might appear to all That he might shew himself approved unto God A workman that needeth not to be ashamed 1 Tim. 4.13 14 15. with 2 Tim. 2.15 But give me leave to speak without offence You seem to me in this point to take too much liberty in a serious cause to play upon equivocation It is true in studying a Sermon the Preacher useth his Invention and Judgement and in that sence his Sermon may be called mans Invention But you are not ignorant we speak in this cause of such inventions of men as God hath given neither Commandement nor direction for in his Word In which sence a studied Sermon is no more a mans Invention than a studied answer which Solomon commendeth as a path of the Righteous Prov 15.28 The like may be said of the next instance which is Interpretation of Scriptures as also a conceived Prayer Interpretation of Scripture is from a spiritual gift which God hath given and commanded to be used for the edification of his Church 1 Cor. 14.26 Nehem. 8.8 So is Prayer conceived from a spirit and gift of prayer which is to be used also and attended to as a principall part of the Ministeriall office 1 Cor. 14.15 Acts 6.4 Obj If it be said but I may take an Interpretation or Translation of Scripture from others and therefore a form of Prayers from others also Answ 1. There is a broad difference betwixt an Interpretation of Scripture as it is put for translation of Scripture and read Prayer for reading of Scripture in the Church is an ordinance of God so is the reading of it in a tongue which the people understandeth and therefore it is an ordinance of God that the Word be read in some translation But the reading of a prayer for the prayers of the Church is no ordinance of God therefore there is not the like ground from the Word to make use of Prayer-Books to read prayers as to make use of a printed Bible for the reading of the Word 2. Every Minister that hath understanding of the originall languages wherein the Scripture was written ought to make use of his own gift in examining the truth of the translation which he readeth unto the Church which will not be allowed in prescript Lyturgies As for the division of Scriptures into Sections and Chapters and the reading of one part this Week and the other next It is certain division of Scripture is antient even from the times of the Prophets And evident it is the whole Scripture cannot be read over in one day And therefore it is from God that some divisions of Scriptures be observed according to the variety of matter therein contained and distinctly devideth it selfe and consequently it is from God that one part of it be read at this Assembly another at the next because all cannot be read at once And yet we know no warrant that one Church should prescribe another what division to make of the Scriptures or what part of it should be read this day and what the next what God hath lest free let no man limit Disc Preaching is commanded of God so is interpretation of Scripture but phrase and method of Interpretation is of men The matter of the Scripture is the immediate Word of God but the Word and phrase which are Vessels to convey this truth to us I speak of Translations not of the Originall Text are humane and not of God by immediate inspiration God commandeth us to call upon him both in publique and private but the words in which we expresse our desires are our own both in conceived and stinted Prayer Answ It is true preaching of the Word and the Interpretation of the Word are of God but the phrase and Method is of men yet so of men as they have commandement and warrant from God to preach and interpret the Word and not in what phrase and Method please themselves nor in such words as mans wisdome teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2.13 Nor so from men as that the men of one Church may devise a set form thereof and binde all men as well of other Churches as their own to this or that manner of phrase or Method the like is to be said of prayer also But when your Discourse saith that the words wherein we expresse our desires are our own in conceived and stinted prayer you might as well have said that the words wherein we deliver our Sermons are our own both in conceived Sermons and in stinted Homilies Disc These two kinds of Prayer conceived and stinted agree in their Author Matter Form Object end and common nature the one is no more an Invention of man than the other so then devised Worship is unlawfull but not a worship in a form of words devised Answ And so might we say of prayer to God before an Image and prayer without an Image they are two kinds of prayer that agree in their Author matter form object end and common nature yet we cannot say the one is more an invention of men than the other As devised Worship is unlawfull so are devised forms and means of worship unlawfull also of which sort such set forms of words be as are devised and composed by the officers of one Congregation and imposed upon the brethren of another Congregation for the forms of their prayers Answ 2. We cannot say as you do that such conceived and stinted forms agree in their Authors for I am not the Author of the matter of that prayer which another man composed and was the Author of and is now stinted and prescribed to me no more then I can be said to be the Author of that Sermon which another man indited Battyllus was not the Authour of Virgil's Verses Though he resiteth them as his own Virgil justly challengeth his own out of his hand Hos ego versiculas feci c. Nor can we say that such conceived or stinted forms agree in their form if by form be meant externall form it is not the same form of walking to walk with Crutches and to walk upright It is not the same form of prayer to pray with help of mens inventions and with such helps only as the Holy Ghost supplyeth which also hindereth that they cannot be said to agree in their common nature The one being a lawfull form of prayer the other unlawfull And therefore when your Discourse saith that conceived and stinted prayer the one is no more the invention of man than the other we cannot understand the truth of that for in conceived prayer the Spirit of God within us teacheth us what to pray And for that the Ordinance and Word of God is plain Rom. 8.26 But in stinted prayer the matter is not suggested or indited to us by the Spirit of God within us but prescribed and imposed upon us by the will wisdome and authority of men whom the Holy Ghost hath not called to such a work as therefore a devised worship is unlawfull
justly be demanded when did God speak one word of them And therefore what have we to do with them If it be said as God never spake word of reading Prayer within book so never did he speak word of pronouncing Prayer without Book the Text doth plainly enough expresse the contrary for the Word of God speaketh expressely that Christ lift up his eyes to Heaven in Prayer John 17.1 11.41 so did David Psalm 123.1 and God hath ingraffed it in the hearts of all his people to expresse the lifting up of their souls their faith and hope and desires to God by lifting up their eyes stedfastly to Heaven in Prayer yea God hath ingraffed it in the hearts of all men and even put some kind of instinct into all living creatures to lift up their eyes to Heaven for what they want Psal 145.15 Now if the lifting up of the eyes to Heaven in Prayer be expresly mentioned in the Word then how can it be truly said that God never spake word of Prayer without Book for they that lift up their eyes stedfastly to Heaven in Prayer cannot without some distractions cast them down in Prayer upon a book if lifting up of the eyes to Heaven in Prayer be a divine Institution as the Discourse said even now if it be an externall means to help the affection of the spirit in Prayer then it is against the Institution and an hinderance to Prayer instead of an help to set a mans self or others a form of read Prayers wherein whilest he is reading he must usually cast down his eyes upon a Book CHAP. VI. Tending to give Answer unto the fifth Reason Disc WHere there is no breach of Law there is no sin But the use of a prescript form of Prayer is no breach of Law or of any Commandement of God Answ It hath been shewed above that it is a breach of the second Commandement more wayes than one to devise and use a similitude and form and means of worship which God never appointed and such is the reading of a ser form of Prayer for the Prayers of the Church 2. It is an usurpation of more than Propheticall or Apostolicall authority to prescribe a set form of Lyturgie to the Churches and a greater usurpation for one Congregation to prescribe the same to another which is a sin both against the second and fifth Commandements 3. It is a sinfull and disloyall betraying of the souls of Magistrates to countenance their intruding such prescript forms of Prayer upon Churches by taking up the same forms from them which they have not authority from God to injoyne and stifly to plead for them a sin forbidden in the fifth and sixth Commandements 4. It is a sinfull betraying of Christian Liberty which Christ hath purchased to every Church of his by his precious blood For one Church voluntarily to take up the Injunctions and prescriptions of another contrary to Col. 2.20 22. which argument may be applyed another way by a Testimony from the book of Common-Prayer Gods Service is perfect Freedome but the reading of a set form of Prayer devised and prescribed by others is not perfect freedome for many would be right glad to be freed from it therefore such reading of prayers is not Gods service 5. It is a sinfull breach of the rule of decency to offer up prayers to God in such a form as cannot well stand with that decent gesture which is most sutable to Prayer It is a gesture most sutable to Prayer to lift it up to God as with hearts and hands so with eyes stedfastly lift up to Heaven But this gesture cannot fitly and stedfastly be used in read Prayer where the eyes must be usually cast down upon the Book CHAP. VII Wherein Answer is returned to the sixth Reason Disc IF a set form of prayer be disallowed then a prescript form of Catechisme and Confession must of necessity be condemned but how absurd this is he is very blind or will full that seeth not the necessity antiquity and excellency of catechising is known to them that know any thing touching the building and governing the House of God Answ Touching set forms of Catechisme we have answered twice before in clearing some objections against the first Reason whereto we refer you it hath been already shewed us that God himselfe hath set before us sundry forms of Catechisme Davids Catechisme was of one form Psal 34.11 12 13 14. Solomons of another Prov. 4. The Apostles of another Heb. 6.2 Yea the Apostles name the heads of their Catechisme but neither propound the questions nor answers them in use An evident Argument they never meant to bind Churches to set forms of Catechisme The excellent and necessary use of catechizing young men and novices as hath been said before we willingly acknowledge But little benefit have we seen reaped from set forms of questions and answers devised by one Church and imposed by necessity upon another They must look at them with coloured Spectacles that can discern them The like may be said of forms of Confessions when a Church is suspected and slandered with corrupt and unsound Doctrine they have a call from God to set forth a publique confession of their faith But to prescribe the same as the confession of the faith of that Church to their posterity or to prescribe the confession of one Church to be a form and pattern unto others sad experience hath shewed what a snare it hath been to both nothing in after ages must be held for a doctrine of the Church though never so necessary a truth unlesse it were found amongst the Articles of Religion agreed upon by their fathers in the confession of their Faith CHAP. VIII Giving Answer to the seaventh Reason Disc IT is lawfull to aske common blessings of God dayly in a set form of words Ergo. It is not unlawfull to use a set form of Prayer and if to pronounce it to read it also for reading of it selfe is not impure as pronouncing cannot make an evill matter good no more can reading make a good matter evill pronouncing and reading being Adjuncts in prayer both indifferent Answ First the Question with us is not so much about set forms of prayer in generall as about set forms of Prayer devised by men of other Churches precsribed and injoyned to be read as the Prayers of the Church or devised by one Christian and set apart by another as his prayers to which this Argument reacheth not Though we do not deny it to be altogether unlawfull to seek common blessings of God daily in a set form of words yet we would not encourage men to rest and content themselves in so doing much lesse to bind themselves so to do For besides that a daily set form will easily degenerate to a formallity how can a Christian be said to watch unto prayer which we are commanded to do Eph. 6.18 If we content our selves with the same set form of prayer this year as
the last Besides the common daily blessings which the Discourser instanceth in as faith patience meeknesse love sanctification of Gods name Coming of Christs Kingdome the state of these things doth ever and anon vary and to bind a mans selfe daily to a set form of prayer for such things as the state whereof is so daily varied will bring in a loose and Incongruous kind of prayers fit only for those that do not discern or are not affected with the present state of things either in themselves or others When it is said if it be lawfull to pronounce a set form of prayer then to read it If the meaning be to read it for a prayer the consequence is not firm for though as the Discourser saith the reading of prayer is not impure Yet the praying of read prayers is the using of such a Crutch to pray as he speaketh which God hath not appointed and that maketh such reading impure And though pronouncing cannot make an evill matter good nor simply reading make a good matter evill yet reading to such an end reading a set form of prayer prescribed to me for my prayer maketh to me a Will-worship of that which he that conceived the prayer might lawfully have pronounced The pronouncing of a good Sermon by him that made it is a good and acceptable service to God and his Church But to read a Sermon as my preaching which was made by another maketh it neither so acceptable to God nor to his Church yea the reading of a mans own Sermon instead of preaching will much detract from the life and power of it and make a man of God unserviceable for his place Though reading and pronouncing of a thing be both of them adjuncts and common adjuncts too to that which is pronounced or read yet according to the ends and subjects to which they may be applyed the one may be lawfull the other not indifferent but sinfull the reading of a Sermon for preaching is a sinfull manner of preaching The difference will ever hold between the word read and preached They are two distinct Ordinances CHAP. IX Answering unto the eight Reason THe Jewes before the coming of Christ used a prescript form of Prayer as it is probable and the learned note in the celebration of the Passover and that which they used as is very probable was approved by Christ himself Answ That the Jewes before the coming of Christ did use certain Rites in keeping the Passover It doth appear by the Testimonies alledged as also by Causabon and others And that some forms of Prayer they used according as the severall passages of the Passeover required But it doth not at all appear that they used any set forms of Prayer but onely to that and the like effect and that not by Prescript or Injunction from one to another but leaving every father of a family at his liberty therein much lesse will it appear that our Lord Jesus Christ took up any set forms of Prayer by their example and least of all from their Injunction CHAP. X. Giving Answer to the ninth Reason Disc ALL the reformed Churches at this day do not only tollerate but approve a set form of Liturgie c. Answ We count it a safe course to bewail our own sins and the sins of our fathers whereby we have polluted the holy things of God more or lesse rather than to justifie our own alterations from the rule by their presidents â—reat cause we have to blesse the Lord for the â—reat light which the instruments whom God â—â—ed in reforming all Protestant Churches brought into the dark world and left behind them and yet it is well known in some thing or other all of them more or lesse failed and it is more wonder they should see so much truth out of the midst of darknesse then that they who saw so much should fail in any thing but whereinsoever they failed the generation that have come after them have too closely and ungodly stuck to their examples yea and have been more zealous in the defence thereof than have sought to perfect what they less defective yet this we may truly affirm that we know none of all the reformed forraign Churches that do prescribe a set form of Prayer with necessity to be observed but leave their Minister at liberty to use the same or some other form to the like effect at their own direction which taketh off a great part of sin and burthen of set forms God knoweth how to passe by the remnant of iniquity of the transgression of them that seek him in truth although all the high places be not taken away 2 Chron 15.17 The Lord did not so look at their high places as to reject his people for Idolaters or Superstitious Persons when they sought him in truth of heart though in high places neither yet would he justifie their high places to after Ages by the example and authority of their Ancestors farre be it from us to censure the present Churches of obstinacy who have persisted in the presidents left by our holy ancestors those first reformed yet neither may we be so unfaithfull as to sowe Pillowes under the Elbows no not of publique Churches who knoweth not they have all been more studious and tenacious of what form the doctrine and worship and discipline was left unto them then inquisitive after farther light yea sometimes more inclinable to look back into Aegypt than to hasten towards Canaan it is true we have cause to suspect our selves of error rather than so many glorious lights of former and present times to wit if our faith were built upon our selves we should prefer their judgements and testimony before our own but seeing our faith resteth only on the word of the Lord and his Spirit breathing therein and the Word hath promised more and more light shall break forth in these times till Antichrist be utterly consumed and abolished we shall sin against the Grace and Word of truth if we confine our truth either to the Divines of present or former ages Disc Be that all the Churches may erre in this yet I hope no moderate man can censure them of obstinacy as men not willing to consent to the truth shewed and manifested how then cometh it to passe that none of them hitherto have subscribed to this opinion and to the practice of our brethren of the Separation The true Churches of God cannot erre fundamentally nor obstinately against knowledge but how can they be freed from one of these let the opposites themselves judge Answ Though we do not believe as you do that the true Churches of Christ cannot erre fundamentally but doe conceive for a time they may as the Church of Israel in the golden Calfe and afterwards more dangerously in the crucifying of Christ and many Christian Churches almost all in that time when Hierome complaineth the whole world was become an Arian yet we do not look at the reading of devised prescript forms as a