of the Holy Ghost and therefore their Apologies were of Divine Authority and many of them are to this day received as parts of Scripture or the Word of God but will any man in his wits admit or urge this consequence our Lord promised to assist his Apostles when arraigned before Heathen Judges for his sake by miraculous inspiration therefore in every ordinary case of Prayer he will assist all the faithful by the same inspiration or will these very Persons arrogate thus much to themselves or their own Prayers that they proceed from the same special and divine assistance Object 3 God say they hath promised his good Spirit to help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 27. when we know not how to Pray as we ought and therefore by tying of our selves to a prescribed Form we prejudice the assistance of this Holy Spirit and do not suffer him to help our infirmities by teaching us to Pray when we our selves do not know how to do it Answ 1 The Spirit is here said to help our infirmities by making intercession for us with sighs and groans unutterable and therefore cannot be a spirit of utterance yea it is farther intimated v. 27. that he alone who is the searcher of the heart doth understand the meaning of the spirit the Person therefore whom he thus assists is one who doth not understand his meaning and therefore neither can nor should thus Pray in publick where he is obliged to Pray not only with the spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 but with the understanding also this therefore certainly can be no promise or example of the assistance of the Spirit in pouring forth extemporary Prayers in publick 2ly The assistance of the Spirit promised here is only in the time of great temptations and afflictions and when we know not what to Pray for and therefore can with no shew of reason be extended to the continual assistance of the Spirit at all times 3ly Chap. 5. §. 6. from p. 218. to 230. That excellent Person who hath writ with great accuracy of Judgment touching the operations of the Holy Ghost hath made it evident beyond all possible exception that this Text makes nothing for the pretence of uttering the suggestions of the Spirit in extemporary Prayer but that if by the intercession of the Spirit we understand his interceding for us in the proper sense the import of the Words is this viz. The Gospel of Christ affords us this relief against impatience under afflictions that whereas we know not whether afflictions or deliverance and ease be best for us at present and consequently as to these respects know not what to pray for in particular the Spirit of Christ intercedes for us with unuttered groans i. e. earnestly and powerfully for by an inexpressible desire we commonly understand one that is vehement and God who searcheth our hearts and understands that we do sometimes desire such things as tend not to our advantage knoweth also what the Spirit intercedeth for and that he requests in our behalf better things for us than we do our selves for we are ever ready to desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such things as seem best to man but he asks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what God knows to be best for us But if the Holy Ghost is only said to intercede for us by enabling us to do so then will the words admit this Paraphrase Whereas when we pray for deliverance from afflictions we know not whether it be best for us to have our desires granted the Holy Spirit enclines us to an entire submission of our selves to the Divine Will and together with our most earnest prayers of that kind there is all along mingled that secret and more vehement desire of what God seeth best for us which is a Grace of the Holy Spirit whereby the forwardness of our appetites after the ease and comforts of this World is corrected and governed Now though this earnest request be not uttered the particular matter of it being not yet known since we are ignorant what will be most profitable for us yet he that searcheth the heart understands it perfectly and knows that we vehemently desire not so much that deliverance or worldly advantage which is the matter of our uttered groans and prayers as that good which the Spirit moveth us to pray for and which we cannot particularly utter that namely which God seeth best for us This indeed is a desire of the heart which proceeds from a Divine cause and God is so pleased with it that he will not fail to grant it so that if afflictions continue we know they shall work together for good and thus the Holy Spirit relieveth us under our infirmities and distresses by bringing all our worldly appetites under submission to the pleasure of Divine Wisdom and Goodness Object 4 Moreover it is objected that we are required to use the Gifts vouchsafed to us 1 Pet. 4.10 not to neglect our Gifts 1 Tim. 4.14 Rom. 12.6 Having Gifts different vouchsafed to us according to the different Grace of God to imploy them for the publick good Having therefore say Dissenters such a Gift of prayer we are engaged to imploy it in the publick Worship for the benefit of others and therefore cannot submit unto those Forms which lay upon us a necessity of neglecting this our Gift Answ 1 That though these places are produced in favour of the supposed gift of prayer yet do they speak of no such thing but all of them touching the gift of publick teaching of the Word of God Thus v. g. the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Gift of Timothy is say Interpreters munus publicè docendi the gift of publick teaching and this doth the connexion of the words most fairly plead for viz. V. 13. give attendance to reading exhortation and doctrine neglect not the gift c. The Speaker in St. Peter is say the Commentators on that place the instructor and teacher of the People is qui praedicat verbum Dei in Ecclesia he that preacheth the word of God in the Church The gifts in the 12th of the Romans are prophesying teaching V. 6. exhortation since then Dissenters think not themselves obliged to perform these things ex tempore by vertue of these precepts but chuse to do them in a Form of words why should they think themselves obliged to pray ex tempore by vertue of these words for that prophesying preaching and exhortation are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or spiritual gifts these Texts inform us more plainly than any other do that prayer is so quis tum discrevit who therefore made the difference that the one should be performed ex tempore the other not Answ 2 All these Texts seem to speak not of such ordinary gifts as are invention and elocution but of the extraordinary gifts vouchsafed then unto the Church for in all the forecited places the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth most properly import such gifts
judgments and opinions that there is among us and that great liberty men take to vent their private sentiments in Prayer when they are not restrained that they shall honestly be able to say Amen to a conceived Prayer whereas in a set Form of Liturgy this inconvenience is avoided seeing we know before hand to what we are to say Amen and therefore if we do not like it may absent our selves 3ly How can we sollicite any persons or perswade any strangers to come to our Churches or join in Communion with us where we cannot promise them that the Devotions to be used there shall be innocent we cannot shew them how we worship God and thereby put them in a condition to judge for themselves or promise them as in the Primitive Church they might whilst prayer by the Spirit lasted that all our prayers shall be agreeable unto the mind of God or how can this be done without producing some prescribed Form by which we pray This seems to be one reason why all the Churches of the World have had their publick Forms of prayer that they might let every-body know how God is served by them And why the best men in the Reformed Churches have wished those happy days might come Thes Salm. de Liturg. part 3. n. 46. in which the same Form of Divine Worship might be observed in the Church and all her members with one heart and mouth might glorify God that so the unity of the spirit and charity among Believers might be preserved as far as may be 4ly By set Forms many mischiefs are prevented to which conceived prayer doth stand obnoxious for hereby care is taken that nothing through the ignorance of some or the negligence of others should be offered up to God which is contrary to the Faith or unworthy of his Divine Majesty on which account it was long since resolved by the Milevitan Council Cap. 12. that no prayers should be used in the Church but those which had been weighed by the most prudent or approved in a Synod And this the wisdom of the Heathens saw whence Plato adviseth De. Legibus l. 7. that whatsoever prayers or Hymns the Poets composed to the Gods they should first shew them to the Priests before they published them lest they should ask evil things instead of good L. 4. c. 17. And Alexander ab Alexandro saith that the Gentiles read their prayers out of a book before their sacrifices ne quid preposterè dicatur that nothing might be spoken preposterously which two may pass for Christian Reasons as seasonable with us as they were among them these times being very subject to these infirmities as our experience hath too sadly found 5ly Our Saviour saith Matt. 18.19 20. where two or three were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agreeing in the same voice to request any thing it should be granted and the Apostle prays Rom. 15.6 that with one mouth as well as heart we may glorify God now sure there is more Symphony in a good Form of prayer jointly put up by a whole Nation than there would be in mens extemporary effusions and in it we may be better said to glorify God with one mouth than by the great variety of prayers conceived and so the use of well composed Forms in publick Worship are upon this account to be preferred before extemporary effusions And Lastly To confess my own infirmities I find one great advantage in a form of prayer that being naturally thoughtful and apt to make deductions from what I read or hear I very often make some observations from the Psalms and Lessons of the day as I attend unto them and my thoughts eagerly pursuing them my Devotions are too often interrupted with wandring thoughts which though they may be pious in themselves yet must be my infirmities as far as they withdraw my heart from diligent attention to the prayers then put up to God Now when this happens to me whilst others are using their conceived prayers I know not what are the desires I have neglected and so I cannot when I recal my self offer up those desires to God begging his pardon for my wandrings but when I find my thoughts thus wandring in any part of the Church Service I presently recollect where they began to wander what the petitions were which thus escaped me and either presently if I have any opportunity or when I make up my accounts with God in my retirements I humbly offer them up to God beseeching his forgiveness of my wandring thoughts This to me seems a kind of satisfaction made to my good God and is a satisfaction to my mind and therefore whatsoever others may think of it it seems to me no small advantage of a Form above a new conceived prayer though no man that I know of hath taken any notice of it since therefore by the use of Forms we may best pray with understanding and more securely and assuredly may join with him that doth officiate and say Amen to his petitions since hereby others may be assured beforehand that they can join sincerely with us in the publick service and may particularly prepare their hearts beforehand so to do Seeing hereby the benefit which is promised to the Church from the Symphony of her petitions is best acquired and both people and Ministers may be relieved best against their various distractions and seeing hereby all unbecoming scandalous expressions which disturb the most devout and minister occasion of derision to the looser Christian are in the most considerable and solemn parts of Divine Worship best prevented seeing a Form may be used no probability of any prohibition of them being made apparent and Christians stand bound to yield obedience to their Superiors in lawful matters seeing a Form must be used in our publick Prayers by virtue of our Lords command to say Our Father and in our publick Hymns and Psalmody by reason of our inability to conceive them suddenly and lastly seeing the whole Church of God hath constantly used Forms in the performance of her publick service for thirteen hundred Years upon all these accounts I think it is highy convenient that they should be retained in the Church of God especially if we consider that our Church doth not wholly exclude the use of any Ministers pretended gift in this kind but gives him liberty to use it both before Dr. Whitnal of Gifts in publick Worship p. 48. and after Sermon provided we acknowledge this habit to be what it is and use it according to the Laws of God with reverence to the Divine Majesty and care we speak not unadvisedly of him or to him according to the Laws of the Church with sobriety modesty peaceableness and order so as not to disturb or divide the Church by bringing thereby the publick and stated order into disesteem and finally with justice to our selves and the common Christianity so as not to make this the sole way of praying in a due or
of Tongues in Prayer and pray in words not understood by him that prayed § 2. To the Objection that forms of Prayer do stint the Spirit it is answered 1. That if this be meant of the Spirit of the Minister it may and in some cases must be stinted by Precept Apostolical 2. That Christ did stint the Spirit of his Disciples by prescribing them a form of Prayer 3. That the Directory doth the same by prescribing the matter of Prayer if the Objectors mean that a Form of Prayer doth stint the Holy Spirit 1. That it cannot be proved that the Spirit is injured by prescribing a Form 2. That the Directory and all premeditated Prayers do the same thing § 2. Secondly Because our Blessed Lord hath commanded and approved of a Form of Prayer § 3. Four Corollaries thence ibid. Thirdly Because Forms of Prayers have constantly been used in the Church of God from the third Century § 4. Fourthly Because all premeditated Prayer is in effect a form so that we must either pray without consideration or by form § 5. Six advantages of Praying by a prescribed Liturgy in the publick service of God § 6. THE Ceremonies required by the Church being own'd as lawful and her Festivals approved as such no Exceptions can be farther made against Communion with her besides those which do concern her Liturgy and those I shall consider in handling these two Propositions 1. That a prescribed Liturgy is lawful 2ly That there is nothing in the prescribed Liturgy of the Church of England to which her Lay Members may not yield obedience or which can render their Communion with her sinful or unlawful to them § 1 That a stinted Liturgy containing a prescribed Form of words is lawful Prop. 1 and that Dissenters therefore cannot reasonably scruple to join in Prayer with the Congregation where such a Liturgy is used This I prove Argum. 1 1. Because such a Liturgy is not forbidden in the Word of God now Sin being the transgression of the Law there can be no transgression in doing that which is forbidden by no Law Moreover where there is no command there is no duty and therefore no transgression by neglect of Duty but holy Scripture doth afford no Precept commanding us to Pray without a Form and therefore we cannot transgress by the neglect of Duty though we do not so Pray Now that a stinted Liturgy is not forbidden needs no other proof than this that no such prohibition can be shewed from Scripture but yet ex abundanti I thus argue that which is not sorbidden in general by virtue of the Precept which commands us not to add unto the word of God nor in particular by any Precept which in words direct or consequential forbid us when we Pray to use a form is not at all forbid But thus it is with reference to a stinted Liturgy Ergo. And 1. That the use of stinted Forms of Prayer not prescribed in Scripture is not forbidden by virtue of this Precept which commands us not to add unto the word of God is evident 1. From the exposition I have already given of those words 2ly Because no reason can be given why praying by a Form should be esteemed adding to the word of God rather than Praying without a Form God having in the Old Testament commanded Prayer by Form but never Prayer without it 3ly The Jews to whom this prohibition of adding to the Word was given did as I have observed from Dr. Leightfoot and as the Learned Mr. Selden hath informed us Not. in Eâ—tych p. 43. p. 41 42. use eighteen Prayers or Benedictions called in the Gemara composed or appointed Prayers that these were instituted by Ezra and his consistory to be used by every one daily by Law or received custome and that this remedy was applyed by the men of the great Synagogue Ezra and his hundred and twenty Collegues after the Babylonish Captivity that they might not recede either in the matter of their Prayers or their expressions from the Form of Piety commanded them by God They also prescribed a Form of Confession to be used by the People when they offered their Trespass-Offerings Leight Temple-Service p. 69. p. 173. and by the High-Priest when he confessed over the live Goat the Iniquities of the Children of Israel And lastly it was ordinary for their Teachers to compose Forms for their Disciples as is observed by Dr. Leightfoot In Mat. 6.9 by all which considerations it is evident that they conceived not such Forms forbidden by the prohibition to add unto the word of God And 4ly John taught his Disciples a Form of Prayer and Christ not only joined with the Forms which were appointed to be used in the Jewish Church but did himself prescribe a Form of Prayer for his Disciples by all which instances it is demonstratively evident that Forms of Prayer were not forbidden by virtue of the Precepts commanding the Jews not to add unto the Word of God 2ly That there is no especial Precept in the Old or the New Testament which doth in words direct or consequential forbid the Christian when he prays to use a Form will be apparent from an impartial consideration of what is offered from Scripture by way of objection against the use of Forms viz. that they are contrary to Scripture Precept Promise and Example 1. To Scripture Precept for that say they Jude 20. commands us to pray always in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 and in the Holy Ghost which in the Scripture Language is Praying by the Gift and the immediate assistance of the Holy Ghost and so is not consistent with Praying by prescribed Forms Answ 1 The same Persons who are here bid to pray in the Spirit are in the foregoing Chapter exhorted to be filled with the Spirit speaking to themselves in Psalms and Hymns Eph. 5.18 19. and spiritual Songs And yet Dissenters dare not hence conclude that they must sing ex tempore and not in stinted Metre why therefore do they plead from the like words in the forecited places that they are bound to Pray ex tempore and not in stinted words do they not sing the Psalms of David as they have been translated into English Metre and other Hymns composed by Pious Men do not these Psalms and Hymns contain Prayers and Petitions as well as thanksgivings yea is not thanksgiving it self in Scripture reckoned as one part of Prayer as is apparent from these words the Pharisee prayed thus God I thank thee that I am not as other men are Luk. 18.11 I will pray with the understanding else how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks 1 Cor. 14.15 16. Now I would gladly know why notwithstanding these Scriptures it should be lawful to use a Form of Prayer in Verse and not in Prose whether the Spirit be not as able to assist them in the first as in the latter or by what passage in these
Texts the latter is forbid more than the former Answ 2 2ly If Praying by a Form be inconsistent with Praying in the Spirit and in the Holy Ghost then must the use of the Lords Prayer be so and consequently we cannot use it in our Publick Worship without transgressing of these Precepts Answ 3 3ly I answer that Praying by the Spirit and in the Holy Ghost in the forementioned places may only signifie praying for such things and in such a manner as God hath by his Spirit taught us in the Holy Scripture and with such Spiritual Fervency and Constancy and other Christian Graces as he exciteth in us that this most likely is the import of the words in both these places may be argued from this consideration that in both places all good Christians are exhorted to pray in the Spirit and in the Holy Ghost now praying by the Spirit as it importeth praying by the immediate assistance of the Holy Spirit or the Spiritual Gift mentioned in Scripture is praying with the Gift of Tongues to which all Christians could not be exhorted because saith the Apostle all could not speak with Tongues 1 Cor. 12.30 2ly Because Tongues being for a sign not to believers but to unbelievers v. 22. It cannot rationally be supposed this Gift should be vouchsafed to Believers in their private Prayers of which here the Apostles seem to speak 3ly The Apostle here exhorteth the Ephesians to pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 always in the Spirit whereas the miraculous assistance of the Spirit in this duty being free what assurance could the Ephesians have of praying always by it Moreover he prescribes the matter of their Prayer exhorting them to pray for him that utterance might be given him V. 19. that he might open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel which he would scarce have done had he conceived that they were still to pray by the immediate assistance of that Spirit who needed no directions what he should suggest In the Epistle of St. Jude praying with the Holy Ghost is joined with building up themselves in their most holy faith and keeping themselves in the love of God these being therefore duties put into our power and to be improved by our industry not to be given by the miraculous assistance of the Holy Ghost without our industry why should we think otherwise of that praying by the Holy Ghost to which we here are equally exhorted if then this be the import of praying by the Spirit certain it is that we may pray thus by the Spirit though we use a Form for the matter of the Form may contain only what is good and acceptable in the sight of God and he that useth it and they who do join with him may do it in Faith and Fervency and with all other requisites unto an acceptable Prayer But 2ly If by praying in the Spirit and in the Holy Ghost we are to understand praying by that Spiritual Gift which was vouchsased to some Christians in the Apostles days by which they were enabled by the immediate and the miraculous assistance of the Holy Spirit to indite or use such Prayers as suted to the wants of the Christians of those times as Grotius and Dr. Hammond think Let it be then observed that these miraculous Gifts being now ceased we are no more concerned in these Precepts than we are to anoint the sick with oil when we pray over them according to the prescription of St. James James 5.14 Now that these Gifts are ceased and that no man can now pretend to the miraculous extraordinary immediate infusions of the Gift of Prayer and therefore that the Holy Ghost doth only now assist us by those ordinary and external means which do improve our understanding and instruct us what we ought to do and therefore to desire Grace to do is evident from these considerations 1. That were this otherwise our Prayers would be of Divine Inspiration and therefore as Canonical as Holy Scripture and as fit to be preserved as a Guide or Rule of Faith or at the least of Prayer which yet Dissenters have not the confidence to say 2ly Then also the same Persons may pretend to sing and Prophesie and Preach by the miraculous and the immediate assistance of the Holy Ghost for where the Apostle maketh mention of praying by this Gift of the Good Spirit he also speaketh of Singing and Prophesying by the Spirit whereas Dissenters have not the considence to pretend unto the latter and therefore have no reason to lay claim unto the former Now hence it follows That diligent perusal of the Holy Scriptures and meditation of those things which we do chiefly want and it doth most concern us to desire is the best way to purchase the assistance of the Holy Spirit and to obtain that which is called the Gift of Prayer and therefore that to Pray by a premeditated Form must be more properly to Pray by the assistance of the Holy Spirit than to pray ex tempore Our Saviour forbiddeth his Disciples when they shall be brought before Kings and Princes to take thought Matt. 10.19 or meditate how or what to speak Mark 13.11 because it shall be given them in that hour what they shall speak and because it is not they that speak but the Spirit of his Father that speaketh in them Now hence they argue à fortiori thus would God assist them to plead at an Heathen Tribunal and not at the Throne of Grace Answ 1 That the Persons with whom we have to do though they will not prescribe a Form yet do they allow of meditating before we Pray nay they prescribe the matter of the Prayer saying Directory p. 14. the Minister is to call upon God to this effect now both these are as much against this promise as is the using of a Form for the Text saith do not ye meditate take you no thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how or what you shall speak and the promise is peculiar for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it shall be given what you shall speak it therefore is unreasonably urged against Forms by them who do allow of meditation and of prescribing the materials of Prayer Answ 2 This promise belongs not to us but to the Primitive Martyrs and Confessors of Christianity before the Heathen World who were to be converted to it and then there is no reason to extend it to other cases for otherwise it may as plausibly be urged thus for an immediate assistance in preaching of the Word would God assist men in speaking for themselves and not for him in speaking for the preservation of their Bodies from temporal and not in speaking for the preservation of the Souls of others from external destruction and so we must not only Pray but Preach also ex tempore and from immediate assistance of the Holy Spirit Answ 3 Thirdly The words which these men spake were not their own but were the dictates
Such also was undoubtedly the gift vouchsafed to Timothy such were prophecy teaching exhortation 1 Cor. 12.10 29.14.3 such also was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ministry for the Deacons were to be men full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdom Acts 6.3 and they most likely are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 helps mentioned among spiritual gifts 1 Cor 12.28 and if so all these places must be impertinently alledged to prove that ordinary gifts may not be stinted Answ 3 These precepts cannot rationally be supposed to enjoin the use of any of these gifts farther than may consist with order and edification the peace and union of the Church and with subjection to the Prophets and then they cannot so enjoyn their exercise as to disturb her order peace and union and to oppose our selves to the prescriptions of her Prophets especially considering that the Church doth not wholly lay restraint upon the use of this supposed gift no not in publick but doth permit us to exercise it in our Prayers before and after Sermon Object 4 4ly It is objected thus That God promised under the Gospel times to pour out upon his people the Spirit of grace and supplication Zech. 12.10 and such a Spirit being given as are all the gifts of God for the edification of the Church must not be hindred Answ 1 There is no certain evidence that God here speaketh any thing of Prayer for what we render supplication is by divers Interpreters the Chaldee Paraphrast the Septuagint the Syriack and Arabick Versions agreeably to the derivation of the word rendred mercies and compassions by others the spirit of lamentation Answ 2 There is no evidence that God here promiseth the gift of praying fluently by the immediate assistance of the Holy Spirit for the effect of what is promised here is not Spiritual Hymns or Prayers not that they shall fluently express themselves in prayer but that they shall look on him whom they have pierced and shall mourn so that men may with equal reason argue hence for extemporary sorrow and against such considerations as serve to work this sorrow in us as for extemporary prayer and against such considerations as may prepare us to put up our addresses duly to the God of Heaven Answ 3 There is no evidence that if the Spirit of prayer be promised here this promise doth respect our Age and men may argue with equal reason from the promise made by Joel Joel 2.28 that in the latter days God would pour out his spirit upon all flesh c. that we may now expect Prophetick Visions Dreams and Prophesyings as from this promise of the Prophet Zechary that we may now expect the miraculous assistance of Gods Spirit in prayer Object 5 It is said 1 Cor. 14 15. I will pray with the spirit § 2 now though there is no shadow of an Argument in these words to countenance extemporary prayer yet may it be useful for undeceiving some of our Dissenters to observe 1. That there was when this Epistle was endited a spiritual gift of prayer which Christians exercised in their Assemblies by the immediate assistance and operation of the Holy Spirit For the Apostle in the 12th Chapter of this Epistle propounds to treat touching spiritual gifts beginning of his treatise thus concerning spiritual gifts 1 Cor. 12.1 Brethren I would not have you ignorant and this discourse he carries on to the end of the 14th Chapter where in the 15th v. we read these words I will pray with the spirit I will pray with the understanding also to pray then with the spirit is to pray with this spiritual gift for of those Gifts the Apostle speaketh in the whole discourse and forasmuch as he applyeth this spiritual gift to prayer saying I will pray with the spirit 't is certain he affirms that there was then a spiritual gift in the Church enabling them to whom it was given to pray in words suggested by the holy spirit or to make and utter upon the sudden a new prayer suiting the condition of the then present Church of God 2ly It is extremely evident that praying with the spirit then was using of the gift of tongues in prayer as is apparent from these words if I pray with an unknown tongue my spirit prayeth v. 14. i. e. my spiritual gift is exercised And 2ly because the Idiot could not say Amen to him that prayed by the spirit because he understood not what he said v. 16. 3ly From these words of the Apostle I speak with tongues more than you all and yet had rather speak five words in the Church with my understanding that I might teach others than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue v. 18 19. Moreover that it was also praying what he understood not is evident 1. Because praying with the understanding is opposed to it 2. Because the mind of him who prayed by the Spirit was unfruitful v. 14. 3. V. 13. Because he is bid to pray that he may interpret if then Dissenters desire thus to pray let them do it let us hear them pray in unknown tongues and when they do so they will only pray after the Roman manner disapproved of by St Paul who commands such persons to be silent in the Church vers 28. 3ly When this Spiritual Gift was exercised the Apostle plainly saith that it was better to pray with the understanding i. e. with words that might be understood by others than to pray with this spiritual Gift V. 19.28 where there was no Interpreter and in that case commands them who enjoined this Gift to keep silence in the Church And hence it follows unavoidably that in some cases it was not only lawful but even necessary in order to edification that they should stint this Gift if therefore the immediate operations of the Holy Spirit may be stinted in the Church much more the Gift of Elocution Moreover these Gifts were to be stinted by a Revelation made to another person vers 30 by subjection to the Prophets vers 32. by the Rules of order vers 33 40. and they were to give place to Charity and the edification of the Church vers 1 4 12. if therefore Charity Edification Order were to be preferr'd before these Gifts of the Good Spirit much more should Charity the Peace the Vnion the Order of the Church prevail to cut off our pretences to the exercising of this meanest of all Gifts if blessed Paul so undervalued that Praying by the Spirit which was the fruit of his immediate assistance that he preferred Edifying the Church a thousand degrees beyond it I suppose he would have preferred the edification of the Church before that Praying by the Spirit which men usually learn and do obtain to by the help of Dr. Wilkins's Discourse upon the Gift of Prayer Now sure 't is matter of concern towards the Edification of the Church to obey Superiors to preserve Peace Order Union in the Church as much as may be to consent
together in our Petitions and with one mouth to glorifie God to secure the publick Service from dark extravagant erroneous Petitions too oft put up by the contenders for and practisers of this Extemporary Devotion If therefore care ought to be taken that our publick Sacrifice should be as near as can be without blemish and that we do not offer unto God the lame and the blind Mal. 1.13 14. I think this cannot be done better than by prescribing of a well composed form of prayer to be dayly offered up unto God as our Morning and our Evening Sacrifice Lastly Whereas it is objected That in set Forms of prayer we restrain and confine the Spirit and in conceived prayers the Spirit is free unlimited and unconstrained I Answer That by restraining of the Spirit the Objectors mean the restraining of their own Spirits or of the blessed Spirit If by restraining of the Spirit they mean restraining the spirit of the Minister I ask 1. Why his Spirit may not be restrained by the wisdom of his Superiors as well as the spirit of the people by his conceived prayer And tell me Is not their spirit restrained when the whole Congregation is confined to the form of this one mans composing or unto words which on a sudden he doth utter 2. Did not Christ restrain the Spirit of his own Disciples when he taught them to pray the Lords Prayer if he had only said pray thus after this manner and given only a Directory for the matter of prayer this was a restraint but if he said pray this or pray these words as I shall prove he did he then prescribed both the matter and words too and therefore did restrain the Spirit of his Disciples as truly as any other form could do 3. The Spirit of the Minister must in some cases be restrained and that by precept Apostolical for otherwise what means St Paul by saying 1 Cor. 14.32 the Spirit of the Prophets must be subject to the Prophets what greater restraint than subjection for if subjected then they must be ruled if ruled then limited or prescribed unto and as much under restraint as the Spirit of the superior Prophets shall judge convenient In fine when the Assembly of Divines appointed the matter of prayers to all particular Ministers was that appointment by the Spirit or no if no then for ought appears the Directory not being made by Gods Spirit may be an enemy to it But if this appointment were by the Spirit then the determination and limitation of the Spirit in either sense is by the Spirit himself and such indeed is every pious and prudent constitution of the Church in matters spiritual such was that of St Paul to the Corinthians when he prescribed orders for publick Prophesying and Interpretation and speaking with Tongues All these are Answers to this Objection transcribed from the excellent Bishop Taylors Discourse concerning Prayer ex tempore And it seems reasonable to suppose with him that after all these Answers this Objection should trouble us no more If by the Spirit they mean the Holy Spirit I enquire 1. By what Argument shall any man make it so much as probable that the Holy Ghost is injured if every private Ministers Spirit shall be guided and so by necessary consequence limited by the Authority of the Church What prohibition what Law what Reason or Revelation is against it what inconvenience in the nature of the thing for can any man be so weak as to imagine a despite is done to the Spirit of Grace when men pray by such well composed Forms as the whole Church approves of and doth not in opposition to them use his private Gift 2. Is not the Holy Spirit as much restrained by premeditated prayers since the design of that premeditation is only to consider after what form or manner they should pray for what and in what words so that the Holy Spirits assistance is restrained to their conceptions and meditations men therefore must be bound to pray they know not what or else according to this Objection must lay restraints upon the Holy Spirit 3. Doth not the Directory that thing which is here called restraining of the Spirit Doth it not appoint every thing but the words and after this is it not a goodly Palladium which is contended for and a princely liberty they leave unto the Spirit to be free only in supplying the place of a Vocabulary or a Copia Verborum for as for the matter it is all there described and appointed and to these determinate senses the Spirit must assist or not at all only for the words he shall take his choice Now I enquire which is the most considerable of the two Sense or Language matter or words if the former is it not a greater injury to the Spirit to restrain his matter than to appoint his words so that in the greater of the two the Spirit is restrained when his matter is appointed and to make him amends for not trusting him with the matter without our directions and limitations we trust him to say what he pleaseth so it be to our sense 4. Is it not as much a restraint of the Spirit to sing a Psalm in Metre by appointment as to use a Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving by appointment yet this is done daily by Dissenters without any scruple made which seems to argue great partiality or want of judgment There being then no Scripture precept no evidence of reason against Forms of prayer we may hence rationally conclude that they are lawful For had it been the will of God that publick prayers should be performed by Christians in an extemporary manner and not by forms we may rationally conceive the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of supplication would somewhere have admonished us to pray ex tempore and to beware of book-Book-prayers and the use of Forms as well as of neglecting this duty altogether or performing it in a careless and undue manner and this the rather because Forms of Prayer and Thanksgiving were used in the Jewish Church and because the modesty of many good Christians and the inabilities of many more would naturally prompt them to the use of so ready a help to Devotion as pious and useful Forms of prayer are but so far are we from finding any command in Scripture to pray upon suddain invention that we find no preference given to this way in Scripture above the use of Forms but rather the contrary for when our Saviour taught his Disciples to pray he enjoined them the use of a form As for all other vices by which this duty is corrupted or rendred less acceptable to God the Holy Ghost hath fully cautioned us against them Matt. 6.7 v. 5. Matt. 15.8 Luke 18.10 1 Cor. 14. James 1.6 1 Tim. 2.8 John 9.31 putting in caveats against Battology or much speaking against performing of this duty for ostentation against honouring God with our lips when our hearts are far from
him against vain-glorious and Pharisaical addresses against prayers used in an unknown tongue or not put up in Faith or put up in wrath against the prayer of him who lifts not up pure hands or who continues in his sin but the whole Scripture affords us not one caution against Forms of prayer either in publick or in private and therefore we may rationally suppose that they are not displeasing to him or unacceptable at the throne of Grace Argum. 2 Moreover our blessed Lord hath both commanded and approved a Form of prayer and therefore it unquestionably must be lawful His command to use a Form is evident 1. From those positive words Luke 11.2 when you pray say Our Father c. and though St Matthew varies the words of the command informing us that our Lord said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pray so yet may that please be very well consistent with the other and may import that those words should be used in our prayers for in the form of the Aaronical Benediction the command runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on this wise shall ye bless Numb 6.23 whereas the blessing was pronounced in the very form of words prescribed there And when God put the words into the mouth of Balaam which he was to speak he saith unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the Prophets Numb 23.5 Thus saith the Lord thus shall you say unto the house of Israel always imports these words shall you say or the Lord saith 2. The request of Christs Disciples was that He would teach them to pray as John had taught his Disciples Vid. Leight in Matt. 6.9 Now it being ordinary for the Jewish Doctors to compose Forms of prayer for their Scholars it is not to be doubted but that St John did so and consequently that our Lord did so for his Disciples And Thirdly This is farther evident from the words of the Lords Prayer they being not directed to man but God for 't is not said pray to your Father in Heaven that his Name may be hallowed but Our Father hallowed be thy Name And as such did the Antient Church of Christ receive and use it Christ saith Tertullian De Orat. c. 1. Novam orandi formulam determinavit appointed a new form of prayer and this we Christians do begin with In the Apostolick constitutions it is required to be used thrice a day and Austin saith l. 7. c. 25. Ep. 59. ad Paul Qu. 5. that almost the whole Church concluded the Communion Service with it So that if our Dissenters be not men of greater abilities than the Apostles were at least before Christs Resurrection and than the greatest Worthies of the Church after the Resurrection they cannot look upon it as a thing below them to observe this Form of Prayer Again our Lord approved of a Form of prayer by his using the Hymn called the Hallel with his Disciples at the Passover Matt. 26.30 by his presence at the Forms used in the Jewish Service V. 44. and by his thrice repeating the same words even when He used the greatest fervency in prayer Now hence do naturally flow such Corollaries as evidently shew the falsehood of the reasonings of the Dissenters against the lawfulness of Forms as v. g. 1. Hence it follows that such Forms cannot be unlawful worship forbidden by the Second Commandment unless our Lord did both prescribe and by his practice did approve unlawful worship 2. Hence it must follow that the using of a Form can be no hindrance to our Devotion attention fervency in prayer unless our Lord can be supposed to have prescribed that which was thus prejudicial to his Service 3. Hence it will also follow that the using of a Form cannot be prejudicial to the duty of using our own Gifts for had our Lord intended it to be the duty of all Ministers of the Gospel to use their own abilities in publick prayer in opposition to a Form sure He himself would not have given them such a Form to be used in their publick addresses to God De Orat. Dom. p. 141. wherein saith Cyprian we say Our Father because publica nobis est communis oratio it is our Common Prayer 4. Hence it is evident that praying by a Form is well consistent with praying by the Spirit for otherwise our use of the Lords Prayer would be repugnant to prayer by the Spirit Moreover the Saints of the Old Testament and Christ himself and his Disciples prayed as I have shewed by Forms and yet dare any say they prayed not by the Spirit yea all the Churches of Christ from the third Century and the devoutest persons of all the following ages have ever used Forms in publick and dare we say that none of all these Churches or persons ever prayed in publick by the Spirit yea do not France Geneva Holland and almost all Reformed Churches pray by Forms and when the Minister conceives a Prayer is not that prayer a Form unto the people who are confined to pray according to the words he utters as much as by the words prescribed by the Common Prayer and yet dares any one affirm that all these pray without the Spirit of God Argum. 3 But Thirdly Forms of prayer have constantly been used even by the confession of those who plead against them throughout the universal Church of Christ from the Third Century that is above 1300 years and are retained and approved by almost all Reformed Churches and therefore to condemn them as unlawful forbidden by the Second Commandment or by plain precept in the New Testament as impediments to attention and fervency in prayer and to the exercise of the Gifts vouchsafed to the Ministers of Christ to fit them for the work and lastly as false and unacceptable worship is to cast all these reproaches on the whole Church of Christ for so long time at least and to charge all her eminent and pious Clergy as persons guilty through their whole lives of tendring to God a false forbidden worship and being always guilty in their publick service of him of all the crimes forementioned which Nam hoc quin ita faciendum sit disputare insolentissimae insaniae est Ep. 118. p. 558. D. as St Austin truly saith is such a charge as will pronounce the Authors of it guilty of the most insolent madness The confessions of Dissenters to this effect may be seen in Smectymnuus * Answ to the Remonstr p. 7. p. 11. Thes Salm. part 3. loc com 47. N. 49. and the grand debate and the Assertion of Capellus that the use of publick forms obtained in the Vniversal Church through the whole world for above 1300 years will be made good from these considerations 1. That even Pliny †Epist l. 10. ep 97. apud Euseb l. 7. c. 30. p. 281. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth inform us that the Christians in his time did sing an Hymn to Christ as God That Dionysius
this precept of St. Paul by giving scandal to the Church of God and to Superiors Civil and Sacred as by omission of them you must do The wisdom which is from above is impartial Yea do not many of you submit unto them when you find it necessary to avoid Civil and Church censures and to serve the interests of your party and shall these low concerns prevail more with you than the Churches Peace the procuring all those blessings which would ensue upon our unity and the prevention of those mischiefs which follow upon our divisions Pudet haec opprobria vobis c. § 9 Thirdly Consider that the Apostle to quell the Schisms and Disorders committed in the Church of Corinth informs them That God is not the God of confusion but of Peace as in all Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 Now it is fully proved here and by others who have laboured to convince you of the mischief of your Separation 1. That upon the same principles by which you do excuse your Separation from us and your erecting opposite Communions you consequentially do excuse many of the Antient Schismaticks condemned by the Church you give to others an Apology not Answerable by you to separate from your selves And lastly you condemn the practice of the first and purest Ages of the Church and must have separated from Communion with her in what Age following the Apostles soever you had lived and so have made disturbance throughout all Churches of the world and therefore you may rest assured you do not act agreeably to the good pleasure of that God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is the God not of disturbance but of Peace And we may speak unto you in the language of Theophylact In locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be you ashamed to contradict the customs of all Churches § 10 Fourthly 1 Cor. 7.12 15. Consider that the same Apostle forbids the believing Brother to separate from his Heathen Wife and the believing Wife to desert her unbelieving Husband for this very reason That God had called us to peace and yet he elsewhere shews how inconvenient it was to be thus yoked to unbelievers 2 Cor. 6.14 If then our being called to Peace will warrant and even sanctifie our yielding to so great an inconvenience and render it our duty to make no separation in our Families on those accounts will it not hallow our submission to some things inconvenient in the Church and render it our duty to make no separation from it on the account of such things § 11 Fifthly Consider that if all things indifferent be left so by your Governours the Minister who officiates must and therefore may impose upon you in many things relating to Gods Publick Worship for as I have already shewed he must chuse some place and time in which he will officiate he must do it in some habit he must chuse some Chapters to read some Psalms to sing some kind of Bread and Wine to Consecrate with many other things of a like nature and if they may do this why not the Magistrate If your Ministers may as Governours impose these things upon you why not the Bishops as their Governours upon them why not the Magistrate as the Supreme Ecclesiastick Governour upon both The seal of Government is finally resolved on them who have the power of imposing so that to deny the Ministers this power over the people or the Bishops over the Ministers is to make neither the one nor the other properly Governours § 12 Sixthly That God who hath established the Office Ministerial and Magistratical must have consigned that power to them which is sufficient to acquire all the ends for which it was designed these ends are among others the Peace the Union the Order the Edification of the body or society of Christians subject to them God therefore must have given to these Officers sufficient power for the acquiring of these ends as far as they are needful for the Church of God but without a power of silencing disputes when they arise and do disturb the Church and making Rules for Uniformity and Order when differences do arise and divisions multiply and confusion is introduced by variety of practice in indifferent matters it is apparent they cannot obtain these ends in Church or State and therefore 't is not to be doubted but God hath given them a power of making and imposing of such Rules in the forementioned cases to those ends Seventhly Consider that since it is for ever necessary that things should be done decently and in order and to edification and what is decent orderly and tending to edification will be ever subject to variety and to a relative uncertainty seeing that may be so in some place age and circumstances which may in others cease to be so 't is necessary that there should be perpetual judges of these things and they can be no other but the Rulers of the Church they therefore must have power to judge and to determine in those cases Eighthly Consider that it cannot reasonably be imagined that the God of Love and Peace who questionless delights to see men converse peaceably together Eph. 4.3 Rom. 14.19.12.18 and with one heart and mouth to glorifie him and who so strictly doth command us to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace to pursue the things which make for Peace and do as much as in us lyes in order to it should disapprove of what is so expedient and visibly conducing to this end if not expresly or by plain and immediate consequence forbidden by him or should approve of Separation and division upon trivial accounts Now how can we be said to do as much as in us lies in order to that end if we will not comply in order to the Churches Peace with constitutions of Superiors which are not evidently repugnant to his Law or to the dictates of our natural reason § 13 Ninthly Consider what is like to be the natural result of your refusal of Communion with us even no less than Excommunication which though perhaps the fault committed may not in it self deserve yet can I see no reason 1. Why you should not dread the Sentence seeing Pastoris sententia etiam injusta timenda est even the injust Sentence of Superiors may be dreaded when it doth actually deprive us of Church Priviledges and therefore we stand bound to do what lawfully we can even all that is not evidently sinful to avoid it 2. Nor can I see even why the Sentence may not be valid before God though not by reason of the moment of the things themselves yet for that disobedience to lawful Governours and violation of the Peace which is contained in our refusal to submit unto them I confess there is an opinion much received in the world that makes the censures of the Church only declarative which will excuse you from these fears for if the confirmation of these censures by
have been asserted and been made publick not only in the times of the late Civil Wars but also since the happy Restoration of His Sacred Majesty whom God preserve For this great scandal you have hereby ministred both to Religion in the general and to the Protestant Religion in particular I verily believe you by just judgment of Almighty God do suffer and will smart severely Wherefore my counsel to you is 1. No longer to defend to countenance or to extenuate those wicked principles and execrable practices which followed from them but humbly to confess and take the shame due to your party for them and patiently bear the indignation of the Lord because you have thus sin'd against him Be pleased I pray you in order to this end to ponder seriously these words of your admired Mr. Defence of the principles of love p. 14 15 16. Baxter who speaks thus unto you I beseech you let us review the effects of the late War is it possible for any sober Christian in the world to take them to be blameless or to be little sins What both the violating the person and the life of the King and the change of the fundamental Government or constitution c. Was all this lawful and to do all this as for God with dreadful appeals to him Dare any man not blinded and hardned justifie all this If none of all this was Rebellion or Treason or Murther is there any such crime think you possible to be committed Are Papists insulting over us in our shame are thousands hardned by these and such like dealings into a scorn of all Religion are our Rulers by all this exasperated to the severities which we feel are we made by it the by-word and hissing of the Nations and the shame and pity of all our friends and yet is all this to be justified or silenced and none of it at all to be openly repented of I openly profess to you that I believe till this be done we are never like to be healed or restored and that it is heinous gross impenitence that keepeth Ministers and people under their distress and I take it for the sad prognostick of our future woe and lengthened affliction to hear so little open profession of repentance even for unquestionable heinous crimes for the saving of those who are undone by these scandals and for the reparation of the honour of Religion which is most notoriously injured Your Commissioners at the Savoy give this account of their faith to his Majesty whom God preserve viz. that in things no way against the Law of God the commands of our Governours must be obeyed but if they command what God forbids we must patiently submit to suffering and every soul must be subject to the higher powers for conscience sake and not resist these are our principles And these must be your principles or you can never reasonably expect the favour or protection of the Government For what their Subjects do at present or may hereafter think forbidden by God in these divided times and contrariety of various sects the Higher Powers cannot know and therefore if they cannot be secured of this I mean by the ordinary way of security given by oaths subscriptions declarations that when their subjects think God hath forbidden what the higher powers do command they patiently will submit to suffering and not resist they cannot be secured of the peace and quiet of their Kingdom I therefore cannot but conceive you are obliged in Conscience as you desire to avoid the truly odious name of Rebel and the just imputation of seditious persons and to wipe off in some good measure the horrid scandal which lies upon your party for your former practices That you are bound in justice as you desire to repair the credit of the Protestant Religion which hath so deeply suffered by the past Rebellions of men of your perswasions and give security unto that Government from which both you and yours expect security That you are bound in policy and prudence as you desire to abate the just suspicions which the Government at present hath and will have of you till you secure them of the contrary and to wipe off the manifold reproaches which are cast upon you as you desire to remove the Prejudices all loyal subjects have against you from their experience of your seditious principles and practices I say I cannot but conceive you highly stand obliged on all these accounts to publish your sincere repentance for and your abhorrence of what men of your perswasion have already done to make now solemn declarations and protestations of your present loyal principles to shew your readiness to give all satisfaction to the Government which can be reasonably desired from you that you do not at present hold nor ever will maintain rebellious principles to remonstrate that if you cannot yet obey in all things the commands of your Superiours you in no cases will resist the Government but patiently will suffer under it and lastly that you will permit no person to be of your communion who will not make this declaration heartily and sincerely Bishop of Winton's Sermon before the King Nov. 5.67 p. 38. For as a Reverend Prelate of our Church doth truly say The best and safest way for Prince State and People is to protect cherish and allow of that Religion and that only which allows of no rising up against or resisting soveraign power no not in its own defence nor upon any other account whatsoever which most Christian and most Orthodox profession if those of the Romish and those of other perswasions that live among us but are not of us would make as frankly and as ingenuously and as sincerely as we do though it would not presently reconcile all other differences betwixt us and them yet it would perhaps be enough to make us live peaceably and charitably and securely together without fear or jealousie of one another which would be a good step towards an accommodation of all other controversies betwixt us in time also Now to conclude this Preface with the Prayer of our own Church Blessed Jesu our Saviour and our Peace who didst shed thy precious Blood upon the Cross that thou mightest abolish and destroy all enmity among men and reconcile them in one body unto God look down in much pity and compassion upon this distressed Church and Nation whose bleeding wounds occasioned by the lamentable Divisions that are among us cry aloud for thy speedy help and saving relief stir up we beseech thee every Soul of us carefully as becometh sincere Christians to root out of our hearts all pride and vain-glory all wrath and bitterness all unjust prejudice and causless jealousie all hatred and malice and desire of revenge and whatsoever it is that may exasperate our minds or hinder us from discerning the things which belong unto our Peace and by the power of thy Holy Spirit of Peace dispose all our hearts to such meekness of wisdom
had all the plausible pretences which have prevailed on our Dissenting Laity to make an Actual Separation to move them so to do Inf. 2. §. 12. Hence it will also follow that great Corruptions in the Lives of our Church-Pastors will not warrant our separation from Communion with them or our Refusal to attend upon their Teaching provided we be not enjoyned to allow of or to comply with them in their sins Our Saviour sent the Leper to the Priest to offer by his Hands the accustomed Sacrifices altho the Priesthood then was much degenerated both in its Office and in the manners of those who ministred at the Altar we find that Christ himself was present at their solemn Feasts and therefore did not come empty which the Law forbad but brought his Sacrifice and by so doing owned their Priesthood he was a Member of a Synagogue and so he joyned in the Service of their Synagogues upon the Sabbath and upon other Solemn Days and yet their own Josephus tells us that the whole Jewish Nation were then a very wicked people they were saith truth it self an Evil Wicked and Adulterous Generation The Teachers and the Rulers of the Church whom Christ commands the multitude and his Disciples to obey in all things lawful Matt. 2.7.12.34 Matt. 5.19 Matt. 6.23.7 8. Matt. 12.14 v. 24. were a Generation of Vipers they were such whose Righteousness could not qualifie any Person for the Kingdom of God They were Hypocritical and Vainglorious in their Prayers Alms and Fastings They consulted how they might destroy the Saviour of the World They were many of them guilty of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Matt. 23 13. v. 14. v. 15. v. 23. They shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men. They devoured Widows Houses out of pretense of Piety They made their Prosclytes ten times more the Children of the Devil then themselves They neglected the more weighty Matters of the Law They were full of Extortion Covetousness Excess And yet from the Communion of such Men our Lord himself and his Disciples did not separate in matters which concerned Gods Publick Worship he called none to come out from them and be separate but rather countenanced their hearing of them with Caution and Discretion which shews how groundless and unwarrantable a thing it is to separate from our Legal Pastors upon these accounts Hence 3ly Inf. 3. §. 13. we infer that it is lawful to comply with such Churches as enjoyn some significant Ceremonies not mentioned in the Word of God for the sake of Peace Order Unity and the avoiding of Scandal to submit unto them when by Authority they are imposed for this we find our Saviour and his Apostles did he ate the Passover prepared according to the Custom of the Jews and so he did partake of that thick Sawce which signifyed the thick Clay which they in Aegypt formed into Brick he ate the Passover in such a Posture as was used by the Jews to signify their Rest and their Security in the Good Land of Canaan He when he went into the Temple did put off his Shoes altho that Ceremony was used to signify their Reverence toward the Temple or to that God who dwelt in it he did not go into the Temple with a Staff or Scrip but did comply with all the Ceremonies enjoyned by the Jewish Sanhedrin to those who dayly came unto it He when he read the Law stood up as was enjoyned by the Jews in honour of the Law and when he taught the people he constantly sate down according to the Custom which had then obtained The Imposition of hands in their ordinary Benediction was a significant Ceremony Mark 10.16 it noted properly the Efficacy of the Divine Blessing the Hand being the instrument of Force and Vigor it was done also in Testimony of Gods Favor to them and yet that Ceremony was by our Lord observed in his Benediction of the little Children which were brought to him tho it was not commanded in the Law of Moses Inf. 4. §. 14. Hence 4ly we infer that it is not unlawful to use a publick Form of Prayer and that the using of such Forms can be no sinful sâ—inâ—â—â—â—g of the Spirit For our Lord scrupled not the Time the Number the Form the Matter of the Jewish Prayers both he and his Disciples were present at the 18 Prayers used in the publick Service of the Jews And he himself prescribed a Form of Prayer to be used by his Disciples He therefore did not think that his own Spirit was stinted by using of a Form or that he stinted the Spirit of his own Disciples by prescribing of it and yet Christ and his own Disciples when they attended on these Prayers had a more plentiful Effusion of the Holy Spirit then we can pretend to Hence also we conclude that we stand not obliged in all Punctilios of Time Inf. 5. §. 15. or Place or Gesture to follow the Example of the first Institution of the H. Sacrament of the Lords Supper For albeit a standing Posture was prescribed at the first Institution of the Passover and every Master of a Family by the same Institution was to keep up his Lamb four days before the Passover yet Christ complyed with the Custom of the Jewish Church which for prudential Reasons laid aside or changed these Customs Even so altho Christ celebrated the Sacrament after Supper and albeit he did it in a posture of Recumbency we do not stand obliged to conform unto these Circumstances they being done upon such grounds as do not now remain for we have now no Paschal Supper to be eaten before the Sacrament nor is it the Custom of our Nations to lye down on Couches when we eat nor have we any cause to do it in token of our Rest in Canaan And if we are obliged to use that very Gesture which our Saviour did why are we not as much obliged to the same time I mean not only after Supper but annually on the same Night in which our Saviour was betrayed why are we not as much obliged to receive in the same place viz. an Inn or in an Upper-chamber And lastly tho it be unquestionable that in the Primitive Institution Wine was mixt with Water for so the Primitive Christians testify and so the Hebrew Custom and their Canons teach and albeit this seems more fit to represent that Water and that Blood which issued from our Saviours Side yet because now it ceaseth to be the Custom to drink Wine mixt with Water Laightf Temp. Serv. p. 147. few scruple to receive it without such a Mixture and therefore on like grounds and from our Saviours Aphorism I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice I think we should not scruple to baptise by sprinkling altho our Lords Disciples did baptize by dipping and that more perfectly doth represent that Death of Christ into which saith St. Paul we are baptized and the ensuing Resurrection Inf.
the Law Matt. 23.23 viz. Judgment and Mercy Mark 12.33 That to love God with all our hearts and our Neighbour as our selves is more than all Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices That to pray hear read the Word receive the Sacrament to fast are but the means which God hath in his Word ordained for the encrease of Justice Equity Mercy Love Peace Humility and Temperance and such like Christian Graces and therefore these must be the things in which God is concerned mostly that we should yield obedience That when the Scripture reckoneth the Graces of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 it tells us they are Love Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Righteousness and Temperance not prayer fasting hearing receiving of the Sacrament c. And lastly 't is observable that we are call'd to imitate our heavenly Father in acts of Love and Mercy our Lord and Saviour in Meekness and Humility Bowels of Mercy Compassion and Self-denyal but not in prayer and fasting and in such like duties Since therefore God is more concerned for matters of this Nature than for his outward worship his Word must be more perfect in prescribing of these duties than any circumstances of his worship if then it be unlawful for us to submit to any Ceremonies commanded by man which respect his worship because Gods Word must be a perfect Rule not only of all parts but of all modes of Worship it must be more unlawful to submit to any humane constitutions touching Equity and Justice Mercy and Compassion Love Charity and Peace because Gods Word must be supposed in these more weighty and substantial matters to be a Rule more perfect And therefore all the Laws and Statutes respecting matters of this Nature which cannot be collected from the Words of Scripture must by this doctrine be cashiered as vain Inventions and Christians must stand obliged to refuse obedience to them For instance I am commanded to worship God in publick but whether I must do it in a Church or in the Field in black or white or any other garb by stinted Words or by Expressions of my own immediate Invention in this or that or a 3d posture is not expressed in Holy Scripture If therefore in these cases I must not yield obedience to any power that will command me to worship God in white to pray in stinted Words to do it kneeling or the like because that Scripture which is a Rule of Worship hath not determined of these things must I not do the like in other cases of an higher Nature and because Scripture hath commanded that I should be charitable and give Alms but hath not said what portion I shall give nor when nor in what place or to what persons nor in what manner whether by my self or by the Overseers of the Poor am I not bound as much to shew my disobedience to those Laws which rate me to the Poor and which give power to Officers to strein on my refusal to pay that rate If I must not joyn with an Assembly that doth use a stinted Form of Words that riseth up at the rehearsal of the Creed or with a Pastor that doth officiate in white because these things are not commanded in the perfect Rule of Worship how dare I to commence a sute of Law to arrest a person for a debt or to indite him for a trespass without Scripture warrant these things being no where commanded in that perfect Rule of Equity and Justice The Scripture having said There is utterly a fault among you that you go to Law one with another 1 Cor. 6.7 Luk. 6.35 Matt. 5.40 lend hoping for nothing again if any man take away thy Cloak let him have thy Coat also but never said If any man officiate in white or by a Form of Words do not joyn with him is it not matter of just admiration that they who never scruple to act contrary unto the letter of the Scripture in the former cases should be so very scrupulous in things no where forbidden in the Word 3ly This dangerous opinion will force men to be troublesome in all the Churches of the World and to refuse communion even with those Assemblies they are joyned with nay had they lived in the Jewish Church or any other Age of Christendom they must have been continual Separatists For where I pray you could they have found a Precept for all the Jewish Practises and Observations which I have mentioned in the foregoing Arguments If they had lived in the next Age to the Apostles with Polycarp and Ignatius who did converse with the Apostles where would the Scripture have afforded any warrant for observation of the Feast of Easter which both the Churches of the East and West observed in the days of Polycarp L. 5. c. 24. as is recorded by Eusebius or any Precept for bowing to the East Resp ad quest 118. which Pseudo-Justin mentions as a thing practised in his days or for the Observation of the days on which their Glorious Martyrs died Apud Euseb l. 4. c. 15. which yet the Church of Smyrna mentions as a thing practised by the Christians not long after the death of the Apostles or for the Water mixed with the Sacramental Wine of which both Justin and St. Cyprian speak Apol. 2. Cypr. Ep. 63. Just M. ibid. or for the portions of the Sacramental Bread sent to the Sick and absent to signify they were partakers of the same Sacrifice and belonged to the same Altar or for their standing in their publick worship from Easter unto Whitsunday Resp ad quest â—15 Can. 19. and every Lords-day to testify their belief of our Lords Resurrection which yet by the Great Nicene Council was required to be observed by all Christian People and which they did accordingly observe Tertullian gives us a Catalogue of many observations which the Church used in his days and which she vindicated not from the Scriptures De Coron Milit. c. 3 4. but from the Patronage of Custom and Tradition I will begin saith he with Baptism where coming to the Water we testify before the President or Bishop that we renounce the Devil his Pomps and his Angels then are we thrice dipt answering something more than Christ commanded in his Gospel The Sacrament of the Eucharist which our Lord instituted after Supper we partake of in our Meetings before the day arise we think it wickedness to fast or to pray knâ—eling on the Lords day we kneel not from Easter to Whitsunday whensoever we go forth or come in or whatsoever we are conversant about we sign our Foreheads with the sign of the Cross and if you do require a Law of Scripture for these Observations you will find none Tradition will be alledged as the Author and custom the Confirmer of them For these are observations which we defend not from Scripture but from the title of Tradition and the Patronage of Custom This was the Practice of the first Ages of the Church
Where there is no law forbidding sure we are there is no transgression but there is no law forbidding the observation of Christmas and other Festivals of our Church and therefore there is no transgression in observing them and if our assurance that there is no transgression in not observing of these days depends on this that no law doth command their observation why are we not as sure that we transgress not in observing them being as sure that no law doth forbid their observation wherefore we being sure of this that there is a law commanding us to yield obedience to the guidance and appointment of our Superiors in all lawful things and sure from what hath been discoursed that the Religious observation of these days for the forementioned ends is not only lawful but expedient let any Reasonable person judge which is the surer side the observation of these days as by Authority we are required or the Refusal so to do Object 6 Others object against the observation of these days § 15 that St. Paul condemneth his Galatians for observing Months and Times and Years Gal. 4.9 10. And saith to his Colossians let no man judge you on the account of a Feast or a New Moon or a Sabbath-day Coloss 2.16 Answer It is exceeding manifest that both these places only do concern the observation of those Jewish Festivals which were commanded by the Law of Moses by Gentile Converts to Christianity For 1. the Apostle in the beginning of the fourth Chapter to the Galatians saith Gal. 4.3 5. that Christ came to redeem those from the Law who were in bondage to its beggarly Elements that they might receive the adoption of sons and then puts the Question to his Galatians thus how therefore turn you again unto those weak and beggarly Elements to which you desire again to be in bondage v. 9. v. 10. And as an instance of their relapsing to that bondage he adds You observe Days and Months and Times and Years viz. Those Months and Days and Yearly Festivals which were prescribed by the Law of Moses and therefore saith I am afraid of you lest I may have laboured among you in vain v. 11. And farther saith tell me you that desire to be under the Law v. 12. do you not hear the law Plainly demonstrating that he reprehends them for their desire to joyn the observation of the Law of Moses to Christianity In the 2d Chapter to the Colossians he speaks expresly of New Moons and Sabbaths which were proper to the Jewish Pedagogy v. 16 17. and of such Festivals as were Shadows of things to come and such were properly the Jewish Festivals and they only 2ly That he speaks only of the observation of them by the Gentile Convert to Christianity is evident from the severity of his reprehension of them as being a reducing them to bondage and that which made his labour vain among them whereas he being an Hebrew of the Hebrews did himself observe the feast of Pentecost and did permit the observation of them for a season to the weaker Jew Rom. 14.5 6. Hence also 3ly Act. 18.21.20.16 It is evident that he speaks only against the observation of these days from the opinion of their necessity to the justification of the Gentile Christian or from an opinion of their obligation to observe the Law of Moses as his whole disputation in his Epistle to the Galatians doth plainly shew wherefore our Festivals being not Jewish nor such as were commanded by the Ceremonial Law nor Shadows of things future nor observed by us out of opinion of any such necessity as hath been mentioned they cannot be concerned in those words of the Apostle nor can they with any colour be esteemed Yokes of bondage or weak and beggarly Elements as were these Jewish Feasts any more then weekly Lectures or stated fasts for publick judgments or stated Festivals for the remembrance of publick mercies can be so accounted But tho this Exposition of these places be so evident that he who runs may read it yet do dissenters thus object against it Object If the Apostle speak only of Judaical days either he condemneth the observation of the same feasts materialiter that is the observing of the same days the Jews observed or formaliter that is he condemns the observing of them with such a meaning after such a manner and to such an end as the Jews did if the former then say they their own feasts of Easter and Whitsunday will be condemned because they were observed by the Jews if they assert the latter this cannot be true for the Apostle condemns that observation of these days which was done by those Galatians who believed that Christ was already come and therefore could not keep them as figures of his coming as the Jews did but rather as memorials saith Cartwright Disp p. 48. 49. that he was already come so Gillespy Answer The Apostle plainly condemns the observation of these days by Gentile Converts whether Colossians or Galatians upon account of any obligation lying on them from the Law of Moses so to do now I hope Mr. Gillespy will grant that the Galatian Christians might think themselves obliged to observe the Law of Moses by being circumcised and keeping of the Festivals prescribed by it 2ly He also condemns the observation of them by Gentiles to the same end the Passover in memory of their deliverance from Aegypt the feast of Pentecost in memory of Gods kindness in giving his Law to them at that time the feast of Tabernacles in memory of their Divine protection in the wilderness their weekly Sabbaths in memory of their deliverance from Aegyptian Thraldom and to these ends the Judaizing Gentile Converts might observe them 3ly The Judaizing Christians believed that the Messiah was already come and yet conceived themselves obliged to observe these Festivals not as Shadows of things to come but as Festivals commanded by the Law of Moses and so might also those Gentile Converts whom they had perverted CHAP. X. The Contents The Proposition that a prescribed Form of Liturgy may lawfully be used in publick Worship 1. Because such a Form is not forbidden either directly or indirectly in the word of God Not 1. by the command to pray always in the Spirit Eph. 5.18 and in the Holy Ghost Jude 20.2 Not by our Lords command to his Disciples when they were brought before Kings and Rulers for his sake not to meditate what they should say Matt. 10.19 Nor 3. by the promise of the Spirit to help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 27. Nor 4. by the commands not to neglect our Gifts 1 Tim. 4.14 but as we have received the Gift so to minister 1 Pet. 4.10 Rom. 12.6 Nor 5. from Gods Promise to pour out upon his People the Spirit of Supplication § 1. To pray in the Spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 is 1. to pray by the immediate Assistance and Operations of the Holy Spirit 2 To use the gift