Cor. 7. 37 38 39. Lev. 1. 3 10. 3. 1. 4. 3 23. Ainsw ubi supra Johnson pag. 24. Pag. 22. Ainsw ubi supra Greenwood Against Gifford pag. 19. Object 7. Object 8. Johnson ubi suprâ— pag. 37. Copy of a Letter pag. 11. Greenwood ubi suprà pag. 28. Read prayer mainteineth superstition an Idole-ministery Robinson Justific pag. 47. 4. Answ Johnson p. 30. See Chrysost in Gen. Hom. 3 4 5 6 27 28 31. c. August Tract 9. in Joh. Hesterno enim die c. in hodiernum diem distulimus Tract 12. Ex eo quòd hesterno die intentam fecimus c. Et Tract 16. Hodiâ—rna Evangelica lectâ—o hesterni diei sequitur lectionem quae nobis proponitur ad disputandum Tract 21 29 35 37 50. Possidon in vita August cap. 21 c. Aug. De verb. Dom. in Evang. serm 15. De verb. Apost serm 5 6. Literis carens Sacris non potest esse aptus officiis Gratian. Dist 36. can 1 2. Haec duo sunt Pontificis opera ut aut à Deo discat legendo scripturas Divinas saepius meditando aut populum doceat Origen Hom. 6. in Levit. Gratian. Dist. 36. can 3. Sacerdos namque ingrediens vel egrediens moritur si de eo sonitus non auditur quia iram contra se occulti Judicis exigit si sine praedicationis sonitu incedit Grat. Dist. 43. 1. Oves proculdubio tacendo pastor occidit Greg. l. 1. epist 33. Gratian. Dist 43. can 4 5. Episcopus lectioni orationi verbi Dei praedicationi tantummodo vacet Concil Carthag 4. can 20. Grat. Dist 88. can 6. See Concil Antioch can 17. 18. In omni sacerdotali convivio lectio Divinarum scripturarum misceatur Per hoc enim animae aedificantur ad bonum fabulae non necessariae prohibentur Concil Toletan 3. can 7. Gratian. Dist 44. can 11. Quia nequaquam lectioni studeas nequaquam exhortationi invigiles sed ipsum quoque usum ecclesiastici ordinis ignores hoc est in testimonium quòd eis sub quibus es positus servarâ— reverentiam nescis Greg. Natal episc l. 2. reg ep 14. Grat. Dist 44. can 5. Concil Moguntiac can 25. Si fortè Episcopus non fuerit in domo suâ aut infirmus est aut aliquâ causâ exigente non valuerit nunquam tamen desit diebus Dominicis c. Chrysost conc 3. de Lazarâ— Hoâ— â— 5. in Matth. Hom. 10. in Joh. Hom. 6 8. in Gen. Et Hom. 5 6. ad populam Antiochen Theodoret. De corrigend Graecor affect l. 5. Hieron in Epitaph Paule August in cap. Jejun Chrysost in epist ad Coloss Hom. 9. in Gen. â—9 See jewel Against Hard. art 15. div 15. Sixt. Senens Biblioth Sanct. l. 6. annot 152. See Jewel Apol def part 5. chap 3. div 4. Cham. Panstr tom 1. lib. 10. cap. 4 5 6 7. c. Gregor l. 4. Epist 44 Gratian Dist 91. can 2. Phil. Morâ— De Euchar lib. 1. cap. 4. Conc. Coloniens can 12. Willet Synops Contr. 13. qu. 7. Duranti Rational l. 4. cap. 15. Petrus de Aliaco lib. De reform Eccl. cap. De reformat Praelator 2. Tim. 4. 3. Whitak in Dur. lib. 8. §. 10. 2. Concil Vasens 2. An. Dom. 444. tom conc 2. pag. 19. Si presbyter aliquis infirmitate prohibente per seipsum non potuerit praedicare sanctorum Patrum homiliae à diaconis recitentur Caranz Sum. Concil Concil Vasens cap. 4. 4. Arg. Isa 59. 21. Rom. 8. 26. Object 1. Copy of a Lâ—tter pag. 3 14. Robins p. 469. Johnson uâ—i suprà pag. 37. Answ Greenwood Against Gifford pa. 3 4. It is the Spirit of God in the very action of prayer that helpeth our infirmities Object 2. Copy of a Letter pag. 14. Robins pag. 472. Greenwood Against Giff. pag. 2. Answ Object 3. Greenwood pag. 21. Answ Copy of a Letter pag. 15. Object 4. Robinson Against Bern. pag. 429. Answ Object 5. Copy of a Letter pag. 15. Answ Idem ubi suprà Object 6. Answ Object 7. Copie of a Letter pag. 21. Greenwood Against Giff. pag. 24. Answ Object 8. Johnson ubi suprà pag. 28. Greenwood Against Giff. Preface to the reader Answ Argum. 5. Num. 6. 22 23. Psal 22. 1. 102. Hose 14. 23. Joel 2. 17. Deut. â—6 5 10 Psal 92. 1. Ezra 3. 10. Rev. 15. 3. 2. Chro. 29. 30. Isa 12. 1. Rom. 1. 7. 1. Cor. 1. 3. 2. Cor. 1. 2. Gal. 1. 3. Ephes 1. 2. Phil. 1. 2. 1. Thess 1. 1. 2. Thess 1. 2. Rom. 16. 24. 1. Cor. 1. 16 23. Phil. 4. 23. 2. Thess 5. 28. 2. Thess 3. 18. Matth. 28. 19. Willet Synops coâ—tr 12. qu. 2. contr 11. qu. 1. Append. Whitak De sacr Bapt. qu. 1. pag. 221 222. Chamier Panstr tom 4. De Bapt. lib. 5. cap. 3. §. 5. Piscator in Matth. 28. 19. Schol. Maldonat in Matth. 28. 19. Object 1. Copy of a Letter pag. 6. Robins Against Bern. pag. 466. Johnson pag. 12. Answ Object 2. copy of a Letter pag. 6. Johnson ubi suprà pag. 12 â—4 Greenwood Against Giff. pag. 7 16. Robinson Against Bern. pag. 469 470. Johnson pag. 28 29. Answ 2. Chron. 5. 13. with Psal 131 1. Jer. 33. 11. with Ezra 3. 10 11. Luke 10. 5. Ruth 2. 4. Fulc in Rhem. in 1. Cor. 14. §. 14. Calvin in Matth. â— 9. Noluit praescribere filâ—s Dei quibus verbis utenduÌ„ sit ut ab ea quam dictavit
1. qu. 6. cap. 12. Balthas Lydiat Waldens tom 2. pag. 37 38. Cham. Panstrat tom 4. lib. 5. cap. 1â— whitak De Sacram. pag. 332 333 c. Michael Medina lib. 5. De sacror hom continent cap. 105. Ex quatuor octoginta Apostolicis canonibus quos Clemens Roman Pontifex eorundem Apostolorum discipulus in unuâ— coegit vix sex aut octo Latina ecclesia nunc observat Martin Paris De Tradit part 3. cap. de autoritate canon Apostolicor In illis continentur multa quae temporum corruptione non plenè observantur aliis pro temporis materiae qualitate aut obliteratis aut totius ecclesiae magisterio meritò abrogatis In the Greek Liturgies not before any other publick prayer but immediately before the holy ministration the Priest saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyprian in orat Dom. Serm. 6. Sacerdos ante orationem praefatione praemissà parat fratrum mentes dicendo SURSUM CORDA ut dum respondee plebs HAEEMUS AD DOMINUM admoneatur Chrysost ex variis locis in Matth. Hom. 9. Clamamus in conspectu sacrificii SURSUM CORDA August in Psalm 39. De done persever lib. 2. cap. 13. See Jewel Defen part 2. chap. 14. div 2. Chrysost in 2. Cor. Hom. 18. The priest and the people at the ministration talk together The Priest saith THE LORD BE VVITH YOU the people answereth AND VVITH THY SPIRIT Of the Lords prayer Hieron lib. 3. Contra Pelag. Apostoli Dominico praecepto ad celebrationem Eucharistiae adhibuere Dominicam precationem August in epist. 59. ad Paulin qu. 3. Quam totam petitionem ferè omnis ecclesia Dominicâ oratione concludit In Liturg. Chrysostomi chorus PATER NOSTER altâ voce Sacerdos QUONIAM TUUM EST REGNUM See Cham. Panstrat tom 4. lib. 6. cap. 9. §. 11 12 13 c. Of the Constantinepolitane Creed see Concil Toletan 3. can 2. Of HOLY HOLY HOLY c. Concil Vosens An. 444. can 6. Of CHRIST HAVE MERCY Concil Vasens can 5. Basil epist 63. August epist 178. Of ALLELUIA or PRAISE THE LORD Sozom. lib. 7. cap. 19. Of GLORY BE TO THE FATHER Sozom. lib. 3. cap. 19. Concil Vasens can 7. Platin. De vit Pontif. Damas 1. Graecis usitatum preces terminare aliquâ Doxologiâ Hinc psalmis addere solitos GLORIA PATRI Salutationi Angelicae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cham. Panstr tom 1. lib. 12. cap. 13. § 32 33. Of the abrenunetation in baptisme Cyrill Hierosolym Catech. mystag 1. Chrysost Hom. 21. ad popul Antioch Renuncio Satanae omnibus operibus ejus pompis ejus omni cultui ejus Consist Apost lib. 7. cap. 42. Tert. De Spectacul cap. 4. omnibus inventis ejus omnibus qui sub ipso sunt Ambr. Hexam lib. 1. cap. 4. mundo ejus Ambr. De iis qui myster initiant cap. 2. Cyrill Alexandr lib. 7. contr Jul. Daemoniorum turbis valedico omnem pompam corum cultum respuo See Cham. Panstr tom 4. lib. 6. cap. 14. §. 14 15 16 17 18 19. Of Sureties and Godfathers see Cham. ibid. §. 20 21. 22. Zepper De polit Eccles lib. 1. cap. 14. lib. 2. cap. 10. Balthas Lyd. Not. in disp Taborit tom 2. cap. 5. De Patrimis The Brethren in Egypt saith Augustine epist 121. are reported to have many prayers but every of them very short as if they were darts thrown out with a suddain quicknesse Not onely the books called Apocrypha but Clements epistles Euseb lib. 4. cap. 23. and the lives of the Martyrs were read Concil Carthagiz 3. can 47. Collectae antiquae nihil habent de intercessione aut meritis nè Apostolorum quidem c. Balth. Lyd. Not. in disput Taborit pag. 133. In the Liturgie of Basil there is no mention made of the Offering of the body and bloud of Christ by the priest nor of Redeeming the living or dead by this work In the Liturgie attributed to James there is no propitiatory sacrifice to be made by the priest but a mysticall no private Masse but all must communicate a confession against merit The sacrament is to be administred in both kinds Jacobus Pamelus scriptor Pontificius ingens volumen Liturgiarum Latinarum edidit Coloniae excusum Ann. 1571. in quibus frequens mentio communionis laicorum sub utraque specie nulla missae privatae vel sacrificii propitiatorii vel aliarum superstitionum impiarum quae postea irrepsorant si quis praesertim secula post tempora Apostolorum observet Illyric Caralog test lib. 1. pag. 70 71. I am assured saith Masius Praesat in Anaph Basil they are free and exempt from that wicked doctrine of that infamous heretick Nestor For having read a great volume of their solemn prayers which they make to God I have found nothing that might offend any man of sound opinion in our religion if it be not this that I suspect them because that they in many places call not the Virgin Mary Mother of God but in stead of this title they call her The Mother of Light Life Object 1. Answ For the practice and performance of duties simply morall commanded in their kind we ought to strain to the utmost and to go as near the wind as may be seeing nothing but apparent sin in the way can excuse the withdrawing from it when occasion of enjoying it is offered Robins Treatise Of the lawfulnesse of heaâ—ing c. pag. 6. Chilling Answer part 1. chap. 4. paragr 13. Dr Jeckson Of the church Great zeal they have against the false church ministery and worship so being or by them conceived so to be and against any appearing evil in the true but little for that which is true and good Robins ubi suprà pag. 10. Argum. 4. Matth. 18. 20. Ezek. 46. 10. See Lavater in Ezek. 46. 10. Rom. 3. 8. He who would have us receive the weak in faith whom God hath received would not have us refuse the fellowship of churches in that which is good for weaknesse in them of one sort or other And this we have so plainly and plentifully commended unto us both by the prophets yea by Christ himself in the Jewish church and apostles and apostolicall men in the first Christian churches in which many errours and evils of all kinds were more then manifest and the same oft-times both so farre spread and deeply rooted as the reforming of them â—as rather to be wished then hoped for as that no place is left for doubting c. Robins ubi suprà pag. 15. Zuingl tom 2. De Bapt. pag. 70. De haeres lib. 4. cap. 62. Contr. Parm l. 2. cap. 1â— Cap. 21. Cusan Catholic concord l. 1. cap. 5. See Calvin epist. 379. Instit lib. 4. cap. 10. §. 22. Damian a Goes De moribus Aethiop Object 1. Robins Against Bern. pag. 16. Answ There are corruptions which eat out the very heart of a thing as well as such as hinder the working onely and stain the work Robins