Superiours in Church and State The Spirits of the Prophets are Subject to the Prophets 1 Cor. 14.32 And the Spirit of God perswades and commands Men to Obey every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake and to be subject to our Civil and Ecclesiastical Governours not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake Rom. 13.5 1 Pet. 2.13 But these Men by their causeless and sinful Separation from our Church make a Schisme in it as by their frequent resistance of our rightful Kings they have made Rebellions in the State a thing which the Apostles and primitive Christians were never guilty of under the most bloody Persecutions but always abhor'd it as contrary to the good Spirit of God 2dly The base Railing and filthy Language which this Author and his Party do aften bestow upon us a brief account of which I have before given and shall now give an instance or two more of it to fill up the Measure of his Iniquity p. 44. speaking of Men that use Forms of Prayers by which without doubt he marks out us he says They in Person appear as Hypocrites and their Prayers are an abomination when they say they have been pouring out their Souls unto God he saith they have been Howling like Dogs and for this he quotes Hos 7.14 tho 't is plain he here adds to the Word of God there being no mention of Dogs in that place but only of the Children of Ephraims Howling upon their Beds and this bold Man adds thereunto like Dogs to render us more odious in the application But if we should take the same liberty and say that these Men in their Conventicles Groan and Grunt like Hogs and Snarl and Bark like Dogs tho' they cannot Bite and Devour us I believe they would Proclaim us for the most Wicked and Uncharitable People in the World For this very Man on the Score of our slighting his Praying by the Spirit as I think I have sufficiently prov'd we have Reason to do breaks out into this strange and horrid Exclamation Is it not the Mark of implacable Reprobates O fearful Can you not be content to be Damn'd for your Sins against the Law but you must Sin against the Holy Ghost Good God! That we should be accused of the Sin against the Holy Ghost only for Vindicating his Honour and exposing such Men as would father their Nonsense and Blasphemies upon him But in Truth 't is these are the Blasphemers of the Holy Spirit 't is these are the Corahs and Balaams of the Age that Rebel against our Moses and Aaron and Curse God's People to their Face even with bitter Words and venemous Expressions which shews them to be acted by the Instigation of another Spirit even that of Satan and Antichrist who are all for Railing and Reviling but the good Spirit of God is all for mild gentle and charitable Speeches Jud. 9. Michael the Arch-angel when contending with the Devil he Disputed about the Body of Moses durst not bring against him a railing Accusation but said The Lord rebuke thee The good Spirit of God where'er he rests produces kind Thoughts and charitable Expressions both which Jo. Bunyan is a Stranger to as is evident from p. 89. When Men Pray for a shew to be heard and thought some body in Religion there are two sorts of Men that Pray to this end 1st Your Trencher-Chaplains that thrust themselves into great Mens Families pretending the Worship of God when in truth the great Business is their own Bellies which were notably Painted out by Ahab's Prophets 1 K. 18. and also Nebuchadnezzar's Wise-men Dan. 2. who tho' they pretended great Devotion yet their Lusts and their Bellies were the great things aimed at by them in all their peices of Devotion Now can there be a greater Vncharitableness shewn than is couch'd in these few Words Wherein all the Chaplains of great Men without any exception are represented as a Company of gormandizing Epicures that make their Belly their God and to be as bad as Ahab's false Prophets which fed at Jezabel's Table and as bad as Nebuchadnezzar's Magicians who were initiated into the Black-Art and in a solemn League and Covenant with the Devil Good God! That a Man should publish to the World such Base and Scandalous Reflections on some Divines who for ought he knows to the contrary may be as good Christians and pious Persons as any in the Nation But if they call the Master of the House Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his Houshold Mat. 10.25 May we not with more Truth call this Author a Corner-Chaplain That follows his poor Creatures that are deluded by him into every Corner of the House and there makes them Groan most bitterly or else he could not say as he does p. 73. I know 't is thus with them their Groans go up to Heaven from every Corner of the House I know they do Groan and that most bitterly Of this sort are they that creep into Houses and lead Captive silly Women laden with Sins and that is enough to make them Groan indeed 2 Tim. 3.6 But if this does not please him he must be contented to enjoy the Title of Tinker Chaplain as most agreeable to his old Trade tho' after all for want of Charity he proves to be but as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal CHAP. IX FOR a farther Proof that Jo. Bunyan's Pretences to the Spirit are vain I shall produce his own Words in Evidence against him where he advises Parents not to teach their Children to Pray by any Form no not so much as the Lord's Prayer and then being not of themselves able to Pray extempore they must not Pray at all Evil Council indeed and which never came from the good Spirit of God it is p. 77.78 My Judgment is says he that Men go the wrong Way to learn their Children to Pray in going about so soon to teach them a set company of Words as is the common use of poor Creatures to do For to me it seems to be a better way for People betimes to tell their Children what cursed Creatures they are and how they are under the Wrath of God by reason of original and actual Sin as also to tell them the nature of Gods Wrath and the duration of the Misery which if they conscientiously do they would sooner learn their Children to Pray than they do But tho' this Author gives his Judgment in the Style of St. Paul yet does he shew by it that he has not the Spirit of God as St. Paul had for that Apostle advises Parents thus Ephes 6.4 Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to Wrath and to tell them they are all cursed Creatures in a damnable Condition and obnoxious to Hell torments which shall last for ever one would think were the ready way to provoke them to wrath indeed but St. Paul says provoke them not by any harsh Speeches at all as these certainly are which may sooner drive them
Dead but I have harkened to the Voice of the Lord my God and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me look down from thy holy Habitation from Heaven and bless thy People Israel and the Land which thou hast given us as thou swearest unto our Fathers a Land that floweth with Milk and Honey And both these Forms of Prayer and Thanksgiving were the Jewish People constantly to observe twice every Year in all succeeding Generations when they offer'd their first Fruits and Tythes before the Lord but according to John Bunyan's bantering way he would expose them thus The Wise Men of Moses his Days with himself the Priests and People were so well skill'd that they had both the matter and the manner of their Prayers at their Fingers end seting such a Prayer for such a Day and that twenty Years before it comes one for the Day wherein they Offered their First-fruits another for the Day wherein they Offered their Tythes they have also bounded how many Syllables must be said in every one of their Prayers at their publick Exercises for each of these Offering Days they have them ready for the Generations yet unborn to say so that if there be any weight in this way of Arguing it will cast as much disgrace upon the Prayers of Moses which yet were Dictated and Directed by the infinite Wisdom of Almighty God as upon the Prayers of the Church of England which were also Composed by the same Spirit If it be said that Moses the Jewish Priests and People had not the assistance of the Holy Spirit as we have and therefore they were tyed to Forms from which we are now set free I Answer or rather John Bunyan does it for me p. 53 You do not find any Words of Prayer that we read of come out of the Mouth of Moses when he was going out of Egypt and was followed by Pharaoh Ex. 14.15 and yet he made Heaven ring again with his Cry but it was the inexpressible and unsearchable Groans and Cryings of his Soul in and with the Spirit And this he repeats p. 75. so that by our Adversaries own Confession Moses had the Spirit and could Pray by it even in their Sense as well at least as any Gifted Brother of them all and yet this very Moses sometimes used a Form of Prayer himself and also prescribed a Form of Prayers for others even the Jewish Priests and People to be constantly observed by them on solemn Occasions and on such particular Days and Seasons of the Year 2dly Those two great solemn Festivals which my Author mentions as observ'd by our Church Christmas and Easter have good Authority for their Observation even in the New Testament for can we have better Warrant for our keeping Christmas-Day than the Holy Angels keeping of it in a full Quire as they did Luke 2.13 and suddenly there was with the Angel i. e. who brought the Shepherds the joyful News of Christ's Birth a Multitude of the Heavenly Host Praising God and saying and they did it all in the same Form Glory to God in the highest and on Earth Peace and good Will towards Men. Now What other Reason can there be given why so many if not all the Angels should be present on Earth at this time and unanimously Worship God except it were to teach us to set apart this Day in all future Ages for a Day of Thanksgiving to God for the greatest Mercy was afforded the World since the Creation even the Birth and Incarnation of the Saviour of it Well may we keep Christmass-Day our Humane Nature being assum'd into the Godhead and a Saviour being Born to us upon it which is Christ the Lord When the Holy Angels kept this Day whose Nature he did not assume and to whom he was not Born a Saviour as he was to us I shall say no more in behalf of this great Festival but Transcribe a Passage out of the Assemblies Annotations on this portion of Scripture Luke 2. 13. ‖ See the Assemblies Annotations on Luke 2.13 Thus God would say they have this publick Service for so their Multitude made it performed by all who have Knowledge of and Interest in the Birth of Christ as to manifest his Mercy and Truth so to Condemn their stupid Ingratitude who perversely refuse to joyn in this Duty as if general Precepts in Gods Word right Reason and the Examples of Men and Angels inspired by Gods Spirit chosen Witnesses of of our Saviours Nativity and for this same purpose sent by God himself from Heaven that they might thus Celebrate that Day were not sufficient Warrant to lead them to Imitation and joining in an Holy Harmony with them And as for our keeping Easter Day can we have better Authority than St. Pauls Command for it 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us therefore let us keep the Feast i.e. Easter which is our Christian Passover that comes in the room of the Jewish not with the old Leaven neither with the Leaven of Malice and Wickedness which is a plain Allusion to some of the Typical Ceremonies wherewith the Israelites kept their Passover and proves that we Christians should keep Easter with the substance of those Types even the unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth i. e. in a pious Preparation for and devout Participation of the Lords Supper in a Death to Sin and a Resurrection to newness of Life Yet besides this Scriptural Argument I shall add one Consideration more and that is King Charles the Martyrs Quaery propounded to the Parliaments Commissioners at Holdenby April 23. 1647. I desire to be resolved of this Question Why the new Reformers discharge the keeping of Easter The Reason of this Quaery it I conceive the Celebration of this Feast was Instituted by the same Authority which changed the Jewish Sabbath into the Lords Day or Sunday for it will not be found in Scripture where Saturday is discharged to be kept or turned into the Sunday wherefore it must be the Churches Authority that Changed the one and Instituted the other therefore my Opinion is that those who will not keep this Feast may as well return to the Observation of Saturday and refuse the weekly Sunday when any Body can shew me that herein I am in an Error I shall not be ashamed to confess and amend it till when you know my Mind C. R. Lastly As to the Observation of Saints Days those Men have no Reason to upbraid us with it who every Year keep their Festival Days in Memory of the Seiges and prosperous Rebellion they rais'd and maintain'd against their rightful Soveraign Indeed had they Fought for him and been preserv'd and deliver'd in so Just and Loyal a Cause to have kept an Anniversary Day in Remembrance of it wou'd have been a justifiable Practice and so it is to observe those few Saints Days whose Memory our Church requires us once a Year to Celebrate having the like Authority
thou not been a Prodigal Spend-thrift wasted thy Substance with Riotous living and devouerd thy Estate among Harlots and yet darest thou say to God Father Thus Rudely Unchristianly and Uncharitably would Jo. Bunyan treat the Prodigal Son as the elder Brother would have had him treated but God himself treats him far otherwise even as a dear and tender Child for when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had Compassion on him and ran and fell on his Neck and kissed him and his Reception and Entertainment was extraordinary ver 22.23 The Author of the Pilgrims Progress had likewise forgotten the Parable of Dives and Lazarus the former tho' in Hell call'd Abraham Father Luke 16.24 But Jo. Bunyan wou'd for this alone have call'd him Damn'd Wretch and Child of the Devil and demanded of him What hast thou to do cursed Man to call Abraham Father But Abraham has better Language in his Mouth and is so far from reproving even this Damned Rich man for calling him Father that he gives him a mild Answer and the Title of Son perhaps because he was one of his Off-spring tho' much degenerated from him that was the first Root and Stock of them Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things c. In like manner the most wicked Person in the World may call God Father he being the God and Father of all Men by Creation who are therefore said to be all his Off-spring Acts 17.28 29. So on the Account of their natural Being which they receiv'd from God all Mankind may truly call God Father as all the Children of an earthly Parent tho' of far different Natures and Behaviour may yet call him their Father 2dly God is the Father of all Men by Redemption which is universal and extended to all that will sincerely accept and lay hold of it as is clear from 1 Joh. 2.1.2 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World So that Jesus Christ dyed for all Men even the most profligate Wretches in the World or else they were not bound to Repent and Believe the Gospel for to what purpose shou'd they do either since none can be saved but those for whom Christ dyed and then all their Repentance and Faith wou'd be in vain So that on the account of Creation and Redemption we may all call Almighty God Father altho' we were never so wicked even as Satans Children as this Author supposes us to be and by consequence may safely use the Lords Prayer without being guilty of Lying or Blasphemy altho' none of us were Saints at least not one in Forty did deserve that Name Indeed William Pen and his Party upbraid us for saying in our Prayers Lord have Mercy upon us miserable Sinners and We have erred and strayed from thy Ways like lost Sheep And John Bunyan and his Party upbraid us for saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. So that if we should hearken to these Men we must not Pray at all neither address our selves to God as Saints nor as Sinners neither say Our Father nor God be merciful to me a Sinner but the truth is we may and on good Grounds do say both having the Examples of David and St. Paul to justifie our Practice whom I presume our Author will allow in the number of Saints and that they might truely call God Father and yet one of them says in his Prayer to God I have gone astray like a lost Sheep O seek thy Servant Ps 119.176 the other says Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief 1 Tim. 1.15 and if after their Examples and that of the penitent Publican we come to Church and confess our Sins and desire God to be Merciful to us Sinners and also after the Example of the poor Prodigal we arise and go to our Father and say unto him Father we have sinned against Heaven and before thee and are not worthy to be called thy Children we may hope to go back again to our Houses justified before the envious Elder Brother and proud Pharisee that Censure and condemn us for our Humility and Faith CHAP. IV. AS nothing is more usual than for Hereticks and Schismaticks to propogate their false and pernicious Doctrines by Fire and Sword and all the studied Arts of Cruelty and Violence that what is wanting of Truth on their side may be made up with blind furious Zeal and ungovernable Rage so none are more forward to shift the Odium of such bloody Proceedings and cast it upon others that are not guilty thereof and to make loud Outcries of Persecution and Oppression which in reality must be charged upon themselves and laid at their own Doors Thus of old the Arians dealt with the Orthodox Christians complain'd of hard Usage from them and of their great Sufferings for Conscience sake and yet none were more bloody Persecutors than themselves as the Orthodox found by sad Experience when these Men had gotten the Power into their own Hands from whom they suffered more than ever they did from the most barbarous Nations or under the worst Heathen Persecutions And thus their Successors the Anabaptists have carried themselves towards the Churches of Christ where they have had means and opportunities to shew the Savageness of their Natures and Dispositions witness the dismal Tragedies they acted at their first rise in Manster and other Parts of Germany which were so barbarous and inhumane that the Modern Anabaptists pretend to be asham'd of them and of the levelling carnal Principles which their first Founders held However this by the way shews their Religion to be very bad whose Foundation was laid in Rebellion and Blood and so indeed has it been propogated ever since when any fair occasion has been offered for the discovery of their Intentions witness their Persecuting King Charles the Martyr and some of his loyal Subjects to the very Gates of Death and some of them to strange Cities in which these Men had a great Hand being some of the worst tho' most potent in Cromwel's Army who with their assistance rul'd all and accomplish'd those Villianies which are a Scandal to our Nation and Reproach to the Protestant Religion And yet Page 45 speaking to a member of our Church John Bunyan says art not thou a desperate Persecutor of the Children of God He is their Father whom thou Persecutest Strange confidence indeed that this Man should not be ashamed to complain of Persecution who was himself a great Persecutor as this very Book of his shews wherein he treats us with bitter Words and railing Language which is one kind of Persecution and not the least neither even that of the Tongue for what Moses calls Ishmaels mocking St. Paul styles his Persecuting of Isaac Gen. 21.9 compared with Gal. 4.29
Liturgy's Vindicated BY THE DISSENTERS Or the Lawfulness of Forms of Prayer and Liturgies PROVED From the very Texts of Scripture urged against them by John Bunyan and the Dissenters By the Author of the Religious Conference between a Minister and his Parishioner about Infant Baptism 2 Pet. 3.16 In which are somethings hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures to their own Destruction LONDON Printed for C. Brome at the Gun at the West end of St. Pauls 1700. THE CONTENTS A PREFACE giving an Account of the Undertaking and secret Juggle of some in pretending to Pray by the Spirit how they are meer Deceivers and Men-pleasers in it Chap. I. Shewing Jo. Bunyan's Imitation of Satan not only in urging Scripture and suppressing so much thereof as makes against him as particularly 1 Cor. 14.15 which is Explain'd and Vindicated from the false Glosses he puts upon it and turned full upon him but also in his intolerable Pride impudent Calumnies and railing Accusations against us and a Question is asked How poor Creatures shall Pray in their Families who have not this pretended Gift of Prayer Which his Party are desired to Answer some better way than by bidding them to Groan Chap. II. Returning an Answer to his Objections against the Common Prayer Book and clearing it from the Imputation of Popery there being nothing thereof in it but Composed by Protestant Martyrs together with sundry Scripture Authorities for the Lawfulness of Forms of Prayer and our Observation of Christmas Easter and other Holy Days in Memory of the Saints Chap. III. Concerning his evasive Answers to our Saviour's Command for the use of the Lord's Prayer Luk. 11.2 which is briefly Explain'd and Confirm'd with some Reflections on his Rules for Prayer as also on the Presbyterian Directory wherein they as much limit the Spirit as we do by a Form as also concerning the falseness of his Assertion That none but Saints ought to say the Lord's Prayer from the known Examples of the Prodigal Son and Rich Man the one calling God and the other Abraham Father and from that Relation which God bears to us by Creation and Redemption he being on both accounts the Father of all Men. Chap. IV. Of the Anabaptists Persecuting Spirit and Cruelty towards other Protestants and particularly towards King Charles the Martyr and his Loyal Subjects and their Canonizing such Persecutors for Saints and Martyrs contrary to the Practice of those that deserved and had that Name among the Primitive Christians whose only Weapons were Prayers and Tears and of that Persecuting Passage in the solemn League and Covenant where they are Sworn to Extirpate us Chap. V. Of some Texts of Scripture Jo. Bunyan brings for the Prohibition of the Common Prayer Book which are all shewn to prove no such thing but rather the Lawfulness of using it Chap. VI. Of two other Places of Scripture which he produceth to the same purpose as Zach. 12.10 and 2 Tim. 3.5 which rightly Explain'd do both conclude against him and for the Lawfulness of Praying by a Form Chap. VII Of his two Scripture Arguments for Praying by the Spirit as 1 Cor. 14.15 and Rom. 8.26 shewing them to be impertinently Alleged and clearing them from the silly Exposition and Paraphrase he makes upon them and proving that one at least if not both of them establish Forms of Prayer and overthrow his Pretences of Praying by the Spirit Chap. VIII Of two plain Proofs that Jo. Bunyan and his Party have not the Spirit which they pretend to viz. 1st The Schism which they have made and continue in the Church with the Rebellions they have rais'd and carryed on against the State 2dly The scurrilous and unchristian Language they utter against us which is exemplified in some farther Instances than were given in the first Chapter Chap. IX Of another Proof to the same purpose from his evil Counsel about the Education of Children whom he would rather have to live without Praying at all than to be taught it by any Form whatsoever which does not savour of the Spirit of God no more does his Beastly Expression in calling this a Nuzzling them up in a Form Chap. X. An Apology for the Author least his Book be Condemned as undervaluing the Holy Spirit and the Assistance which he affords is farther Explained and Stated and Proved not to consist in the Groans or extempore Effusions of Men but in Godly Motions within us and the fervent Desires of the Heart the Life and Soul of Prayer being Faith Hope and Charity and such an Assistance of the Holy Spirit our Church admits and teacheth us to Pray for The Conclusion An Address to all the Members of our Orthodox Church of England not only to Pray but also to Live according to the Common Prayer Book even a Godly Righteous and Sober Life to the Glory of God's holy Name Amen THE PREFACE TO THE READER BEing sensible that some Men will censure me for entring the Lists with such a Combatant where it will be no Credit to Conquer but a mighty Disgrace to be overcome I think my self obliged to give this Account of the Undertaking to reconcile the Reader to what I have hereafter Written least otherwise looking only on the Title-Page he should grow Angry and Impatient and throw away the Book The Discourse I here Answer was sent me from an Anabaptist of my Parish and as I have reason to believe by the Order and Direction of one of their Teachers as a choice Piece which might take me off from the use of the Common Prayer Book whose Morning and Evening Service I wish were constantly offer'd up entire in all other Families as well as mine when it cannot be perform'd in Publick and I am confident they will receive no little Comfort and Satisfaction in so doing but having read it over I found so much Railing Wresting and Mis-applying of Scripture almost in every Page and so little Reason and Truth in any thing he said I once thought his reviling impertinent Discourse unworthy of any other Answer but what the Archangel returned to Satan Jud. 9. The Lord rebuke thee Bunyan But when I considered the high Value the whole Party set upon such slight scurrilous Pamphlets how this was Bequeathed as a Legacy by the last Will and Testament of one of them to a surviving Friend to convince the World That whether Living or Dying they have no Charity for us and how they are contented that themselves and subtle Books should be let alone to Creep into Houses and lead silly Women I may add Men too Captive who are sooner caught and seduc'd with crafty and incoherent Reasoning than with close and sound Arguments and when they have gain'd them for Proselytes and drawn them into the wild Mazes of their numerous Errors 't is very hard to reduce and bring them back into the way of Truth On all these Accounts I judged it needful
to wipe off the soul Aspersions he casts on our Common Prayer Book and all that use it and to Examine and Confute his Pretences to Pray by the Spirit as St. Paul did which I have done in the ensuing Treatise wherein I have shewn the Vanity and Sophistry of all his Arguments for himself and against us especially those that are fetcht from Scripture and returned them with their genuine Force upon his own Head I have there also Proved that the Spirit does not now Invent and Dictate the very Words of our Prayers as they pretend he does tho' all their Pretences of this Nature are meer Cant and a Device how to please Men more than God for Almighty God who is the same Yesterday to Day and for Ever is not delighted with Novelty Variety and change of Words and therefore our Lord Jesus in his last Agony Prayed Thrice in the same Words Mat. 26.44 and without doubt in the use of that short pithy Form for so it was to him having said it Twice before he was as fervent in his Desires the Third time as he was at First 't is mortal Man only who has itching Ears that loves to have them Tickled with new Expressions and in Complyance with this vain Humour I fear it is that these Men decry all Godly Forms even that of Christ's own Composing and set up their Praying by the Spirit which yet is but a meer Artifice the effect of a good Memory and great Confidence and to cast a Mist before the Peoples Eyes they Chop and Change the very same Prayers beginning where they ended and ending where they began in such a Dexterous manner that their ignorant Hearers perceive it not but believe their Prayers are always New and the Product of the Spirit but more knowing Persons who often hear them discover the Cheat and that they are the very same Prayers still with some little Alterations and so they continue in the use of Forms themselves whilst yet they are so Presumptuous as to Condemn it in others for an Antichristian Practice I shall say no more but refer the Reader to the serious Perusal of the following Discourse where I shall leave him to determine how well or ill I have Managed it thinking it no less vain than improper to attempt the Byasing of his Judgment by a Complemental Preface only I Pray a Blessing may attend him in the judicious Reading what I assure him I have Written for no other end but God's Glory and his Churches good and so I bid him heartily Farewel A DEFENCE OF THE LITURGY Against the Dissenters c. CHAP. I. 'T IS Observable of Satan that when he temped our blessed Saviour to throw himself Headlong from the Pinacle of the Temple he urges Psalm 91.11 12. He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee and in their Hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy Foot against a Stone but the Devil leaves out part of the Verse which made against him To keep thee in all thy ways i. e. the ways of God but not in all thy wandrings from them wherein it would have been Presumption to expect the Divine protection the like Course does John Bunyan take when he urges 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the Vnderstanding also he omits the later part of the Verse I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the Vnderstanding also and he does not only omit this in the Title Page but in six or seven Repetitions afterwards which no doubt was designedly done because if he had once mentioned this it would have been a plain and full Confutation of his Argument deduced from the former part of the Verse and indeed of his whole Book for if we may Sing with the Spirit when we have a form of Words and a Tune also to observe which is supposed and allowed in our present Practice of Psalmody Why may we not as well Pray with the Spirit when we have a form of Words before us Is there not the same Reason for Praying as for Singing with the Spirit when both are done in a form of sound Words This is such a convincing Proof of the lawfulness of Forms of Prayer and that those who devoutly use them may be assisted by the Spirit of God that it overthrows all his Cavils and Exceptions against them and strikes his Cause dead thus the Author stumbles in the Threshold and discovers the cloven Foot in the very entrance and almost in every Page of his Book as is evident from his intolerable Pride and uncharitableness which he shews therein of which I shall give you a taste for to mentionall would be to Transcribe his whole Discourse Page 14 he says That Ignorance Profaness and the Spirit of Envy reigns in the Hearts of those Men that are so hot for Forms of Prayers c. scarce one in Forty of them knows what 't is to be born again to have Communion with the Father through the Son c. they still live Cursed Drunken Whorish and Abominable Lives full of Malice Envy Decit Persecuting of the dear Children of God Oh what a dreadful after-clap is coming upon them Which all their Hypocritical assembling themselves together with all their Prayers shall never be able to help them against or shelter them from and p. 43 44. he says Every cursed Whoremaster Theif and Drunkard Swearer and Perjured Person they that have not only been such in times past but are even so still these I say by some must be counted the only honest Men and all because with their Blasphemous Throats and Hypocritical Hearts they will come to Church and say Our Father Nay farther these Men tho' every time they say to God Our Father do most abominably Blaspeme yet they must be compell'd thus to do and p. 45 46. says he Give me leave to Reason with thee thou blind ignorant Sot it may be thy great Prayer is to say Our Father which art in Heaven c. Is not the Devil thy Father And darest thou say to God Our Father c. But as the Devil presented himself among the Sons of God Job 1. when they were to present themselves before the Father even our Father so is it now because the Saints are commanded to say our Father therefore all the blind ignorant Rabble in the World they must also use the same Words Our Father These are some of the base scurrilous and unchristian Reflections he every where bestows on the Members of the Church of England without excepting any out of that number making them as St. Paul affirms himself and his holy Brethren were accounted in his time 1 Cor. 4.13 As the filth of the World and the off-scouring of all things unto this day and I appeal to all sober and good Men whether this be not the Language of a pround and uncharitable Spirit and of a Tongue set on fire of Hell Jam. 3.6 and