formes according as she judges best for edification 2. When the Apostles upon occasion of the Forme sect. 76 which the Baptist taught his Disciples begg'd of their Master to teach them one he againe taught them this and added a precept to use these very words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} when ye pray say our Father when they speak to God it was fit they should speake in his words in whose name also their prayers onely could be acceptable 3. For if we must speak this sense why also are not the sect. 77 very words to be retained Is there any errour or imperfection in the words was not Christ Master of his language and were not his words sufficiently expressive of his sense will not the Prayer do well also in our tongues which as a duty we are oblig'd to deposite in our hearts and preserve in our memories without which it is in all senses uselesse whether it be onely a pattern or a repository of matter 4. And it is observeable that our blessed Saviour doth sect. 78 not say Pray that the name of your heavenly Father may be sanctified or that your sinnes may be forgiven but say Hallowed be thy name c. so that he prescribes this Prayer not in massa materiae but in formâ verborum not in a confused heap of matter but in an exact composure of words it makes it evident he intended it not onely pro regula petendorum for a direction of what things we are to aske but also pro forma orationis for a set form of Prayer Now it is considerable that no man ever had the fulnesse of the Spirit but onely the holy Jesus and therefore it is also certain that no man had the Spirit of prayer like to him and then if we pray this prayer devoutly and with pious and actuall intention doe we not pray in the Spirit of Christ as much as if we prayed any other forme of words pretended to be taught us by the Spirit We are sure that Christ and Christs spirit taught us this Prayer they onely gather by conjectures and opinions that in their ex tempore or conceived formes the Spirit of Christ teacheth them So much then as Certainties are better then Uncertainties and Gods words better than Mans so much is this Set forme besides the infinite advantages in the matter better then their ex tempore and conceived Formes in the forme it selfe And if ever any prayer was or could be a part of that doctrine of faith by which wee received the Spirit it must needs be this prayer which was the onely forme our blessed Master taught the Christian Church immediately was a part of his great and glorious Sermon in the Mount in which all the needs of the world are sealed up as in a treasure house and intimated by severall petitions as diseases are by their proper and proportioned remedies and which Christ published as the first emanation of his Spirit the first perfume of that heavenly anointing which descended on his sacred head when he went down into the waters of Baptisme This we are certain of that there is nothing wanting sect. 79 nothing superfluous and impertinent nothing carnall or imperfect in this prayer but as it supplies all needs so it serves all persons is fitted for all estates it meets with all accidents and no necessity can surprize any man but if God heares him praying that prayer he is provided for in that necessity and yet if a single person paraphrases it it is not certain but the whole sense of a petition may be altered by the intervention of one improper word and there can be no security given against this but qualified and limited and just in such a proportion as we can be assured of the wisdome and honesty of the person and the actuall assistance of the holy Spirit Now then I demand whether the Prayer of Manasses be sect. 80 so good a prayer as the Lords Prayer or is the Prayer of Judith or of Tobias or of Judas Maccabeus or of the Sonne of Sirach is any of these so good Certainly no man will say they are and the reason is because we are not sure they are inspired by the Holy Spirit of God prudent and pious and conformable to Religion they may be but not penn'd by so excellent a spirit as this Prayer And what assurance can be given that any Ministers prayer is better then the prayers of the Sonne of Sirach who was a very wise and a very good man as all the world acknowledges I know not any one of them that has so large a testimony or is of so great reputation But suppose they can make as good prayers yet surely they are Apocryphall at least and for the same reason that the Apocryphall prayers are not so excellent as the Lords prayer by the same reason must the best they can be imagin'd to compose fall short of this excellent pattern by how much they partake of a smaller portion of the Spirit as a drop of water is lesse then all the waters under or above the Firmament Secondly I would also willingly know whether if sect. 81 any man uses the forme which Christ taught supposing he did not tie us to the very prescript words can there be any hurt in it is it imaginable that any Commandement should be broken or any affront done to the honour of God or any act of imprudence or irreligion in it or any negligence of any insinuation of the Divine pleasure I cannot yet think of any thing to frame for answer so much as by way of an Antinomy or Objection But then supposing Christ did tye us to use this Prayer pro loco tempore according to the nature and obligation of all affirmative precepts as it is certaine he did in the preceptive words recorded by S. Luke When ye pray say Our Father then it is to be considered that a Divine Commandment is broken by its rejection and therefore if there were any doubt remaining whether it be a command or no yet since on one side there is danger of a negligence and a contempt and that on the other side the observation conformity cannot be criminall or imprudent it will follow that the retaining of this Prayer in practice and suffering it to doe all its intentions and particularly becomming the great {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or authority for set formes of Prayer is the safest most prudent most Christian understanding of those words of Christ propounding the Lords Prayer to the Christian Church And because it is impossible that all particulars should be expressed in any forme of prayer because particulars are not onely casuall and accidentall but also infinite Christ according to that wisdome he had without measure fram'd a Prayer which by a general comprehension should include all particulars eminent and vertually so that there should be no defect in it yet so short that the
disadvantage to our devotions I leave it to all wise men to determine So that in effect since after the pretended assistance of the Spirit in our prayers we may write them downe consider them try the spirits and ponder the matter the reason and the religion of the addresse let the world judge whether this sudden utterance and ex tempore formes be any thing else but a direct resolution not to consider before hand what we speake Sic itaque habe ut istam vim dicendi rapidam aptiorem esse circulanti judices quam agenti rem magnam seriam docentique They are the words of Seneca and expresse what naturally flowes from the premises The pretence of the Spirit and the gift of prayer is not sufficient to justifie the dishonour they doe to Religion in serving it in the lowest and most indeliberate manner nor quit such men from unreasonablenesse and folly who will dare to speake to God in the presence of the people and in their behalf without deliberation or learning or study Nothing is a greater disreputation to the prudence of a Discourse then to say it was a thing made up in haste that is without due considering But here I consider and I wish they whom it concerns sect. 36 most would doe so too that to pretend the Spirit in so unreasonable a manner to so ill purposes and without reason or promise or probability for doing it is a very great crime and of dangerous consequence It was the greatest aggravation of the sin of Ananias and Saphira {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that they did falsely pretend and belye the Holy Spirit which crime bestdes that it dishonours the holy Ghost to make him the president of imperfect and illiterate rites the author of confusion and indeliberate Discourses and the parent of such productions which a wise person would blush to owne it also intitles him to all those Doctrines which either Chance or Designe shall expose to the people in such prayers to which they entitle the holy Spirit as the Author and immediate Dictator So that if they please he must not onely own their follies but their impieties too and how great dis-reputation this is to the Spirit of Wisdome of Counsel and of Holinesse I wish they may rather understand by Discourse then by Experiment But let us look a little farther into the mysterie and sect. 37 see what is meant in Scripture by praying with the Spirit In what sense the holy Ghost is called the Spirit of Prayer I have already shewn viz. by the same reason as he is the Spirit of Faith of prudence of knowledge of understanding and the like because he gives us assistances for the acquiring of these graces and furnishes us with revelations by way of object and instruction But praying with the Spirit hath besides this other senses also in Scripture I find in one place that we then pray with the Spirit when the holy Ghost does actually excite us to desires and earnest tendencies to the obtaining our holy purposes when he prepares our hearts to pray when he enkindles our desires gives us zeal devotion charity and fervour spirituall violence and holy importunity This sense is also in the latter part of the objected words of S. Paul Rom. 8. The Spirit it selfe maketh Intercession for us with groanings And indeed this is truly a praying with the Spirit but this will doe our Reverend Brethren of the Assembly little advantage as to the present Question For this Spirit is not a Spirit of utterance not at all clamorous in the eares of the people but cryes loud in the eares of God with groans unutterable so it followes and onely He that searcheth the heart he understandeth the meaning of the Spirit This is the Spirit of the Sonne which God hath sent into our hearts not into our tongues whereby we cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. And this is the great {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} for mentall prayer which is properly and truly praying by the Spirit Another praying with the Spirit I find in that place of sect. 38 Saint Paul from whence this expression is taken and commonly used I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also It is generally supposed that Saint Paul relates here to a speciall and extraordinary gift of Prayer which was indulg'd to the Primitive Bishops and Priests the Apostles and Rulers of Churches and to some other persons extraordinarily of being able to compose prayers pious in the matter prudent in the composure devout in the formes expressive in the language and in short usefull to the Church and very apt for devotion and serving to her religion and necessities I beleeve that such a gift there was and this indulged as other issues of the Spirit to some persons upon speciall necessities by singular dispensation as the Spirit knew to be most expedient for the present need and the future instruction This I beleeve not because I finde sufficient testimony that it was so or any evidence from the words now alledged but because it was reasonable it should be so and agreeable to the other proceedings of the holy Ghost For although we account it an easie matter to make prayers and we have great reason to give thanks to the holy Ghost for it who hath descended so plentifully upon the Church hath made plentifull revelation of all the publike and private necessities of the world hath taught us how to pray given rules for the manner of addresse taught us how to distinguish spirituall from carnall things hath represented the vanity of worldly desires the unsatisfyingnesse of earthly possessions the blessing of being denyed our impertinent secular and indiscreet requests and hath done all this at the beginning of Christianity and hath actually stirred up the Apostles and Apostolicall men to make so many excellent Formes of Prayer which their successors did in part retaine and in part imitate till the conjunct wisdome of the Church saw her offices compleat regular and sufficient So that now every man is able to make something of Formes of Prayer for which ability they should do well to pay their Eucharist to the holy Ghost and not abuse the gift to vanity or schisme yet at the first beginning of Christianity till the holy Spirit did fill all things they found no such plenty of forms of Prayer and it was accounted a matter of so great consideration to make a Form of Prayer that it was thought a fit work for a Prophet or the Founder of an Institution And therefore the Disciples of John asked of him to teach them how to pray and the Disciples of Christ did so too For the Law of Moses had no rules to instruct the Synagogue how to pray and but that Moses and David and Asaph and some few of the Prophets more left formes of Prayer which the Spirit of God inspired them withall upon great necessities and
AN APOLOGY FOR AUTHORIZED and SET FORMS OF LITVRGIE AGAINST THE PRETENCE OF THE SPIRIT 1. For ex tempore Prayer AND 2. Formes of Private composition Hierocl in Pythag. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} LONDON Printed for R. Royston in Ivie-lane 1649 To His most Sacred Majesty IT is now two yeares since part of these ensuing Papers like the publike issue of the people imperfect and undressed were exposed without a Parent to protest them or any hand to nourish them But since your Most Sacred Majesty was pleased graciously to looke upon them they are growne into a Tract and have an ambition like the Gourd of Jonas to dwell in the eye of the Sunne from whence they received life and increment And although because some violence hath been done to the profession of the doctrine of this Treatise it may seem to be verbum in tempore non suo and like the offering Cypresse to a Conquerour or Palmes to a broken Army yet I hope I shall the lesse need an Apology because it is certaine he does really disserve no just and Noble interest that serves that of the Spirit and Religion And because the sufferings of a KING and a Confessour are the great demonstration to all the world that Truth is as Deare to your MAJESTY as the Iewells of your Diademe and that your Conscience is tender as a pricked eye I shall pretend this onely to alleviate the inconvenience of an unseasonable addresse that I present your MAJESTY with a humble persecuted truth of the same constitution with that condition whereby you are become most Deare to God as having upon you the characterisme of the Sonnes of God bearing in your Sacred Person the markes of the Lord Jesus who is your Elder Brother the King of Sufferings and the Prince of the Catholique Church But I consider that Kings and their Great Councels and Rulers Ecclesiasticall have a speciall obligation for the defence of Liturgies because they having the greatest Offices have the greatest needs of auxiliaries from Heaven which are best procured by the publike Spirit the Spirit of Government and Supplication And since the first the best and most Solemne Liturgies and Set formes of Prayer were made by the best and greatest Princes by Moses by David and the Sonne of David Your MAJESTY may be pleased to observe such a proportion of circumstances in my laying this Apology for Liturgy at Your feet that possibly I may the easier obtaine a pardon for my great boldnesse which if I shall hope for in all other contingencies I shall represent my selfe a person indifferent whether I live or die so I may by either serve God and Gods Church and Gods Vicegerent in the capacity of Great Sir Your Majesties most humble and most obedient Subject and Servant TAYLOR An APOLOGY for LITURGY I Have read over this Booke which the Assembly sect. of Divines is pleased to call The Directory for Prayer I confesse I came to it with much expectation and was in some measure confident I should have found it an exact and unblameable modell of Devotion free from all those Objections which men of their owne perswasion had obtruded against the Publike Liturgy of the Church of England or at least it should have been composed with so much artifice and finenesse that it might have been to all the world an argument of their learning and excellency of spirit if not of the goodnesse and integrity of their Religion and purposes I shall give no other character of the whole but that the publike disrelish which I find amongst Persons of great piety of all qualities not onely of great but even of ordinary understandings is to me some argument that it lies so open to the objections even of common spirits that the Compilers of it did intend more to prevaile by the successe of their Armies then the strength of reason and the proper grounds of perswasion which yet most wise and good Men beleeve to be the more Christian way of the two But because the judgment I made of it from an argument so extrinsecall to the nature of the thing could not reasonably enable me to satisfie those many Persons who in their behalf desired me to consider it I resolv'd to looke upon it nearer and to take its account from something that was ingredient to its Constitution that I might be able both to exhort and convince the Gainsayers who refuse to hold fast {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that faithfull word which they had been taught by their Mother the Church of England I shall decline to speake of the efficient cause of this sect. 2 Directory and not quarrell at it that it was composed against the Lawes both of England and all Christendome If the thing were good and pious and did not directly or accidentally invade the rights of a just Superiour I would learne to submit to the imposition and never quarrell at the incompetency of his authority that ingaged me to doe pious and holy things And it may be when I am a little more used to it I shall not wonder at a Synod in which not one Bishop sits in the capacity of a Bishop though I am most certaine this is the first example in England since it was first Christned But for the present it seems something hard to digest it because I know so well that all Assemblies of the Church have admitted Priests to consultation and dispute but never to authority and decision till the Pope enlarging the phylacteries of the Archimandrites and Abbots did sometime by way of priviledge and dispensation give to some of them decisive voices in publick Councels but this was one of the things in which he did innovate and invade against the publike resolutions of Christendome though he durst not doe it often and yet when he did it it was in very small and inconsiderable numbers I said I would not meddle with the Efficient and sect. 3 I cannot meddle with the Finall cause nor guesse at any other ends and purposes of theirs then at what they publikely professe which is the abolition and destruction of the Booke of Common Prayer which great change because they are pleased to call Reformation I am content in charity to believe they thinke it so and that they have Zelum Dei but whether secundum scientiam according to knowledge or no must be judg'd by them who consider the matter and the forme But because the matter is of so great variety and sect. 4 minute Consideration every part whereof would require as much scrutiny as I purpose to bestow upon the whole I have for the present chosen to consider onely the forme of it concerning which I shall give my judgment without any sharpnesse or bitternesse of spirit for I am resolved not to be angry with any men of another perswasion as knowing that I differ just as much from them as they doe from me The Directory takes away that Forme of Prayer
Nothing can be regular and orderly that is hasty and precipitate and therefore unlesse Religion be the most imprudent trifling and inconsiderable thing and that the worke of the Lord is done well enough when it is done negligently or that the sanctuary hath the greatest beauty when it hath the least order it will concerne us highly to thinke our prayers and religious offices are actions fit for wise men and therefore to be done as the actions of wise men use to be that is deliberately prudently and with greatest consideration Well then in the nature of the thing ex tempore sect. 12 formes have much the worse of it But it is pretended that there is such a thing as the gift of prayer a praying with the spirit Et nescit tarda molimina spiritus sancti gratia Gods Spirit if he pleases can doe his worke as well in an instant as in long premeditation And to this purpose are pretended those places of Scripture which speak of the assistance of Gods spirit in our prayers Zech. 12. 10. And I will poure upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Hierusalem the spirit of grace and supplication But especially Rom. 8. 26. likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered c. From whence the Conclusion that is inferred is in the words of Saint Paul that we must pray with the Spirit therefore not with set formes therefore ex tempore The Collection is somewhat wild for there is sect. 13 great independency in the severall parts and much more is in the Conclusion then was virtually in the premises But such as it is the Authours of it I suppose will owne it And therefore we will examine the maine designe of it and then consider the particular meanes of its perswasion quoted in the Objection It is one of the Priviledges of the Gospel and the sect. 14 benefit of Christ's ascension that the Holy Ghost is given unto the Church and is become to us the fountain of gifts and graces But these gifts and graces are improvements and helps of our naturall faculties of our art and industry not extraordinary miraculous and immediate infusions of habits and gifts That without Gods spirit we cannot pray aright that our infirmities need his help that we know not what to aske of our selves is most true and if ever any Heretick was more confident of his owne naturalls or did ever more undervalue Gods grace than the Pelagian did yet he denies not this but what then therefore without study without art without premeditation without learning the Spirit gives the gift of prayer and it is his grace that without any naturall or artificiall help makes us pray ex tempore no such thing the Objection proves nothing of this 15. Here therefore we will joyne issue whether the sect. 15 gifts and helps of the Spirit be immediate infusions of the faculties and powers and perfect abilities Or that he doth assist us onely by his aides externall and internall in the use of such meanes which God and nature hath given to man to ennoble his soule better his faculties and to improve his understanding That the aides of the Holy Ghost are onely assistances to us in the use of naturall and artificiall meanes I will undertake to prove and from thence it will evidently follow that labour and hard study and premeditation will soonest purchase the gift of prayer and ascertaine us of the assistance of the Spirit and therefore set Formes of Prayer studied and considered of are in a true and proper sense and without Enthusiasme the fruits of the Spirit First Gods Spirit did assist the Apostles by waies extraordinary sect. 16 and fit for the first institution of Christianity but doth assist us now by the expresses of those first assistances which he gave to them immediately Thus the Holy Ghost brought to their Memory all sect. 17 things which Iesus spake and did and by that meanes we come to know all that the Spirit knew to be necessary for us the Holy Ghost being Authour of our knowledge by being the fountaine of the Revelation and we are therefore {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} taught by God because the Spirit of God revealed the Articles of our Religion that they might be known to all ages of the Church and this is testified by S. Paul he gave some Apostles and some Prophets c. for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the of Son God unto a perfect man c. This was the effect of Christ's ascension when he gave gifts unto men that is when he sent the Spirit the verification of the promise of the Father The effect of this immission of the Holy Ghost was to fill all things and that for ever to build up the Church of God untill the day of consummation so that the Holy Ghost abides with the Church for ever by transmitting those revelations which he taught the Apostles to all Christians in succession Now as the Holy Ghost taught the Apostles and by them still teaches us what to believe so it is certaine he taught the Apostles how and what to pray and because it is certaine that all the rules concerning our duty in prayer and all those graces which we are to pray for are transmitted to us by Derivation from the Apostles whom the Holy Ghost did teach even to that very purpose also that they should teach us it follows evidently that the gift of prayer is a gift of the Holy Ghost and yet to verifie this Proposition we need no other immediate inspiration or extraordinary assistance than that we derive from the Holy Ghost by the conveyance of the Apostolicall Sermons and Writings The reason is the same in Faith and Prayer and if sect. 18 there were any difference in the acquisition or reception faith certainly needs a more immediate infusion as being of greatest necessity and yet a grace to which we least cooperate it being the first of graces and lesse of the will in it then any other But yet the Holy Ghost is the Authour of our faith and we believe with the Spirit it is Saint Paul's expression and yet our belief comes by hearing and reading the holy Scriptures and their interpretations Now reconcile these two together Faith comes by hearing and yet is the gift of the Spirit and it saies that the gifts of the Spirit are not extasies and immediate infusions of habits but helps from God to enable us upon the use of the meanes of his owne appointment to believe to speake to understand to prophesie and to pray But whosoever shall looke for any other gifts of the sect. 19 Spirit besides the parts of nature
helped by industry and Gods blessing upon it and the revelations or the supplies of matter in holy Scripture will be very farre to seek having neither reason promise nor experience of his side For why should the spirit of prayer be any other than as the gift and spirit of faith as Saint Paul calls it acquired by humane meanes using divine aides that is by our endeavours in hearing reading catechizing desires to obey and all this blessed and promoted by God this produces faith Nay it is true of us what Christ told his Apostles sine me nihil potestis facere not nihil magnum aut difficile but omninò nihil as Saint Austin observes Without me ye can doe nothing and yet we were not capable of a Law or of reward or punishment if neither with him nor without him we were able to doe any thing And therefore although in the midst of all our co-operation we may say to God in the words of the Prophet Domine omnia opera operatus es in nobis O Lord thou hast wrought all our works in us yet they are opera nostra still God works and we work First is the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Gods grace is brought to us he helps and gives us abilities and then expects our duty And if the spirit of prayer be of greater consequence then all the works God hath wrought in us besides and hath the promise of a speciall prerogative let the first be proved and the second be showne in any good Record and then I will confesse the difference The Parallel of this Argument I the rather urge because sect. 20 I find praying in the Holy Ghost joyned with graces which are as much Gods gifts and productions of the spirit as any thing in the world and yet which the Apostle presses upon us as duties and things put into our power to be improved by our industry and those are faith in which I before instanced and charity But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God All of the same consideration Faith and Prayer and Charity all gifts of the Spirit and yet build up your selves in faith and keep your selves in love and therefore by a parity of reason improve your selves in the spirit of Prayer that is God by his Spirit having supplied us with matter let our industry and co-operations per modum naturae improve these gifts and build upon this foundation Thus the Spirit of God is called the Spirit of adoption sect. 21 the Spirit of counsell the Spirit of grace the Spirit of meeknesse the Spirit of wisdome And without doubt he is the fountaine of all these to us all and that for ever and yet it cannot reasonably be supposed but that we must stir up the graces of God in us co-operate with his assistances study in order to counsell labour and consider in order to wisdome give all diligence to make our calling and election sure in order to our adoption in which we are sealed by the Spirit Now these instances are of gifts as well as graces and since the daies of wonder and need of miracles is expired there is no more reason to expect inspiration of gifts then of graces without our endeavours It concerns the Church rather to have these secured than those and yet the Spirit of God puts it upon the condition of our co-operation for according to the Proverb of the old Moralists Deus habet sinum facilem non perforatum God's bosome is apt and easie to the emission of graces and affistances but it is not loose and ungirt something must be done on our part we must improve the talents and swell the bank for if either we lay them up in a napkin or spend them suppresse the Spirit or extinguish it we shall dearly account for it In the meane time if we may lose the gifts by our sect. 22 owne fault we may purchase them by our diligence if we may lessen them by incuriousnesse we may increase them by study if we may quench the spirit then also we may reenkindle it all which are evident probation that the Holy Ghost gives us assistances to improve our naturall powers and to promote our acquisite and his aides are not inspirations of the habit or infusions of a perfect gift but a subliming of what God gave us in the stock of nature and art to make it in a sufficient order to an end supernaturall and divine The same doctrine we are taught by Saint Paul's exhortation sect. 23 to Timothy Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery And againe stirre up the gift of God which is in thee by the laying on of my hands If there be any gifts of the Holy Ghost and spirituall influences dispensed without our co-operation and by inspiration of the intire power it is in ordination and the persons so ordeined are most likely to receive the gift of prayer if any such thing be for the edification of the Church they being the men appointed to intercede and to stand between God and the people and yet this gift of God even in those times when they were dispensed with miracle and assistances extraordinary were given as all things now are given by the meanes also of our endeavour and was capable of improvement by industry and of defaillance by neglect and therefore much rather is it so now in the daies of ordinary ministration and common assistances And indeed this argument beside the efficacy of its sect. 24 perswasion must needs conclude against the Men to whom these adversaria are addressed because themselves call upon their Disciples to exercise the gift of prayer and offer it to consideration that such exercising it is the way to better it and if naturall endowments and artificiall endeavours are the way to purchase new degrees of it it were not amisse they did consider a little before they begin and did improve their first and smallest capacities before they ventured any thing in publike by way of addresse to Almighty God For the first beginnings are certainly as improveable as the next degrees and it is certaine they have more need of it as being more imperfect and rude Therefore when ever Gods Spirit hath given us any capacities or assistances any documents motions desires or any aides whatsoever they are therefore given us with a purpose we should by our industry skill and labour improve them because without such co-operation the intention is made void and the worke imperfect And this is exactly the doctrine I plainly gather from sect. 25 the objected words of Saint Paul The Spirit helpeth our infirmities {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} it is in the Greek collaborantem adjuvat It is an ingeminate expression of our labours And that supposes us to have faculties
capable of improvement and an obligation to labour and that the effect of having the gift of prayer depends upon the mutuall concourse that is upon God blessing our powers and our endeavours And if this way the Spirit performes his promise sufficiently and does all that we need and all that he ties himself to he that will multiply his hopes farther then what is sufficient or what is promised may possibly deceive himself but never deceive God and make him multiply and continue miracles to justifie his phansie Better it is to follow the Scriptures for our guide as in sect. 26 all things else so in this particular Ephes. 6. 17 18. Take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Praying alwaies with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit The word of God is the sword of the Spirit praying in the Spirit is one way of using it indeed the onely way that he here specifies Praying in the Spirit then being the using of this Sword and this Sword being the word of God it follows evidently that praying in the spirit is praying in or according to the word of God that is in the directions rules and expresses of the Word of God that is of the holy Scriptures For we have many infirmities and we need the spirit to help as doubting coldnesse wearinesse disrelish of heavenly things indifferency and these are enough to interpret the place quoted in the Objection without tying him to make words for us to no great religious purposes when God hath done that for us in other manner then what we dreame of So that in effect praying in the Holy Ghost or with the sect. 27 spirit is nothing but prayer for such things and in such manner which God by his Spirit hath taught us in holy Scripture Holy Prayers spirituall songs so the Apostle calls one part of prayer viz. Eucharisticall or thanksgiving that is Prayers or Songs which are spirituall in materiâ And if they be called spirituall for the Efficient cause too the Holy Ghost being the Authour of them it comes all to one for therefore he is the cause and giver of them because he hath in his word revealed what things we are to pray for there also hath taught us the manner And this I plainly prove from the words of sect. 28 Saint Paul before quoted The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought In this we are infirme that we know not our owne needs nor our owne advantages when the Holy Ghost hath taught us what to aske and to aske that as we ought then he hath healed our infirmities and our ignorances in the matter and the manner then we know what to pray for as we ought then we have the grace of Prayer and the Spirit of supplication And therefore in the instance before mentioned concerning spirituall songs when the Apostle had twice enjoyn'd the use of them in order to Prayer and Preaching to instruction and to Eucharist and those to be done by the aide of Christ and Christs spirit What in * one place he calls being filled with the Spirit In the other he calls * the dwelling of the word of Christ in us richly plainly intimating to us that when we are mighty in the Scriptures full of the word of Christ then we are filled with the Spirit because the Spirit is the great Dictatour of them to us and the Remembrancer and when by such helps of Scripture we sing Hymnes to Gods honour and our mutuall comfort then we sing and give thanks in the spirit And this is evident if you consult the places and compare them And that this is for this reason called a gift and grace sect. 29 or issue of the Spirit is so evident and notorious that the speaking of an ordinary revealed truth is called in Scripture a speaking by the Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 8. No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost For though the world could not acknowledge Jesus for the Lord without a revelation yet now that we are taught this truth by Scripture and by the preaching of the Apostles to which they were enabled by the Holy Ghost we need no revelation or Enthusiasme to confesse this truth which we are taught in our Creeds and Catechismes and this light sprang first from the immission of a ray from Gods Spirit we must for ever acknowledge him the fountaine of our light Though we coole our thirst at the mouth of the river yet we owe for our draughts to the springs and fountains from whence the waters first came though derived to us by the succession of a long current If the Holy Ghost supplies us with materials and fundamentals for our building it is then enough to denominate the whole edifice to be of him although the labour and the workmanship be ours upon another stock And this is it which the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 2. 13. Which things also we speake not in the words which mans wisdome teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spirituall things with spirituall The Holy Ghost teaches yet it is upon our co-operation our study and endeavour while we compare spirituall things with spirituall the Holy is said to teach us because these spirituals were of his suffestion and revelation For it is a rule of the Schoole and there is much sect. 30 reason in it Habitus infusi infunduntur per modum acquisitorum whatsoever is infused into us is in the same manner infused as other things are acquired that is step by step by humane meanes and co-operation and grace does not give us new faculties and create another nature but meliorates and improves our owne And therefore what the Greeks called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} habits the Christians used to call {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} gifts because we derive assistances from above to heighten the habits and facilitate the actions in order to a more noble and supernaturall end And what Saint Paul said in the Resurrection is also true in this Question That is not first which is spirituall but that which is naturall and then that which is spirituall The graces and gifts of the Spirit are postnate and are additions to art and nature God directs our counsels opens our understandings regulates our will orders our affections supplies us with objects and arguments and opportunities and revelations in scriptis and then most when we most imploy our owne endeavours God loving to blesse all the meanes and instruments of his service whether they be natural or acquisite So that now I demand Whether since the expiration sect. 31 of the age of miracles Gods spirit does not most assist us when we most endeavour and most use the meanes He that saies No discourages all men from reading the Scriptures from industry from meditation from conference from humane
ars and sciences and from whatsoever else God and good Lawes provoke us to by proposition of rewards But if Yea as most certainly God will best crowne the best endeavours then the spirit of prayer is greatest in him who supposing the like capacities and opportunities studies hardest reads most practises most religiously deliberates most prudently and then by how much want of meanes is worse then the use of meanes by so much ex tempore prayers are worse then deliberate and studied Excellent therefore is the Counsell of Saint Peter 1. Epist. Ch. 4. v. 11. If any man speake let him speake as the Oracles of God not lightly then and inconsideratly If any man minister let him doe it as of the ability which God giveth great reason then to put all his abilities and faculties to it and whether of the two does most likely doe that he that takes paines and considers and discusses and so approves and practises a forme or he that never considers what he saies till he saies it needs not much deliberation to passe a sentence Onely me thinks it is most unreasonable that we should be bound to prepare our selves with due requisites to hear what they shall speak in publique and that they should not prepare what to speak as if to speak were of easier or of lesse consideration than to heare what is spoken or if they doe prepare what to speak to the people it were also very fit they prepar'd their prayers and considered before hand of the fitnesse of the Offertory they present to God Lastly Did not the Pen-men of the Scripture write sect. 32 the Epistles and Gospels respectively all by the Spirit Most certainly holy Men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost saith Saint Peter And certainly they were moved by a more immediate motion and a motion neerer to an Enthusiasme then now adaies in the gift and spirit of Prayer And yet in the midst of those great assistances and motions they did use study art industry and humane abilities This is more than probable in the different stiles of the severall Bookes some being of admirable art others lower and plaine The words were their owne at least sometimes not the Holy Ghosts And if Origen Saint Hierome and especially the Greek Fathers Scholiasts and Grammarians were not deceived by false Copies but that they truly did observe sometimes to be impropriety of expression in the language sometimes not true Greek who will think those errours or imperfections in Grammar were in respect of the words I say precisely immediate inspirations and dictates of the Holy Ghost and not rather their owne productions of industry and humanity But clearly some of their words were the words of Aratus some of Epimenides some of Menander some of S. Paul This speake I not the Lord Some were the words of Moses even all that part of the Leviticall Law which concerned divorces and concerning which our blessed Saviour affirmes that Moses permitted it because of the hardnesse of their hearts but from the beginning it was not so and divers others of the same nature collected and observed to this purpose by a Origen b S. Basil c Saint Ambrose and particularly that promise which S. Paul made of calling upon the Corinthians as he passed into Macedonia which certainly in all reason is to be presumed to have been spoken humanitùs not by immediate inspiration and infusion because S. Paul was so hindred that he could not be as good as his word and yet the Holy Ghost could have foreseen it and might better have excused it if Saint Paul had laid it upon his score but he did not and it is reasonable enough to believe there was no cause he should and yet because the Holy Ghost renewed their memory improved their understanding supplied to some their want of humane learning and so assisted them that they should not commit an errour in fact or opinion neither in the narrative nor dogmaticall parts therefore they writ by the Spirit Since then we cannot pretend upon any grounds of probability to an inspiration so immediate as theirs and yet their assistances which they had from the Spirit did not exclude humane arts and industry but that the ablest Scholar did write the best much rather is this true in the gifts and assistances we receive and particularly in the gift of Prayer it is not an ex tempore and an inspired faculty but the faculties of nature and the abilities of art and industry are improv'd and ennobled by the supervening assistances of the Spirit And if these who pray ex tempore say that the assistance they receive from the Spirit is the inspiration of words and powers without the operations of art and naturall abilities and humane industry then besides that it is more then the Pen men of Scripture sometime had because they needed no extraordinary assistances to what they could of themselves doe upon the stock of other abilities besides this I say it must follow that such Prayers so inspired if they were committed to writing would prove as good Canonicall Scripture as any is in Saint Paul's Epistles the impudence of which pretension is sufficient to prove the extreme vanity of the challenge The summe is this Whatsoever this gift is or this sect. 33 spirit of prayer it is to be acquired by humane industry by learning of the Scriptures by reading by conference and by whatsoever else faculties are improved and habits enlarged Gods Spirit hath done his worke sufficiently this way and he loves not either in nature or grace which are his two great sanctions to multiply miracles when there is no need And now let us take a man that pretends he hath the sect. 34 gift of Prayer and loves to pray ex tempore I suppose his thoughts go a little before his tongue I demand then Whether cannot this man when it is once come into his head hold his tongue and write downe what he hath conceived If his first conceptions were of God and Gods Spirit then they are so still even when they are written Or is the Spirit departed from him upon the sight of a Pen and Inkhorne It did use to be otherwise among the old and new Prophets whether they were Prophets of prediction or of ordinary ministery But if his conception may be written and being written is still a production of the Spirit then it followes that set forms of prayer deliberate and described may as well be a praying with the Spirit as sudden formes and ex tempore out-lets Now the case being thus put I would faine know what sect. 35 the difference is between deliberate and ex tempore Prayers save onely that in these there is lesse consideration and prudence for that the other are at least as much as these the productions of the Spirit is evident in the very case put in this Argument and whether to consider and to weigh them be any
great mercy to that people they had not knowne how to have composed an office for the daily service of the Temple without danger of asking things needlesse vaine or impious such as were the prayers in the Roman Closets that he was a good man that would not owne them Et nihil arcano qui roget ore Deos. Pulchra Laverna Da mihi fallere dajustum sanctumque videri Noctem peccatis fraudibus objice nubem But when the Holy Ghost came downe in a full breath and a mighty wind he filled the breasts and tongues of men and furnished the first Christians not onely with abilities enough to frame excellent devotions for their present offices but also to become precedents for Liturgy to all ages of the Church the first being imitated by the second and the second by the third till the Church being setled in peace and the records transmitted with greater care and preserved with lesse hazard the Church chose such Formes whose Copies we retaine at this day Now since it was certaine that all ages of the Church sect. 39 would looke upon the first Fathers in Christ and Founders of Churches as precedents and Tutours and Guides in all the parts of their Religion and that prayer with its severall parts and instances is a great portion of the Religion the Sacraments themselves being instruments of grace and effectuall in genere orationis it is very reasonable to think that the Apostolicall men had not onely the first fruits but the elder Brothers share a double portion of the Spirit because they were not onely to serve their owne needs to which a single and an ordinary portion would have been then as now abundantly sufficient but also to serve the necessity of the succession and to instruct the Church for ever after But then that this assistance was an ability to pray ex sect. 40 tempore I find it no where affirmed by sufficient authentick Testimony and if they could have done it it is very likely they would have been wary and restrained in the publike use of it I doubt not but there might then be some sudden necessities of the Church for which the Church being in her infancy had not as yet provided any publike formes concerning which cases I may say as Quintilian of an Oratour in the great and sudden needs of the Common-wealth Quarum si qua non dico cuicunque innocentiam civium sed amicorum ac propinquorum alicui evenerit stabÃtne matus salutarem parentibus vocem statim si non succurratur perituris moras secessum silentium quaeret dum illa verba fabricentur memoriae insidant vox ac latus praeparetur I doe not thinke that they were oratores imparati ad casus but that an ability of praying on a sudden was indulged to them by a specall aide of the Spirit to contest against sudden dangers and the violence of new accidents to which also possibly a new inspiration was but for a very little while necessary even till they understood the mysteries of Christianity and the revelations of the Spirit by proportion and analogy to which they were sufficiently instructed to make their sudden prayers when sudden occasions did require This I speak by way of concession and probability sect. 41 For no man can prove thus much as I am willing relying upon the reasonablenesse of the Conjecture to suppose but that praying with the Spirit in this place is praying without study art or deliberation is not so much as intimated For 1. It is here implyed that they did prepare some of sect. 42 those devotions to which they were helped by the Spirit {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} when you come together each of you peradventure hath a Psalme {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not every one makes but when you meet every one hath viz. already which supposes they had it prepared against the meeting For the Spirit could help as well at home in their meditation as in the publike upon a sudden and though it is certaine the Holy Spirit loves to blesse the publike meetings the communion of Saints with speciall benedictions yet I suppose my Adversaries are not willing to acknowledge any thing that should doe much reputation to the Church and the publike authoriz'd conventions at least not to confine the Spirit to such holy and blessed meetings They will I suppose rather grant the words doe probably intimate they came prepared with a Hymne and therefore there is nothing in the nature of the thing but that so also might their other formes of Prayer the assistance of the Spirit which is the thing in Question hinders not but that they also might have made them by premeditation 2. In this place praying with the Spirit signifies no sect. 43 other extraordinary assistance but that the Spirit help'd them to speake their prayer in an unknowne Tongue {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} If I pray in a tongue my spirit prayeth but my understanding is without fruit what then I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also Plainly here praying in the Spirit which is opposed to praying in understanding is praying in an unknown tongue where by the way observe that praying with the Spirit even in sense of Scripture is not alwaies most to edification of the people Not alwaies with understanding And when these two are separated Saint Paul preferres five words with understanding before ten thousand in the spirit For this praying with the Spirit was indeed then a gift extraordinary and miraculous like as prophecying with the Spirit and expired with it But while it did last it was the lowest of gifts inter dona linguarum it was but a gift of the tongue and not to the benefit of the Church directly or immediately This also observe in passing by If Saint Paul did so sect. 44 undervalue the praying with the Spirit that he preferred edifying the Church a thousand degrees beyond it I suppose he would have been of the same mind if the Question had between praying with the Spirit and obeying our Superiours as he was when it was between praying with the Spirit and edification of the Church because if I be not mistaken it is matter of great concernment towards the edification of the Church to obey our Superiours not to innovate in publike formes of worship especially with the scandall and offence of very wise and learned men and to the disgrace of the dead Martyrs who sealed our Liturgy with their bloud But to returne In this place praying with the Spirit sect. 45 beside the assistance given by the Holy Ghost to speake in a strange tongue is no more then my spirit praying that is it implies my co-operation with the assistance of the Spirit of God insomuch that the whole action may truly be denominated mine and is called of the Spirit onely
by reason of that collaterall assistance For so Saint Paul joynes them as termes identicall and expressive one of anothers meaning as you may please to read ver. 14 15. 1 Cor. 14. I will pray with the Spirit and my spirit truly prayeth It is the act of our inner man praying holy and spirituall prayers But then indeed at that time there was something extraordinary adjoyned for it was in an unknown Tongue the practise of which Saint Paul there dislikes This also will be to none of their purposes For whether it were ex tempore or by premeditation is not here expressed or if it had yet that assistance extraordinary in prayer if there was any beside the gift of Tongues which is not here or anywhere else expressed is no more transmitted to us then the speaking tongues in the Spirit or prophecying ex tempore and by the Spirit But I would adde also one experiment which S. Paul sect. 46 also there adds by way of instance If praying with the spirit in this place be praying ex tempore then so is singing too For they are expressed in the same place in the same manner to the same end and I know no reason why there should be differing senses put upon them to serve purposes And now let us have some Church Musique too though the Organs be pull'd down and let any the best Psalmist of them all compose a Hymn in Metricall form as Antipater Sidonius in Quintilian Licinius Archias in Cicero could doe in their Verses and sing it to a new tune with perfect and true musick and all this ex tempore For all this the Holy Ghost can doe if he pleases But if it be said that the Corinthian Christians composed their Songs and Hymnes according to art and rules of Musick by study and industry and that to this they were assisted by the Spirit and that this together with the devotion of their spirit was singing with the Spirit then say I so composing set formes of Liturgy by skill and prudence and humane industry may be as much praying with the Spirit as the other is singing with the Spirit Plainly enough In all the senses of praying with the Spirit and in all it 's acceptations in Scripture to pray or sing with the spirit neither of them of necessity implies ex tempore The summe or Collecta of the premises is this Praying sect. 47 with the spirit is either 1 when the Spirit stirres up our desires to pray per motionem actualis auxilii or 2 when the spirit teaches us what or how to pray telling us the matter and manner of our prayers 3 Or lastly dictating the very words of our prayers There is no other way in the world to pray with the Spirit or in the Holy Ghost that is pertinent to this Question And of this last manner the Scripture determines nothing nor speaks any thing expresly of it and yet suppose it had we are certain the Holy Ghost hath supplied us with all these and yet in set formes of Prayer best of all I mean there where a difference can be For 1 as for the desires and actuall motions or incitements to pray they are indifferent to one or the other to set formes or to ex tempore 2. But as to the matter or manner of prayer it is clearly sect. 48 contained in the expresses and set formes of Scriptures and there it is supplied to us by the Spirit for he is the great Dictatour of it 3. Now then for the very words No man can assure sect. 49 me that the words of his ex tempore prayer are the words of the holy Spirit it is not reason nor modesty to expect such immediate assistances to so little purpose he having supplied us with abilities more then enough to expresse our desires aliundè otherwise then by immediate dictate But if we will take David's Psalter or the other Hymnes of holy Scripture or any of the Prayers which are respersed over the Bible we are sure enough that they are the words of Gods spirit mediately or immediately by way of infusion or extasie by vision or at least by ordinary assistance And now then what greater confidence can any man have for the excellency of his prayers and the probability of their being accepted then when he prayes his Psalter or the Lords Prayer or any other office which he finds consigned in Scripture When Gods spirit stirres us up to an actuall devotion and then we use the matter he hath described and taught and the very words which Christ Christs spirit and the Apostles and other persons full of the Holy Ghost did use If in the world there be any praying with the Spirit I meane in vocall prayer this is it And thus I have examined the intire and full scope of sect. 50 this First Question and rifled their Objection which was the onely colour to hide the appearance of its naturall deformity at the first sight The result is this Scribendum ergo quoties licebit Si id non dabitur cogitandum ab utroque exclusi debent tamen adniti ut neque deprehensus orator neque destitutus esse videatur In making our Orations and publike advocations we must write what we meane to speake as often as we can when we cannot yet we must deliberate and study and when the suddennesse of the accident prevents both these we must use all the powers of art and care that we have a present mind and call in all our first provisions that we be not destitute of matter and words apt for the imployment This was Quintilian's rule for the matter of prudence and in secular occasions but when the instance is in Religion and especially in our prayers it will concern us nearer to be curious and deliberate what we speak in the audience of the eternal God when our lives and our soules and the honour of God and the reputation of Religion are concern'd and whatsoever is greatest in it self or dearest to us THe second Question hath in it something more sect. 51 of difficulty for the Men that owne it will give leave that set formes may be used so you give leave to them to make them but if authority shall interpose and prescribe a Liturgy every word shal breed a quarrell and if the matter be innocent yet the very injunction is tyranny a restraining of the gifts of the Holy Ghost it leaves the spirit of a Man sterile and unprofitable it is not for edification of the Church and is as destitute of comfort as it is of profit For God hath not restrain'd his Spirit to those few that rule the Church in prelation above others but if he hath given to them the spirit of government he hath given to others the spirit of prayer and the spirit of Prophesie Now the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall for to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdome
to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit And these and many other gifts are given to severall members that they may supply one another and all joyne to the edification of the body And therefore that must needs be an imprudent sanction that so determines the offices of the Church that she cannot be edified by that variety of gifts which the holy Spirit hath given to severall men to that purpose just as if there should be a Canon that but one Sermon should be preached in all Churches forever Besides it must needs be that the devotion of the suppliants must be much retarded by the perpetuiâ—y and unalterable reiteration of the same forme For since our affections will certainly vary and suffer great alteration of degrees and inclinations it is easier to frame words apt to comply with our affections then to conforme our affections in all varieties to the same words When the formes are dayly changed it is more probable that every Man shall find something proportionable to his fancy which is the great instrument of Devotion then to suppose that any one forme should be like Manna fitted to every tast and therefore in prayers as the affections must be naturall sweet and proper so also should the words expressing the affections issue forth by way of naturall emanation Sed extemporalis audaciae atque ipsius temeritatis vel praecipua jucunditas est Nam in ingenio sicut in agro quanquam alia diu serantur atque elaborentur gratiora tamen quae suâ sponte nascuntur And a garment may as well be made to fit the moone as that one forme of Prayer should be made apt and proportionable to all men or to any man at all times This Discourse relies wholly upon these two grounds sect. 52 A liberty to use variety of formes for prayer is more for the edification of the Church Secondly it is part of that liberty which the Church hath and part of the duty of the Church to preserve the liberty of the spirit in various formes Before I descend to consideration of the particulars I sect. 53 must premise this that the gift or ability of prayer given to the Church is used either in publike or in private and that which is fit enough for one is inconvenient in the other and although a liberty in private may be for edification of good people when it is piously and discreetly used yet in the publike if it were indifferently permitted it would bring infinite inconvenience and become intolerable as a sad experience doth too much verifie But now then this distinction evacuates all the former sect. 54 discourse and since it is permitted that every man in private use what formes he please the Spirit hath all that liberty that is necessary and so much as can be convenient the Church may be edified by every mans gift the affections of all men may be complied withall words may be sitted to their fancies their devotions quickned their wearinesse helped and supported and whatsoever benefit can be fancied by variety liberty all that may be enjoyed and every reasonable desire or weaker fansie be fully satisfied But since these advantages to devotion are accidentall sect. 55 and doe consult with weaknesse and infirmity and depend upon irregular variety for which no antecedent rule can make particular provision it is not to be expected the publike constitution and prescribed formes which are regular orderly and determin'd can make provision for particulars for chances and for infinite varieties And if this were any objection against publike formes it would also conclude against all humane Lawes that they did not make provision for all particular accidents and circumstances that might possibly occurre All publike sanctions must be of a publike spirit and designe and secure all those excellent things which have influence upon societies communities of men and publique obligations Thus if publike formes of Prayer be describ'd whose sect. 56 matter is pious and holy whose designe is of universall extent and provisionary for all publike probable fear'd or foreseen events whose frame and composure is prudent and by authority competent and high and whose use and exercise is instrumentall to peace and publike charity and all these hallowed by intention and care of doing glory to God and advantages to Religion express'd in observation of all such rules and precedents as are most likely to teach us best and guide us surest such as are Scriptures Apostolicall Tradition Primitive practise and precedents of Saints and holy Persons the publike can doe no more all the duty is performed and all the care is taken Now after all this there are personall necessities and sect. 57 private conveniences or inconveniences which if men are not so wise as themselves to provide for by casting off all prejudice and endeavouring to grow strong in Christianity men in Christ and not for ever to be Babes in Religion but frame themselves to a capacity of receiving the benefit of the publike without needing other provisions then what wil fit the Church in her publick capacity the Spirit of God and the Church taught by him hath permitted us to comply with our owne infirmities while they are innocent and to pray in private in any forme of words which shall be most instrumentall to our devotion in the present capacity Neque hoc ego ago ut extempore dicere malit sed ut possit And indeed sometimes an exuberant and an active affection sect. 58 and overflowing of Devotion may descend like anointing from above and our cup run over and is not to be contained within the margent of prescribed forms And though this be not of so great consideration as if it should happen to a man in publike that it is then fit for him or to be permitted to expresse it in formes unlimited and undermin'd For there was a case in the daies of the inundation of the Spirit when a man full of the Spirit was commanded to keep silence in the Church and to speake to himselfe and to God yet when this grace is given him in private he may compose his owne Liturgy pectus enim est quod disertos facit vis mentis Ideoque imperit is quoque si mode sint aliquo affectu concitati verba non desunt Onely when in private devotion we use forms of our own making or chusing we are concern'd to see that the matter be pious apt for edification and the present necessity and without contempt of publike prescriptions or irreverence to God and in all the rest we are at liberty * onely in the Lord that is according to the rule of faith and the analogy of Christian religion For supposing that our devotion be servent our intention pious and the petition {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} according to the will of God Whatsoever our expressions are God reads the petition in the Character of the Spirit though the words be
brevia concisa singultantium modo ejecta But then these accidentall advantages and circumstances of profit which may be provided for in private as they cannot be taken care of in publike so neither is it necessary they should for those pleasures of sensible devotion are so farre from being necessary to the acceptation of prayer that they are but compliances with our infirmities and suppose a great weaknesse in him that needs them say the Masters of spirituall life and in the strongest prayers and most effectuall devotions are seldomest found such as was Moses prayer when he spake nothing and Hannah's and our blessed Saviour's when he called upon his Father {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} with strong cries in that great desertion of Spirit when he prayed in the Garden In these praiers the Spirit was bound up with the strictnesse and violence of intention but could not ease it self with a flood of language and various expression A great devotion is like a great grief not so expressive as a moderate passion teares spend the grief and variety of language breathes out the devotion and therefore Christ went thrice and said the same words he could just speak his sense in a plaine expression but the greatnesse of his agonie was too big for the pleasure of a sweet and sensible expression of devotion So that let the devotion be never so great set formes sect. 59 of prayer will be expressive enough of any desire though importunate as extremity it self but when the Spirit is weak and the devotion imperfect and the affections dry though in respect of the precise duty on our part and the acceptation on Gods part no advantage is got by a liberty of an indifferent unlimited and chosen form and therefore in all cases the whole duty of prayer is secured by publike formes yet other circumstantiall and accidentall advantages may be obtained by it and therefore let such persons feast themselves in private with sweet-meats and lesse nourishing delicacies weak stomackes must be cared for yet they must be confessed to have stronger stomackes and better health that can feed upon the wholesome food prepared in the common refectories So that publique formes it is true cannot be fitted sect. 60 to every mans fancie and affections especially in an Age wherein all publike constitutions are protested against but yet they may be fitted to all necessities and to every mans duty and for the pleasing the affections and fancies of men that may be sometimes convenient but it is never necessary and God that suffers drynesse of affections many times in his dearest servants and in their greatest troubles and most excellent Devotions hath by that sufferance of his given demonstration that it is not necessary such affections should be complyed withall for then he would never suffer those sterilities but himselfe by a cup of sensible Devotion would water and refresh those drinesses and if God himselfe does not it is not to be expected the Church should And this also is the case of Scripture for the many sect. 61 discourses of excellent Orators and Preachers have all those advantages of meeting with the various affections and dispositions of the hearers and may cause a teare when all S. Pauls Epistles would not and yet certainly there is no comparison between them but one Chapter of S. Paul is more excellent and of better use to the substantiall part of Religion then all the Sermons of Saint Chrysostome and yet there are some circumstances of advantage which humane eloquence may have which are not observed to be in those other more excellent emanations of the holy Spirit And therefore if the Objection should be true and that conceived formes of Prayer in their great variety might doe some accidentall advantages to weaker persons and stronger fancies and more imperfect judgements yet this instance of Scripture is a demonstration that set and composed devotions may be better and this reason does not prove the contrary because the Sermons in Scripture are infinitely to be preferred before those discourses and orations which doe more comply with the fancies of the people Nay we see by experience that the change of our prayers or our bookes or our company is so delightfull to most persons that though the change be for the worse it more complies with their affections then the peremptory and unaltered retaining of the better but yet this is no good argument to prove that change to be for the better But yet if such compliance with fancies and affections sect. 62 were necessary what are we the neerer if every Minister were permitted to pray his own formes How can his forme comply with the great varity of affections which are amongst his auditors any more then the publick forms described by authority It may hit casually and by accident be commensurate to the present fancy of some of his Congregation with which at that time possibly the publick forme would not This may be thus and it may be otherwise and at the same time in which some feele a gust and relish in his prayer others might feele a greater sweetnesse in recitation of the publike formes This thing is so by chance so irregular and uncertaine that no wise man nor no Providence lesse then Divine can make any provisions for it And after all it is nothing but the fantastique and sect. 63 imaginative part that is pleased which for ought appears may be disturbed with curiosity peevishnesse pride spirit of novelty lightnesse and impertinencie and that to satisfie such spirits and fantastique persons may be as dangerous and uselesse to them as it is trouble some in it selfe But then for the matter of edification that is considerable upon another stock for now adaies men are never edified unlesse they be pleased and if they mislike the Person or have taken up a quarrell against any forme or institution presently they cry out They are not edified that is they are displeased and the ground of their displeasure is nothing from the thing it selfe but from themselves onely they are wanton with their meat and long for variety and then they cry out that Manna will not nourish them but prefer the onions of Egypt before the food of Angels the way to cure this inconvenience is to alter the men not to change the institution for it is very certain that wholesome meat is of it self nutritive if the body be disposed to its reception and entertainment But it is not certain that what a sick man fancies out of the weaknesse of his spirit the distemper of his appetite wildnesse of his fancy that it will become to him either good or good physick Now in the entertainments of Religion and Spirituall repasts that is wholesome nutritive and apt to edifie which is pious in it selfe of advantage to the honour of God whatsoever is good Doctrine or good Prayers especially when it is prepared by a publick hand and designed for publick use by all the
wisdome of those men who in all reason are to be supposed to have received from God all those assistances which are effects of the spirit of Government and therefore it is but weaknesse of spirit or strength of passion impotency in some sense or other certainly that first dislikes the publique provisions and then say they are not wholsome For I demand concerning the publike Lyturgies of a sect. 64 Church whose constitution is principally of the parts and choisest extracts of Scripture Lessons and Psalmes and some few Hymnes and Symbols made by the most excellent persons in the Primitive Church and all this in nothing disagreeing from the rules of Lyturgie given in Scripture but that the same things are desired and the same persons prayed for and to the same end and by the same great instrument of addresse acceptation by Jesus Christ and which gives all the glory that is due to God and gives nothing of this to a Creature and hath in it many admirable documents whether there be any thing wanting in such a Lyturgie towards edification What is there in prayers that can edifie that is not in such in a Lyturgie so constituted Or what can there be more in the private formes of any Minister then is in such a publick composition By this time I suppose the Objection with all its sect. 65 parts is disbanded so farre as it relates to edification profit and compliance with the auditors As for the matter of liberty and restraint of the Spirit I shall consider that apart In the mean time I shall set down those grounds of Religion and Reason upon which publick Lyturgie relies and by the strength of which it is to be justified against all opposition and pretences 1. The Church hath a power given to her by the Spirit sect. 66 of God a command to describe publick forms of Lyturgie For I consider that the Church is a Family Jesus Christ is the Master of the Family the holy Spirit is the great Dispensatour of all such graces the Family needs and are in order to the performance of their Duty the Apostles and their Sucoessors the Rulers of the Church are Stewards of the manifold Graces of God whose office is to provide every mans portion and to dispence the graces and issues Evangelicall by way of Ministery Who is that faithfull and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make ruler of his Houshold It was our blessed Saviours Question and Saint Paul answered it Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God Now the greatest Ministery of the Gospell is by way of prayer most of the graces of the Spirit being obtained by prayer and such offices which operate by way of impetration and benediction and consecration which are but the severall instances of prayer Prayer certainly is the most effectuall and mysterious ministery and therefore since the Holy Ghost hath made the Rulers of the Church Stewards of the mysteries they are by virtue of their Stewardship Presidents of Prayer and publike Offices 2. Which also is certaine because the Priest is to stand sect. 67 between God and the People and to represent all their needs to the throne of grace He is a Prophet and shall pray for thee said God concerning Abraham to Abimelech And therefore the Apostles appointed inferiour Officers in the Church that they might not be hindred in their great worke but we will give our selves to the word of God and to prayer And therefore in our greatest need in our sicknesse and last scene of our lives we are directed to send for the Elders of the Church that they may pray over us and God hath promised to heare them and if prayer be of any concernment towards the finall condition of our souls certainly it is to be ordered guided and disposed by them who watch for our soules {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as they that must give account to God for them 3. Now if the Rulers of the Church are Presidents of sect. 68 the rites of Religion and by consequence of Prayer either they are to order publike prayers or private For private I suppose most men will be so desirous of their liberty as to preserve that in private where they have no concernments but their owne for matter of order or scandall But for publike if there be any such thing as Government and that prayers may be spoiled by disorder or made ineffectuall by confusion or by any accident may become occasion of a scandall it is certaine that they must be ordered as all other things are in which the publike is certainly concerned that is by the Rulers of the Church who are answerable if there be any miscarriage in the publike Thus farre I suppose there will not be much Question with those who allow set formes but would have themselves be the Composers They would have the Ministers pray for the people but the Ministers shall not be prescribed to the Rulers of the Church shal be the Presidents of religious rites but then they will be the Rulers therefore we must proceed farther and because I will not now enter into the Question who are left by Christ to govern his Church I will proceed upon such grounds which I hope may be sufficient to determine this Question and yet decline the other Therefore 4. Since the Spirit of God is the spirit of supplication sect. 69 they to whom the greatest portion of the Spirit is promised are most competent persons to pray for the people and to prescribe formes of prayer But the promise of the Spirit is made to the Church in generall to her in her united capacity to the whole Church first then to particular Churches then in the lowest seat of the Category to single persons And we have title to the promises by being members of the Church and in the Communion of Saints which beside the stylus curiae the form of all the great promises being in generall and comprehensive termes appears in this that when any single person is out of this Communion he hath also no title to the promises which yet he might if he had any upon his own stock not derivative from the Church Now then I infer if any single persons will have us to believe without possibility of proof for so it must be that they pray with the Spirit for how shall they be able to prove the spirit actually to abide in those single persons then much rather must we believe it of the Church which by how much the more generall it is so much the more of the Spirit she is likely to have and then if there be no errors in the matter the Church hath the advantage and probability on her side and if there be an errour in matter in either of them neither of them have the Spirit or they make not the true use of it But the publike Spirit in all
reason is to be trusted before the private when there is a contestation the Church being prior potior in promissis she hath a greater and priour title to the Spirit And why the Church hath not the spirit of prayer in her compositions as well as any of her Children I desire once for all to be satisfied upon true grounds either of reason or revelation And if she have whether she have not as much as any single person If she have but as much then there is as much reason in respect of the divine assistance that the Church should make the forms as that any single Minister should and more reason in respect of order and publike influence and care and charge of soules but if she have a greater portion of the Spirit than a single person that is if the whole be greater then the part or the publike better than the private then it is evident that the spirit of the Church in respect of the divine assistance is chiefly and in respect of order is onely to be relied upon for publike provisions and formes of prayer But now if the Church in her united capacity makes sect. 70 prayers for the people they cannot be supposed to be other than limited and determined formes for it is not practicable or indeed imaginable that a Synod of Church Governours be they who they will so they be of Christs appointment should meet in every Church and pray as every man list their Counsels are united and their results are Conclusions and finall determinations which like generall propositions are applicable to particular instances so that 1 since the Spirit being the great Dictatour of holy prayers and 2 the Spirit is promised to the Church in her united capacity and 3 in proportion to the Assembly caeteris paribus so are measures of the Spirit powred out and 4 when the Church is assembled the Prayers which they teach the People are limited and prescribed formes it followes that limited and prescribed formes are in all reason emanations from the greatest portion of the Spirit warranted by speciall promises which are made to every man there present that does his duty as a private member of the Christian Church and are due to him as a Ruler of the Church and yet more especially and in a further degree to all them met together where if ever the holy Spirit gives such helps and graces which relate to the publike government and have influence upon the communities of Christians that is will blesse their meeting and give them such assistances as will enable them to do the work for which they convene But yet if any man shall say What need the Church sect. 71 meet in publike Synods to make formes of Prayer when private Ministers are able to doe it in their severall Parishes I answer it is true many can but they cannot doe it better then a Councell and I think no man is so impudent as to say he can doe it so well however quod spectat ad omnes ab omnibus tractari debet the matter is of publike concernment and therefore should be of publike consultation the advantages of publikely describ'd formes I shall afterwards specifie In the mean time 5. As the Church I mean the Rulers of the Church sect. 72 are appointed Presidents of religious rites and as the Rulers in conjunction are enabled to doe it best by the advantages of speciall promises and double portions of the Spirit so she alwayes did practise this either in conjunction or by single dictate by publick persons or united authority but in all times as necessity required they prescribed set Formes of Prayer If I should descend to minutes and particulars I sect. 37 could instance in the behalf of set Formes that 1. God prescribed to Moses a set Forme of Prayer and benediction to be used when he did blesse the people 2. That Moses composed a Song or Hymne for the children of Israel to use to all their generations 3. That David composed many for the service of the Tabernacle and every company of singers was tyed to certain Psalmes as the very titles intimate and the Psalmes were such limited and determinate prescriptions that in some Gods Spirit did bind them to the very number of the Letters and order of the Alphabet 4. That Solomon and the holy Kings of Judah brought them in and continued them in the ministration of the Temple 5. That in the reformation by Hezekiah the Priests and Levites were commanded to praise the Lord in the words of David Asaph 6. That all Scripture is written for our learning and since all these and many more set Formes of Prayer are left there upon record it is more then probable that they were left there for our use and devotion and certainly it is as lawfull and as prudent to pray Scriptures as to read Scriptures and it were well if we would use our selves to the expression of Scripture and that the language of God were familiar to us that we spake the words of Canaan not the speech of Ashdod and time was when it was thought the greatest Ornament of a spirituall Person and instrument of a religious Conversation but then the consequents would be that these Prayers were the best Formes which were in the words of Scripture and those Psalmes and Prayers there recorded were the best devotions but these are set Formes 7. To this purpose I could instance in the example of Saint John Baptist who taught his Disciples a Forme of Prayer And that Christs Disciples begged the same favour and it was granted as they desired it And here I mean to fix a little for this ground cannot sect. 74 fail us I say Christ prescribed a set Form of Prayer to be used by all his Disciples as a Breviary of Prayer as a rule of their devotions as a repository of their needes and as a direct addresse to God For in this Prayer God did not onely command us to make our Prayers as Moses was bid to make the Tabernacle after the patterne which God shewed him in the Mount and * Christ shewed his Apostles but he hath given us the very tables written with his own hand that we should use them as they are so delivered this Prayer was not onely a precedent and pattern but an instance of addresse a perfect forme for our practice as well as imitation For 1. When Christ was upon the Mount he gave it for sect. 75 a patterne {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} So pray ye or after this manner which if we expound onely to the sense of becomming a pattern or a Directory it is observable that it is not onely Directory for the matter but for the manner too and if we must pray with that matter and in that manner what does that differ from praying with that forme however it is well enough that it becomes a precedent to us in any sense and the Church may vary her
most imperfect memories might retaine and use it And it is not amisse to observe that our blessed Saviour sect. 82 first taught this Prayer to be as a remedy and a reproof of the vaine repetition of the Pharisees and besides that is was so à priori we also in the event see the excellent spirit and wisdome in the Constitution for those persons who have laid aside the Lords Prayer have been noted by common observation to be very long in their forms and troublesome and vaine enough in their repetitions they have laid aside the medicine and the old wound bleeds afresh the Pharisees did so of old And after all this it is strange imployment that any sect. 83 man should be put to justifie the wisdome and prudence of any of Christs institutions as if any of his servants who are wise upon his Stock instructed by his Wisdom made knowing by his Revelations and whose all that is good is but a weak ray of the glorious light of the Sun of Righteousnes should dare to think that the Derivative should be before the Primitive the current above the Fountain and that we should derive all our excellency from him and yet have some beyond him that is some which he never had or which he was not pleased to manifest or that we should have a spirit of prayer able to make productions beyond his Prayer who received the Spirit without measure But this is not the first time man hath disputed against God And now let us consider with sobriety not onely of sect. 84 this excellent Prayer but of all that are deposited in the primitive records of our Religion Are not those Prayers and Hymnes in holy Scripture excellent compositions admirable instruments of devotion full of piety rare and incomparable addresses to God Dare any man with his gift of Prayer pretend that he can ex tempore or by study make better Who dares pretend that he hath a better spirit than David had or than the Apostles and Prophers and other holy persons in Scripture whose Prayers and Psulmes are by Gods Spirit consigned to the use of the Church for ever Or will it be denied but that they also are excellent Directories and Patterns for prayer And if Patterns the nearer we draw to our example are not the imitations and representments the better And what then if we tooke the Samplers themselves Is there any imperfection in them and can we mend them and correct the Magnificat The very matter of these and the Authour no lesse then Divine cannot but justifie the Formes though set determin'd and prescribed In a just proportion and commensuration I argue so sect. 85 concerning the primitive and ancient formes of Church service which are composed according to those so excellent Patterns which if they had remained pure as in their first institution or had alwaies bin as they have been reformed by the Church of England they would against all defiance put in for the next place to those formes of Liturgy which mutatis mutandis are nothing but the words of Scripture But I am resolved at this present not to enter into Question concerning the matter of Prayers Next we must enquire what the Apostles did in obedience sect. 86 to the precept of Christ and what the Church did in imitation of the Apostles That the Apostles did use the Prayer their Lord taught them I think need not much be questioned they could have no other end of their desire and it had been a strange boldnesse to aske for a forme which they intended not to use or a strange levity not to doe what they intended But I consider they had a double capacity they were of the Jewish Religion by education and now Christians by a new institution in the first capacity they used those Set formes of Prayer which their Nation used in their devotions Christ and his Apostles sang a Hymne part of the great Allelujah which was usually sung at the end of the Paschall Supper After Supper they sang a hymne saies the Evangelist The Jewes also used every Sabbath to sing the XCII Psalme which is therefore intit'led A Song or Psalme for the Sabbath and they who observed the hours of Prayer and Vowes according to the rites of the Temple need not be suspected to have omitted the Jewish formes of prayer And as they complied with the religious customes of the Nation worshipping according to the Jewish manner it is also in reason to be presum'd they were Worshippers according to the new Christian institution and used that forme their Lord taught them Now that they tied themselves to recitation of the very sect. 87 words of Christ's Prayer pro loco tempore I am therefore easie to believe because I find they were strict to a scruple in retaining the Sacramentall words which Christ spake when he instituted the blessed Sacrament insomuch that not onely three Evangelists but S. Paul also not onely making a narrative of the institution but teaching the Corinthians the manner of its celebration to a tittle he recites the words of Christ Now the action of the Consecrator is not a theatricall representment of the action of Christ but a sacred solemne and * Sacramentall prayer in which since the Apostles at first and the Church ever after did with reverence and feare retaine the very words it is not onely a probation of the Question in generall in behalf of set formes but also a high probability that they retain'd the Lord's Prayer and used it to an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the very forme of words And I the rather make this inference from the preceding sect. 88 argument because the cognation one hath with the other for the Apostles did also in the consecration of the Eucharist use the Lords Prayer and that together with the words of institution was the onely forme of consecration saith Saint Gregory and Saint Hierome affirmes that the Apostles by the command of their Lord used this * prayer in the benediction of the Elements But besides this when the Apostles had received sect. 89 great measures of the Spirit and by their gift of Prayer composed more Formes for the help and comfort of the Church and contrary to the order in the first Creation the light which was in the body of the Sun was now diffused over the face of the new Heavens and the new Earth it became a precept Evangelicall that we should praise God in Hymnes and Psalmes and Spirituall Songs which is so certaine that they were compositions of industry and deliberation and yet were sung in the Spirit that he who denies the last speakes against Scriptures he who denies the first speakes against Reason and would best confute himself if in the highest of his pretence of the Spirit he would venture at some ex tempore Hymnes And of this we have the expresse testimony of Saint Austin De Hymnis Psalmis
vel per ignorantiam vel per minus studium sit compositum left through ignorance or want of deliberation any thing be spoken in our Prayers against faith good manners Their reason is good and they are witnesses of it who hear the variety of Prayers before and after Sermons there where the Directory is practised where to speak most modestly not onely their private opinions but also humane interests and their own personall concernments and wilde fancies born perhaps not two dayes before are made the objects of the peoples hopes of their desires and their prayers and all in the mean time pretend to the holy Spirit Thus farre we are gone The Church hath 1 power sect. 96 and authority and 2 command 3 and ability or promise of assistances to make publike formes of Liturgie and 4 the Church alwaies did so in all descents from Moses to Christ from Christ to the Apostles from them to all descending Ages for I have instanced till Saint Austine's time and since there is no Question the people were {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as Balsamon saies of those of the Greek Communion they used unalterable formes of Prayers described out of the Books of publike Liturgy it remains onely that I consider upon what reason and grounds of prudence and religion the Church did so and whether she did well or no In order to which I consider 1. Every man hath personall needs of his owne and sect. 97 he that understands his owne condition and hath studied the state of his Soule in order to eternity his temporall estate in order to justice and charity and the constitution and necessities of his body in order to health and his health in order to the service of God as every wise and good man does will find that no man can make such provision for his necessities as he can doe for his owne caeteris paribus no man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of the man and therefore if he have proportionable abilities it is allowed to him and it is necessary for him to represent his owne conditions to God and he can best expresse his owne sense or at least best sigh forth his owne meaning and if he be a good man the Spirit will make intercession for him with those unutterable groanes Besides this every Family hath needs proper to it in the capacity of a Family and those are to be represented by the Master of the Family whom men of the other perswasion are apt to consesse to be a Priest in his own Family and a King and Sacrorum omnium potestas sub Regibus esto they are willing in this sense to acknowledge and they call upon him to performe Family duties that is all the publike devotions of the Family are to be ordered by him Now that this is to be done by a set forme of words sect. 98 is acknowledged by Didoclavius Nam licet in conclavi Paterfamilias verbis exprimere animi affectus pro arbitrio potest quia Dominus cor intuetur affectus tamen publicè coram totâ familia idem absque indecoro non potest If he prayes ex tempore without a Set forme of prayer he may commit many an uâ—decency a set and described forme of prayer is most convenient in a Family that Children and Servants may be enabled to remember and tacitely recite the prayer together with the Major domo But I relie not upon this but proceed upon this Consideration As private Persons and as Families so also have Churches sect. 99 their speciall necessities in a distinct capacity and therefore God hath provided for them Rulers and Feeders Priests and Presidents of religion who are to represent all their needs to God and to make provisions Now because the Church cannot all meet in one place but the harvest being great it is bound up in severall bundles and divided into many Congregations for all which the Rulers and Stewards of this great Family are to provide and yet cannot be present in those particular Societies it is necessary that they should have influence upon them by a generall provision and therefore that they should take care that their common needs should be represented to God by Set formes of Prayer for they onely can be provided by Rulers and used by their Ministers and Deputies such as must be one in the principe and diffused in the execution and it is better expression of their care and duty for the Rulers to provide the bread and blesse it and then give it to them who must minister it in small portions and to particular companies for so Christ did then to leave them who are not in the same degree answerable for the Churches as the Rulers are to provide their food and breake it and minister it too The very Oeconomy of Christ's Family requires that the dispensations be made according to every man's capacity The generall Stewards are to divide to every man his portion of worke and to give them their food in due season and the under-servants are to doe that work is appointed them so Christ appointed it in the Gospel and so the Church hath practised in all Ages inde enim per temporum successionum vices Episcoporum ordinatio Ecclesiae ratio decurrit ut Ecclesia supra Episcopes constituatur omnis actus Ecclesiae per eosdem Praepositos gubernetur when the Rulers are few for the Ecclesiasticall regiment is not Democraticall and the under offices many and the companies numerous for all which those few Rulers are bound to provide and prayer and offices of devotion are one of the greatest instances of provision it is impossible there should be any sufficient care taken or caution used by those Rulers in the matter of prayers but for them to make such prescript formes which may be used by all companies under their charge that since they are to represent all the needs of all their people because they cannot be present by their persons in all Societies they may be present by their care and provisions which is then done best when they make prescript Formes of prayer and provide pious Ministers to dispense it 2. It is in the very nature of publike prayer that it be sect. 100 made by a publike spirit performed by a publike consent For publike and private prayer are certainly two distinct duties but they are least of all distinguished by the place but most of all by the Spirit that dictates the prayer and the consent in the recitation and it is a private prayer which either one man makes though spoken in publike as the Laodicean Councell calls {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} private Psalmes or which is not attested by publike consent of minds and it is a publike prayer which is made by the publike spirit and consented to by a generall acceptation and therefore the Lords prayer though spoke in private is a publike forme and
liberty of the Spirit sufficiently preserved that the publick Spirit is free That is the Church hath power upon occasion to alter and increase her Litanies By what argument shall any man make it so much as probable that the holy Ghost is injured if every private Ministers private spirit shall be guided and therefore by necessary consequence limited by the authority of the Churches publick Spirit 4. Does not the Directory that thing which is here called sect. 121 restraining of the Spirit Does it not appoint every thing but the words And after this is it not a goodly Palladium that is contended for and a princely liberty they leave unto the Spirit to be free onely in the supplying the place of a Vocabulary and a Copia verborum For as for the matter it is all there described and appointed and to those determined senses the Spirit must assist or not at all onely for the words he shall take his choise Now I desire it may be considered sadly and seriously Is it not as much injury to the Spirit to restrain his matter as to appoint his words Which is the more considerable of the two Sense or Language Matter or Words I mean when they are taken singly and separately For so they may very well be for as if men prescribe the matter onely the Spirit may cover it with severall words and expressions so if the Spirit prescribe the words I may still abound in variety of sense and preserve the liberty of my meaning we see that true in the various interpretations of the same words of Scripture 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 pleases so it be to our sense to our purposes A goodly compensation surely 5. Did not Christ restrain the spirit of his Apostles sect. 122 when he taught them to pray the Lords Prayer whether his precept to his Disciples concerning it was Pray this or Pray thus Pray these words or Pray after this manner Or though it had been lesse then either and been onely a Directory for the matter still it is a thing which our Brethren in all other cases of the same nature are resolved perpetually to call a restraint Certainly then this pretended restraint is no such formidable thing These men themselves doe it by directing all of the matter and much of the manner and Christ himself did it by prescribing both the matter and the words too 6. These restraints as they are called or determinations sect. 123 of the Spirit are made by the Spirit himself For I demand when any Assembly of Divines appoint the matter of Prayers to all particular Ministers as this hath done is that appointment by the Spirit or no If no then for ought appears this Directory not being made by Gods Spirit may be an enemy to it But if this appointment be by the Spirit then the determination and limitation of the Spirit is by the Spirit himself and such indeed is every pious and prudent constitution of the Church in matters Spirituall Such as was that of Saint Paul to the Corinthians when he prescribed orders for publick Prophecying and Interpretation and speaking with Tongues The Spirit of some he so restrained that he bound them to hold their peace he permitted but two or three to speak at one meeting the rest were to keep silence though possibly six or seven might at that time have the Spirit 7. Is it not a restraint of the Spirit to sing a Psalme in sect. 124 Meeter by appointment Cleerly as much as appointing Formes of prayer or Eucharist And yet that we see done daily and no scruple made Is not this to be partiall in judgement and inconsiderate of what we doe 8. And now after all this strife what harme is there sect. 125 in restraining the Spirit in the present sense 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 the gifts given to his Church are used regularly and by order As if prudence were no gift of Gods Spirit as if helps in Government and the ordering spirituall matters were none of those graces which Christ when he ascended up on high gave unto men But this whole matter is wholly a stranger to reason and never seen in Scripture For Divinity never knew any other vitious restraining sect. 126 the Spirit but either suppressing those holy incitements to vertue and good life which Gods Spirit ministers to us externally or internally or else a forbidding by publike authority the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments to speake such truths as God hath commanded and so taking away the liberty of prophecying The first is directly vitious in materia speciali The second is tyrannicall and Antichristian And to it persecution of true Religion is to be reduced But as for this pretended limiting or restraining the Spirit viz. by appointing a regular Forme of prayer it is so very a Chimaera that it hath no footing or foundation upon any ground where a wise man may build his confidence 9. But lastly how if the Spirit must be restrained and sect. 127 that by precept Apostolicall That calls us to a new account But if it be not true what meanes Saint Paul by saying The spirits of the Prophets must be subject to the Prophets What greater restraint then subjection If subjected then they must be ruled if ruled then limited prescribed unto and as much under restraint as the spirits of the superiour Prophets shall judge convenient I suppose by this time this Objection will trouble us no more But perhaps another will For why are not the Ministers to be left as well to sect. 128 their liberty in making their Prayers as their Sermons I answer the Church may if she will but whether she doth well or no let her consider This I am sure there is not the same reason and I feare the experience the world hath already had of it will make demonstration enough of the inconvenience But however the differences are many 1. Our Prayers offered up by the Minister are in behalf sect. 129 and in the name of the People and therefore great reason they should know beforehand what is to be presented that if they like not the message they may refuse to communicate especially since people are so divided in their opinions in their hopes and in their faiths it being a duty to refuse comunion with those prayers which they think to have in them the matter of sin or doubting Which reason on the other part ceases for the Minister being to speak from God to the people if he speaks what he ought not God can right himself however is not a partner of the sin as in